THE LUKE Jackson midfield experiment is set to continue, with Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir confident it will pay big dividends down the track.

Jackson won a premiership at Melbourne playing a hybrid ruck-forward role, but he endured a tough start to his life as a Docker.

The 21-year-old was goalless and took just one mark across the opening two rounds.

But he showcased his potential in Sunday's 41-point western derby win over West Coast, tallying 12 disposals, 17 hitouts, two contested marks, two goals and seven tackles.

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Published on Apr 2, 2023

Although Jackson still played the majority of the game up forward, the 199cm rising star was used as a big-bodied midfielder at times to rove for fellow ruckman Sean Darcy.

The move helped Jackson get more involved in the game, and it's a role he's set to continue in Saturday's clash with the Crows in Adelaide.

"It's something we're going to look to evolve with Luke," Longmuir told reporters on Wednesday.

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"He's a really good ground level player, he's a hard match-up given his size around there.

"He's got some work to do on his stoppage craft and those sort of things, but it's a long-term (plan) with Luke.

"We didn't get him to the club for the first three weeks of his career. We hope he's here for 10 years. We look to evolve his game, and try to evolve us as a team as well."

Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy fly for a mark during the R3 match between Fremantle and West Coast at Optus Stadium, on April 2, 2023. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos

Jackson only tallied one clearance against the Eagles, but Longmuir saw plenty of upside.

"I thought it worked OK on the weekend, it's going to work better the more experiences he gets there," he said.

"He's probably only played a handful of centre bounces as a midfielder in his whole life.

"The more we do it, the better we'll get. I thought those two (Darcy and Jackson) operated really well together.

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"Sean hit the scoreboard, he could have easily kicked three goals himself."

Two-time Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe has been ruled out for a third straight match with plantar fasciitis.

Longmuir is hopeful Fyfe will return for next week's Gather Round clash with Gold Coast, but there's no guarantees.

"It's a bit unpredictable the injury," Longmuir said.

Nat Fyfe runs with the ball during the R1 match between Fremantle and St Kilda at Marvel Stadium, on March 19, 2023. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos

"We've already tried a few things. We've got some improvement, but just not as much as we would have liked.

"We feel like it could come good pretty quickly. We could see him maybe the Gold Coast game, but it's a bit unpredictable, so we'll take it week by week."

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Defender Brandon Walker is set to replace Heath Chapman, who will be sidelined for three weeks with a calf injury.

Midfielder Will Brodie was surprisingly axed for last week's derby, and it remains to be seen whether he'll earn a recall.