A persistent calf injury has kept Headland out of the side since round one, but the 28-year-old returned to football with WAFL side Subiaco at the weekend and booted two goals.
Harvey said if Headland trained well he would earn a recall to face North Melbourne at Docklands on Saturday.
"He got through the game and we were reasonably happy with his contributions for Subiaco; he just adds experience," Harvey said from Fremantle Oval on Wednesday.
"He's probably not 100 per cent match fit from an AFL point of view, but if you know how hard Des Headland has trained in the last six or seven months you’d say he's not too far away."
The WAFL has a general bye this weekend to accommodate the WA v SA match, leaving Headland with nowhere to play if he is not selected for Fremantle.
Harvey also noted the significance of bringing Headland back for this week's Indigenous Round alongside 100-game defender Roger Hayden.
"We're going to have five or six Aboriginals play on the weekend and the fascination they've bought to the game has been enormous," Harvey said.
"In many ways they're going to be more and more elite in this game, because they've got that uncanny knack that is very hard to find.
"The thing I like about Aboriginal players is they're selfless and they have an enormous ability to bring their teammates into the game.
"It's a great trait to have."
After Fremantle's round-eight loss to Hawthorn, Harvey said his side's younger players were in need of a rest with Nic Suban (eight possessions), Stephen Hill (13), Matt de Boer (12) and Clayton Hinkley (nine) all well held against the reigning premier.
But on Wednesday the coach stood firm in his approach to keep playing the first and second-year players.
"I've gone back and had a look at some of their game times in recent weeks and we are keeping them down to 60-70 per cent," Harvey said.
"I think that'll hold them in good stead over the next few weeks.
"I'm pretty keen to ... keep giving them experience playing in a team that's gathering momentum and then give them the experience of playing against different teams, playing on different opponents, on the road, at home – all of that means a lot.
"We have to keep putting games into younger players."
