FREMANTLE captain Nat Fyfe has taken an encouraging step in his recovery from multiple shoulder surgeries, completing a light session at the Dockers' Cockburn base on Thursday morning.    

Fyfe, who underwent follow-up shoulder surgery in October, was running and kicking at the club as he targets a return to full training by mid-February.

The superstar midfielder, who was due back with the club's experienced players next Monday, was noticeably trimmer after a period of rehabilitation that has included setbacks.

Fyfe underwent a shoulder reconstruction in July after dislocating the joint multiple times during the 2021 season, but scans in October revealed complications in his recovery.  

A bone crack prompted the need for further surgery, and subsequent antibiotic treatment prevented him from training in the weeks that followed.

The 30-year-old did not run for a period of at least four months, leaving him with a crucial block of training ahead to prepare for 2022.

"He’s back to work, back to building his fitness. It’s going to be a bit of a long, slow process in some ways," coach Justin Longmuir told AFL.com.au last month.

"We expect him to be right and back into training by mid-February, if not late February and expect him to be right to go by the start of the season.

"All is not lost, he’s got a pretty good bank of work under his belt so we expect him to come up to the mark pretty quick. I’m looking forward to him being ready for the start of the season."

Fyfe, who has previously undergone latarjet surgery on his right shoulder, dislocated the joint against the Western Bulldogs in round 12 and looked destined for an early end to 2021.

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He was cleared to return in round 16, however, with the decision made to delay inevitable surgery until the end of the season.

The midfielder dislocated his shoulder in consecutive weeks, however, against Geelong and Sydney in rounds 18 and 19, bringing his campaign to an end.