It may have been a “pain in the ass” at the time, but Aaron Sandilands’ hamstring injury has ended up playing a crucial role in Fremantle’s charge to the AFL grand final.

Sandilands missed the opening 14 rounds of the season after tearing his hamstring in March.

The 30-year-old’s absence became an even bigger blow when fellow ruckmen Jon Griffin and Kepler Bradley succumbed to season-ending knee injuries.

But among all the doom came a big upside: the emergence of Zac Clarke.

Clarke looked all at sea when he was trialled as a forward during the pre-season.

A foot injury then sidelined him for the early part of the home-and-away campaign.

But with Fremantle’s ruck stocks depleted, an underdone Clarke was thrust into the lead ruck role in round eight, and he has thrived ever since.

Clarke has averaged 22 hit-outs and 14 possessions this season, and has formed a dangerous ruck duo with Sandilands over the past two months.

The pair will be aiming to give Fremantle’s midfield some more silver spoon service when they come up against Hawthorn’s Max Bailey, David Hale and Jarryd Roughead in Saturday’s grand final at the MCG.

“It’s great to see such a young player come through and improve so quickly. He has really turned a corner,” Sandilands said of the 203cm Clarke on Tuesday.

“He’s probably one of the best runners at the club,

“His pace and his aerobic capacity and his athleticism put him in really good stead and I think he has learned a fair bit over the last couple of years on where to position and what to do.

“He’s become a really good player for us.”

Sandilands is feeling fit and fresh after playing just nine games this year.

But when asked whether his hamstring injury was a blessing in disguise, Sandilands replied: “Not really. It was a pain in the ass to be honest.

“When you miss so much footy it’s disappointing and you want to get back out there.

“I’m just fortunate I managed to get back later in the year and get a few games under my belt before finals.”