Lachie Schultz acknowledges supporters while warming up ahead of the round three match between Fremantle and West Coast at Optus Stadium, on April 2, 2023. Picture: Getty Images

FREMANTLE superstar Nat Fyfe has lifted his workload as he recovers from a plantar fascia injury, with the dual Brownlow medallist completing a good portion of Tuesday's training session with teammates.

The Dockers were keen to test Fyfe's troubled foot this week and see how he responded to more training after moving from an anti-gravity treadmill to running on grass last week.

He started Tuesday's session at the Dockers' Cockburn base in running shoes and joined teammates for the warm-up before switching into boots and doing a series of running, kicking and groundball drills with the squad. 

The 31-year-old moved well throughout, if not always at top pace, and finished with some brief goalkicking as he looks to return for his first game since round one in the coming weeks.

Fremantle said on Monday that it did not yet have a timeline for Fyfe's return, but it was hopeful he was not too far away as the three-time club champion progresses with his recovery.

Coach Justin Longmuir has flagged several options for Fyfe's eventual return, including as the substitute or through the WAFL if he needs to regain match fitness before playing at AFL level.

Meanwhile, small forward Lachie Schultz has put his hand up to fill the part-time midfield role vacated by injured teammate Sam Switkowski, who will miss Friday night's clash against the Western Bulldogs because of a calf injury.

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Switkowski, who will be sidelined for two matches, has been a dynamic pinch-hit option for the Dockers in the midfield, attending eight centre bounces across their matches against West Coast and Adelaide before suffering a calf injury early against the Suns.

Schultz said his pre-season included around-the-ground stoppage and centre bounce work, while also learning midfield running patterns in case he was needed as an onball option during the season. 

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"I've done a lot of work with our midfield coach, Joel Corey, so I'm more than ready if I'm called upon to go in and do what 'Switta' does," Schultz said.

"Switta is an electric player and what he offers I definitely can't match that, so I'll hopefully offer something different if I go in and get the ball moving our way.

"If we can throw a little bit at other teams and disrupt them, then that will work in our favour.

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"But I'm also happy playing as a forward and that's where I play my best footy."

Schultz said this week's match-up against the Western Bulldogs brought back fond memories of last year's elimination final comeback win, which saw the Dockers overturn a 41-point deficit early in the second quarter to win by 13 points.

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The 25-year-old said avoiding a slow start this time around would be a priority after also starting slowly in all five matches this season and trailing at quarter-time.

"We want to start the game the way we finished on the weekend and the way we finished against the Bulldogs that day in the final," Schultz said.

"It'll be a big focus going into the game to start really physical and fast and we've got really good confidence within the group that we can do that."

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Schultz said the players remained close with former teammate Rory Lobb, who has arrived in Perth with the Bulldogs ahead of the clash against his former team, having sought a trade at the end of last season.

"It'll be good to get out on the field and give him a bit, but it's all in good fun and we're still really good mates," Schultz said.

"We're looking at the Bulldogs as a whole and there won't be anything towards 'Lobby' as such.

"We feel like we've got really good opportunities against the whole team."