FREMANTLE coach Mark Harvey says the time has come for his team to turn the tables on the Western Bulldogs after "letting the Dogs off the leash" in recent seasons.

The Bulldogs have won their last six clashes against Fremantle by an average of 36 points, thrashing Harvey's men by 82 points the last time they met, in round 17 last season.

After a period of rebuilding for Fremantle that has coincided with an extended run of finals appearances for the Bulldogs, Harvey said Monday night's Anzac Day clash at Patersons Stadium would be a tighter affair.    

"We've let the Dogs off the leash in the last three years and we need to make sure that they bark a bit more and chase us a little bit more," Harvey said from Fremantle Oval on Good Friday. 

"Everyone's talking about the Essendon-Collingwood game; well, this game will have it all too.

"We've been maturing over the last three years and they've always been an older, more experienced group.

"It's starting to get to the stage now where our guys are two, three or four years down the track (and) we need to start to make sure that we really challenge and turn the tables on these teams that have had it over us."

The Bulldogs are the third side in a row to face Fremantle after a bye, with Adelaide (25 points) and North Melbourne (29) both falling short after their week off.

Harvey said the 2-1 Bulldogs were in good form after solid wins over the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast.   

"I'm not sure whether the intensity in those games has been there - against the Gold Coast and also Brisbane - but they're a quality side and they've been up there for the last five or six years," he said.

"They're developing some good younger players that you have to keep your eye on.
 
"Apart from the first game obviously, when they got challenged by the Bombers, they've been in pretty good form."

Harvey said the midfield had been an issue for Fremantle against the Bulldogs in recent seasons, but the side had made up ground in that area. 

The coach said his onball division now had the depth to compete when the side's stars were tagged, highlighting Nat Fyfe's continued emergence this season. 

"It's very hard to tag three, four or five players these days," he said. 

"Sometimes the focus will go onto (Matthew) Pavlich, or (Aaron) Sandilands for that matter, and some of the younger players possibly get off the hook.

"I guess you find out a lot more about your younger players when [they are tagged]."

Fremantle will have its main training session on Friday afternoon before finalising its side on Saturday. 

Forward recruit Jack Anthony, who has been named as an emergency, will play for WAFL side Subiaco on Friday afternoon, leaving one of Nick Lower, Jesse Crichton or Michael Walters to replace the injured Nick Suban (fractured fibula).

Nathan Schmook covers Fremantle news for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_NSchmook