Fyfe back in the 22 as Dockers aim to hassle Cats

Fremantle star Nat Fyfe is expected to spend significant stints in the midfield during the Dockers' AFL clash with Geelong at Optus Stadium.

NAT FYFE.
NAT FYFE. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Media/Getty Images

Fremantle will be aiming to keep their frenetic pressure at a strangling-high when Nat Fyfe steps back into the 22 for a crunch AFL clash with Geelong at Optus Stadium.

Fyfe's two impressive cameos as the substitute on return from a foot injury has convinced Fremantle's coaching staff that he's now ready for a full game.

The two-time Brownlow medallist was set to spend the bulk of the season as a key forward.

But it's now tipped that Fyfe will mostly return to his regular midfield duties, especially with spearheads Jye Amiss, Josh Treacy and Luke Jackson starting to gel in attack.

Fremantle's on-ball division struggled earlier this season, but they have found their groove over the past fortnight during impressive wins over Hawthorn and Sydney.

Dockers coach Justin Longmuir was over the moon with the amount of run-down tackles his players produced at the SCG last week, and he's urging the team to push on with that intense pressure when they face the Cats (5-4).

"There were a lot of trademark efforts where we just went and it was instinctive," Longmuir said.

"We pressured really well with 72 tackles at over 70 per cent (efficiency), so we tackled really well, and that's a sign we're in form.

"It's the standard we're trying to keep.

"I don't think our pressure has been terrible this year ... but it went to another level on the weekend, so we want to try to keep it there."

Longmuir said it would take a team approach to halt the influence of star Cats spearheads Jeremy Cameron and Tom Hawkins.

Cameron has booted 34.10 this season, but he was restricted to just one major by Nathan Broad in last week's 24-point loss to Richmond.

Alex Pearce kept Lance Franklin goalless from four disposals in Fremantle's 17-point win over Sydney last week.

Pearce and Brennan Cox now face the daunting task of taming Cameron and Hawkins.

"We need to worry about Hawkins and Cameron and all their dangerous small forwards," Longmuir said.

"He (Cameron) presents some different challenges with his athleticism and his ability to go to different spots and get up the ground.

"We just need to have a team approach as well. We can't get too locked into individuals, because it tends to pull us apart when we do that."

Geelong welcome back Tyson Stengle (broken arm) and Jack Henry (foot) from injury, while Brad Close returns from suspension.

Mitch Duncan (hamstring), Jhye Clark (foot), Ollie Henry (ruptured testicle) and Oliver Dempsey (dropped) go out of the side.

Fremantle are still out of the top-eight with a 4-5 record, but they will catapult themselves back into the flag conversation if they can defeat Geelong and Melbourne (MCG) over the next fortnight.