FREMANTLE midfielder David Mundy is confident a gruelling two-week training program has him ready to make his long-awaited return from a serious ankle injury.

Mundy, who is yet to play a competitive match since undergoing ankle surgery in the off-season, is expected to play against the Brisbane Lions at Patersons Stadium on Saturday.

The clearance specialist has spent the past fortnight completing an extensive running program in an effort to convince coach Ross Lyon he is ready to return.

Lyon has described his key midfielder as a "strong" chance to face the Lions, and Mundy was hopeful on Wednesday after a fortnight of pushing his claims.

"Two weeks ago I was begging him (Lyon), I was knocking on his door begging to play," the 2010 club champion said.

"Since then I've ticked a lot of boxes and done a lot of running and tried to impress as much as I can. I feel like I'm up and ready to go.

"I did a running session on the weekend that would simulate a game and got through no dramas … it was 16km, so it was a fair crack.

"Doing the two weeks of massive work I have, I'm champing at the bit to get out there and really give it a good crack."

With Michael Barlow ready to progress to full game time after two matches as Fremantle's starting substitute, Mundy said there was a chance he could be eased back into the team in a similar way.

He said the reason he had been overlooked for the first two matches of the season was because he hadn't completed the required running to convince the match committee he was ready. 

"I haven't been sitting on my hands all summer; I've been in the gym doing my stuff," he said.

"But just getting that running volume behind me so I can really back it up quarter to quarter and not risk any soft tissue stuff [has been the issue].

"It has been frustrating, but in saying that I understand their reasoning behind it."

With finals still a mathematical possibility late last season, Fremantle played Mundy in its round 22 clash with North Melbourne after nine weeks sidelined with the ankle injury.

Fremantle lost, and Mundy missed the final two rounds of the season, but he said he had no regrets given the injury-ravaged team was still pushing to play finals.

"I guess hindsight is 20-20," he said of the North Melbourne loss.

"At quarter-time I felt like I'd torn the game up a little bit and I was pretty happy with how I was going.

"Looking back, at that stage we were really pushing to make the finals. If I was put in the same spot I'd make the same decision I guess, if it was up to me."

Nathan Schmook covers Fremantle news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nathan