Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich has warned his teammates to brace themselves for a West Coast ambush in Sunday's western derby AFL clash at Subiaco Oval.

The Dockers are raging favourites to win their seventh straight derby but Pavlich is wary of an Eagles outfit that has shown a greater willingness to attack over the past three rounds.

"We'll have to be on our guard, there's no question about that," Pavlich said.

"They've talked about there's nothing to lose ... we're guarding ourselves from an ambush."

Last week's 82-point loss to the Bulldogs dealt a blow to Fremantle's top-four hopes but Eagles ruckman Dean Cox laughed at talk the Dockers were on the slide.

"(It's) tough to say they're faltering when they're fifth place on the ladder," Cox said.

"They lost on the weekend to ... a real premiership contender.

"They've played an exciting brand of footy this year.

"They've really taken it up to opposition sides and been probably the biggest improver.

"We faced them off early in the year and they've just continued to grow.

"I think their players are really playing for one another, they're playing a brand of footy that stands up in tight, contested situations.

"Our boys are going to have to be at their best to beat them."

West Coast newcomer Ashley Smith spent time on Carlton goalsneak Eddie Betts last week and the 20-year-old has put his hand up to take on Fremantle antagonist Hayden Ballantyne.

Ballantyne has been caught on camera pinching Gary Ablett and pulling the hair of Harry O'Brien this season.

But Smith said he would be ready for any such tactics.

"I'm happy if he wants to do that ... if's not going to worry me or affect me at all," Smith said.

"I probably don't have as much hair to pull than the other boys."

The 186cm Smith has run a 10.8-second, 100-metre sprint and is eager to test his speed against Ballantyne, who is 12cm shorter.

"He probably looks faster because his legs move quicker but I don't know (who's quicker), we'll see on the day," Smith said.

"If I have to run him down, then I'll try my best to do that."

In another interesting sub-plot, returning Dockers defender Chris Tarrant is almost certain to get the job on Eagles sharpshooter Mark LeCras, who has been held to just two goals in each of the past three derbies.

"The last couple of times he's kept me reasonably quiet," LeCras said.

"He's a big body and he stops your run and stuff like that.

"So it's going to be a big challenge for me to try to keep my workrate up if I do get him."

LeCras is yet to win any of his five derbies but is desperate to end that record on Sunday.

"I don't enjoy losing as it is but obviously they're our main rivals in the west so it's definitely a team I'd like to get a victory over," he said.

Fremantle, who welcomed back Tarrant and David Mundy from injury, will also feature 18-year-old debutant Justin Bollenhagen in what is sure to be a fiery initiation to AFL ranks.

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