He may be known as the “Old Boy”, but Fremantle defender Luke McPharlin will provide his team with plenty of zip when he returns from injury after this week’s bye.

McPharlin has been sidelined for the past fortnight after injuring his quad in the AFL western derby win over West Coast.

The Dockers’ ball movement was somewhat stifled without McPharlin in the loss to Port Adelaide, but the team made a conscious effort to improve that aspect dramatically in last week’s 32-point win over Geelong.

Defender Michael Johnson said McPharlin’s likely return against the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium next week will give the team vital rebound power, while also freeing up other players to cause damage of their own.

“He’s a great leader,” Johnson said of the 32-year-old.

“He’s the one that controls the backline and we feed off him.

“It will be good to have the old boy back.

“You saw on the weekend we took the game on a bit more, and it came off for us.

“We just felt we were going a bit slow in the weeks leading up to that game.

“When we play our best footy, we’re going real quick and catching the opposition out.

“Luke is another key player for us in that structure.”

The Dockers will mark the AFL’s Indigenous round with a specially-themed jumper featuring a native hibiscus, which is the national symbol for the Stolen Generations.

“My stepdad was part of that stolen generation,” Johnson said.

“It has affected a bit of his family.”

Johnson earned his maiden All-Australian jumper last year, and his form this season has been equally impressive.

The Dockers’ next nine games are all against sides who currently sit outside the top-eight, but Johnson said the team wasn’t getting complacent given the closeness of the competition.

Fremantle utility Clancee Pearce is set to miss up to a fortnight due to a shoulder injury he suffered in the WAFL, but the Dockers escaped injury-free from their win over the Cats.