Fremantle defender Nick Suban hopes to be back in action by the middle of this season despite breaking his fibula in the club's 29-point victory over North Melbourne.

Suban underwent surgery after the match on Sunday night to have a plate inserted into his right leg, and is expected to miss just eight weeks.

The 20-year-old will remain in hospital until mid-week but is optimistic about making a speedy recovery.

"We've spoken to Nick and he's very positive and upbeat about getting back out playing with his teammates," Fremantle football operations manager Chris Bond told the club's website.

"Our medical advice at this stage is that he should be ready to go within eight weeks."

Meanwhile, Fremantle coach Mark Harvey admits his team needs to execute better in front of goal in order to match it with the AFL's heavyweight sides.

The Dockers missed several simple shots on goal during crucial stages of their 18.19 (127) to 14.14 (98) win over North Melbourne, while their waywardness cost them victory two weeks earlier against Geelong.

Harvey said players needed to be more clinical with their finishing when the game was on the line.

"Yeah that's probably something we need to look at and make sure that when we're shooting for goal we ... capitalise on those moments that can either get us back into the game ... or in fact put a space in the game," Harvey said.

"We're not doing that at the moment, which we need to work on.

"(It doesn't create) stress, just frustration, particularly in the box.

"It's more just missing the goal when we need it to happen.

"We can all kick goals if the game's beyond doubt or we're six or seven goals up.

"But it's during those moments (when the game's on the line) that we need to capitalise."

The Dockers will be looking to post their fourth win of the season when they take on the Western Bulldogs in Perth next Monday.

Fremantle's even spread of talent has troubled opposingsides this year, with skipper Matthew Pavlich, Nat Fyfe, David Mundy, Luke McPharlin, Aaron Sandilands, Greg Broughton and Stephen Hill enjoying outstanding campaigns to date.

Harvey said goalsneak Hayden Ballantyne, who booted 4.5 to go with 25 possessions against the Roos, was also a special talent.

"Well it's funny. On the way to the footy - I live on a hill - there was a young kid riding a bike with a Fremantle jumper on and I thought jeez, that looks like Ballantyne riding a bike up the hill," Harvey said.

"I was just wondering whether he's going to get up the top of the hill, and I said 'keep going son'.

"Anyway, he kept going and sure enough he got to the top of the hill.

"I don't know whether that's ironic or not, but it's a funny moment I guess."

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