DUMPED Fremantle player Colin Sylvia will return to Dockers colours on Saturday when he lines up for the Templestowe in the Eastern Football League.

The Templestowe Dockers are a third division side in the Victorian competition, based in Melbourne's east.

The 2003 No.3 pick in the NAB AFL Draft parted ways with Fremantle in April, having spent the start of the season with WAFL club Peel Thunder after being exiled by coach Ross Lyon.

Templestowe coach Rick Irwin said the local community was getting behind Sylvia's appearance.

"I'm really looking forward to having him on board," Irwin told AFL.com.au.

"It's certainly created a little bit of hype," he said.

Irwin said he'd be offering Sylvia the chance to play in whatever position he'd like, and said with his captain and vice-captain out, the former Demon could even skipper the side for the day.

"I haven't even met Colin yet. He's training tonight," Irwin said.

"To be honest I'll be asking him where he plays his best footy."

Irwin said Sylvia wasn't being paid for the one-off appearance, and was doing it as a thank you to his management group Stride Sports.

It's understood Sylvia is then planning to return to his home town of Merbein, near Mildura, to play with his local club.

Sylvia's move to Western Australian was an abject failure.

He played just six games for the Dockers and coach Ross Lyon said there would be a review of the club's recruiting strategies as a result.

The 29-year-old made his debut for Melbourne in 2004, where he played the bulk of his 163 games.

Templestowe hosts Ringwood at 2.10pm Saturday at Templestowe Reserve.