An injury cloud still hovers over Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands, but Dockers coach Mark Harvey is confident his side can match Sydney at the stoppages in Saturday's AFL clash at Subiaco Oval.

Sandilands missed last week's 54-point loss to North Melbourne with a foot injury and will be given until Friday to prove his fitness.

The Swans are renowned for their work at the stoppages and will have the upper hand in that area if Sandilands is unavailable to take on Sydney ruck duo Shane Mumford and Mike Pyke.

But Harvey hoped his team could repeat their strong stoppage work against Sydney in round nine and possibly expose them in other areas.

"We played them earlier in the year and that was on a small ground which was the SCG and we matched them in that area," Harvey said on Wednesday.

"We managed to win that game.

"So the other question is can Sydney keep sustaining what they're doing (given it's) round 19.

"We'd like to think ... we can assert ourselves and dominate the mindset of Sydney from other aspects of the game."

Harvey remains hopeful Sandilands will be fit to take his place against the Swans.

"He's come up quicker than we would have thought so that's a good indication," Harvey said.

"I mean it's one of these difficult injuries to diagnose length and periods ... he'd be saying that he'd be playing this week if you ask him."

Harvey said forward Chris Mayne was likely to play in the WAFL this week in what would be his first competitive hit-out since injuring an ankle in round 11.

Fremantle sit in fifth spot and will secure a home final with victory over the seventh-placed Swans, who are two wins further back.

But Harvey said his team would have to be on full alert for a Swans outfit looking to send off several champions on a winning note this year.

"There's obviously a lot of significance to what they're doing, Brett Kirk's last year and Roosy's (coach Paul Roos) last year," Harvey said.

"So there's all of that on top of where we are situated on the ladder.

"We've got an understanding of how important the game is.

"We need to put our stamp on the Swans when they get there."

Harvey said the game against Sydney would be good preparation for both sides ahead of this year's finals series.

He also leapt to the defence of young midfielder Stephen Hill, who copped heavy criticism from AFL great Leigh Matthews after his poor game against the Kangaroos.

"It's probably more heavily scrutinised from an opposition point of view to perhaps when Leigh played," Harvey said.

"Hill's got a very good temperament and I'm sure you'll see what he can do in the next couple of weeks."

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