Fremantle defender Brennan Cox will be given a well-earned rest this week, while the Dockers are also playing it safe with ruckman Sean Darcy and midfielder Matthew Johnson.

The Dockers (11-1) are on top of the AFL ladder and riding a club-record 11-match winning streak heading into Saturday's clash with North Melbourne in Bunbury - a country town 175km south of Perth.

Although Caleb Serong will miss a third straight game with a calf injury, Fremantle have been boosted by the return of fellow star midfielder Hayden Young from concussion.

Johnson (hamstring) and Cox (knee) pulled up relatively well after suffering injury scares in last week's 25-point win over Brisbane, but both have been ruled out of this week's match against North Melbourne.

"Coxy is an interesting one," Longmuir said before training on Thursday.

"With the bye next week, is it an opportunity to give him a couple of weeks off to try and get that knee right?"

Oscar McDonald has been recalled to replace Cox, while Jaeger O'Meara also returns after making it through two WAFL hit-outs since fracturing his face at training.

Fremantle's enviable depth and excellent start to the season mean they can afford to ease players back in rather than rush them back.

It's why Darcy, who played the first five games of the season before being cut down by a concussion and then another calf injury, will spend a second straight week in the WAFL.

As part of the three changes, Fremantle dropped first-year forward Chris Scerri.

Star attacker Shai Bolton was named in Fremantle's side despite donning a glove and wearing a fluoro "not contact" hat at training this week.

North Melbourne (5-6) will be without tagger Finn O'Sullivan, who will miss the next two matches after being concussed at training this week.

Winger Zac Fisher has been named to replace O'Sullivan in North's only change.

Seven of Fremantle's final 12 games are in WA, including the next three.

Not that Longmuir is getting carried away by the advantage of home comforts.

"There's been a lot of talk around seven games at home or whatever it is," Longmuir said.

"But really we're just focused on North Melbourne because if you take your eye off the ball in this game, it's so even that you can cop a whack anytime."