Fremantle’s hopes of earning a vital road victory have been boosted, with Richmond superstar Monique Conti a late withdrawal ahead of the Dockers’ clash against the Tigers on Sunday.

Conti was scratched from the line-up on Saturday, with the midfielder unable to overcome Achilles soreness.

It’s a significant blow for the Tigers, with the five-time All-Australian and seven-time best-and-fairest starting the season in typically blazing fashion to lead early voting in the AFL Coaches Association’s Champion Player of the Year award.

Conti is the AFLW’s top clearance player this season, averaging a league-high 7.7 per game. Her 27 disposals and 6.3 score involvements per game both rank among the top 10 for players competition-wide.

Veteran Kate Dempsey will replace Conti for her first game of the season.

The 1-2 Dockers have the chance to leapfrog the 2-1 Tigers if they can earn a road triumph at Melbourne’s Ikon Park, to go with their previous away win over Collingwood last month.