Fremantle legend Nat Fyfe is fighting another injury battle to return to AFL level after suffering a hamstring injury in Peel Thunder's WAFL match on Saturday.

The injury setback is yet another roadblock in Fyfe's journey back to AFL form, and has sparked retirement fears for the dual Brownlow medallist.

The out-of-contract midfielder has not been selected in Fremantle's opening four fixtures after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery late in the pre-season, with coach Justin Longmuir playing Fyfe in the WAFL to build his match fitness and form before earning a spot in the senior side.

Fyfe played 22 games in 2024, but has increasingly found it difficult to break into the midfield position he once owned, as Fremantle boast a star-studded trio of Hayden Young, Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw, as well as recruit Shai Bolton, who has been rotated through the middle too.

In another setback for an AFL return, and potentially upending a fairytale farewell season, Fyfe has suffered a hamstring injury in Peel's clash against South Fremantle.

Fyfe attempted to lay a tackle in the first quarter of the match but instantly pulled out with a limp in his step. The dejected Fyfe made his way from the field and headed down the race to the club rooms, where he would later emerge in club off-field gear.

Sent for scans on Monday, the results have revealed a moderate-grade hamstring strain for Fyfe. It will not require surgery, but the star Docker can expect to miss multiple weeks of action, with an exact timeline to be determined across the next fortnight.

Fremantle general manager Joe Brierty said the blow was "frustrating" for Fyfe.

โ€œIt's obviously frustrating for Nat as he had been progressing well following his knee injury sustained during the pre-season,โ€ Brierty said.

โ€œWe know the calibre of the person and player that he is, and we know Nat will dedicate himself to his recovery with the support of our performance health team.โ€

With Fyfe's body concerns and inability to crack the Dockers' best 23, the hamstring injury could be a bitter blow for the hopes of a farewell game in Fremantle colours, if the star chooses to hang up the boots come season's end.

Dockers coach Justin Longmuir felt the frustration when hearing Fyfe's setback, but was adamant the two-time Brownlow medallist has a role to play in 2025.

Embed from Getty Images

"I haven't touched base with him yet, I'll do that after on the way to the airport, but he's disappointed. We felt like he was building really well, there was a little hiccup last week with his knee, and now he's had another setback โ€“ he'll be disappointed," Longmuir said after Sunday's win over Richmond.

"He realises it's a long season and there's plenty of footy left. We think [he can come back]. He's really confident with where his game was trending, his body was trending.

"We had a really strong discussion around bringing him in this week as well, but we knew it was probably going to be hot, we had other guys on managed minutes (Sean Darcy and Hayden Young), and we didn't want him to be too underdone.

"We see it as a little speedhump. We'll get it scanned and let you know, but our first thought is that it's not overly serious."