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Nat Fyfe doesn't want to upset Fremantle's midfield mix when he makes his AFL return against Hawthorn at Optus Stadium.

Fremantle superstar Nat Fyfe is set to spend plenty of time in attack when he makes his AFL return this week.

Barring any unforeseen setbacks, Fyfe will play his first game this year for the Dockers in Saturday's clash with Hawthorn at Optus Stadium.

It comes after the dual Brownlow medallist made a successful comeback from shoulder and back surgeries with WAFL affiliate Peel Thunder last weekend.

On the eve of the season, Fyfe emphatically declared his time experimenting with a role in the forward line was over.

But the Dockers' hot form in his absence has shifted the goal posts as Fyfe looks for where he can offer "net value add" to the team.

"There's no point me going back into the midfield and playing a role that Will Brodie, David Mundy, Caleb Serong or Andy Brayshaw have done so well for the whole season," Fyfe told Fox Footy.

"Plus I'll be pretty rusty and need to take a number of weeks to find some form, so that would indicate there would be a fairly big forward component to where I play.

"But what that looks like exactly, we're only a week into winter, we've got a lot of heavy lifting to go through the back end of the year.

"My role will be flexible and adaptable as we go throughout the year."

Fyfe laughed off his pre-season call that he would not return to the forward line in 2022.

"It just shows the short-sightedness of sweeping declarations," he said.

"There's new information now, we're a different team than we were at the start of the year as far as what we've been able to build.

"I am very open to playing forward, I started my career as a forward, but more than anything, I'm very open to playing within our system.

"Wherever best suits the team and wherever we can identify my strengths adding to that mix."

Fremantle (9-3) have surprised critics to sit third on the ladder after statement wins over Melbourne and Brisbane in the last two weeks.