FREMANTLE star Nat Fyfe says he has a decision to make about whether to try and play again this year or sit out the rest of 2016 to allow his fractured leg to heal fully.

Fyfe had surgery in Melbourne on Tuesday to repair the fractured fibula in his left leg that he suffered in the loss to Carlton last Sunday.

The 2015 Brownlow medallist told Channel Seven on Thursday night that he now faces a decision whether to try and rush back to play with the plate that has been inserted still in his leg, or whether to have the plate removed when the fracture has healed and sit out the rest of 2016 to allow him to get ready for the 2017 season.

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"I'll have a four-to-six week period of rehab now where I'll get back up to full speed and running, and then we've got some real decisions to make about what the rest of my year looks like," Fyfe said.

"Whether I come back and get the plate taken straight out to prevent any further risk, or whether I try to play on for the rest of the year."

It is the second surgery Fyfe has had on the left fibula bone in eight months. He revealed that the latest fracture was related to the first one.

"There's pretty good evidence that because of the plate, I've got some weakness above it and that's why it broke," Fyfe said.

"Because the plate makes the old fracture so strong there's a weak point above and below it." 

Given the Dockers have started the season 0-5 and are highly unlikely to play finals, Fyfe said the case for sitting out the remainder of the year was strong.

"I think there's a really good argument to do that," Fyfe said.

"As I'm maturing a little bit I'm starting to understand that I can't just keep throwing myself out there if I'm not right, and I've got to have a long-term view on my career. So certainly I'll sit down with the people that really matter to me and map out the rest of my year."

Coach Ross Lyon said on Wednesday the club would not take any risks with Fyfe if they did not need to.