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Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe says he tried and failed to play more like Magpies star Scott Pendlebury, and now he will stick to what works for him.

Fremantle skipper Nat Fyfe says he has no intention of winding down his career by becoming a permanent forward, declaring he will remain a competitive midfield beast despite the toll it has taken on his body.

Fyfe will notch his 200-game milestone in Saturday's AFL clash with Hawthorn in Tasmania.

The two-time Brownlow medallist is still nursing a right shoulder injury that will require surgery at the end of the season.

Fractured legs, concussions, dislocated shoulders, hamstring issues, and a long-term elbow injury are some of the other ailments Fyfe has been forced to deal with during his sparkling 12-year career.

In a bid to ease the toll, a couple of years ago Fyfe vowed to start playing smarter and not throw his body into as many dangerous situations.

That plan hasn't come to fruition, with Fyfe's competitive instincts taking over when he crosses the white line.

It's also been widely suggested Fyfe - one of the best contested markers in the competition - could extend his career by becoming a permanent forward.

But the 29-year-old isn't interested in that either, and would like to play out his career as a ball-hungry clearance machine.

"I'm not a great forward. I feel like my best footy is in the midfield," Fyfe said.

"I can pinch-hit (in attack) but I'll keep playing to my strengths as long as I can, and work within team balance.

"We've got some genuine guns coming through in our midfield, and my job will be to help nurture and mentor them through.

"But I've got no intention of winding off or winding down for the back end of my career."

Fyfe said his attempt to become a smarter player in the mould of Collingwood star Scott Pendlebury hadn't worked out as planned.

"(In the) early days, particularly once I got a bit bigger and stronger, I wanted to be that competitive beast, that combative attacking inside player," Fyfe said.

"As I've gotten older, I've tried to become more efficient and smarter with the way I go about it, a bit like a Scott Pendlebury type of player. But it hasn't really come to life for me.

"I find myself still this year - I've had a concussion, a loose shoulder and a number of other little niggles. My game is my game, I think it makes sense just to stick to your strengths."

Fyfe is still feeling pain from his recently-dislocated right shoulder, but will plough through for the rest of the year.

He is confident Fremantle (7-8) have set the foundations for a period of sustained success.