Late changes have been made to the Indigenous All Stars squad with Swans tall Joel Hamling selected to replace Alex Pearce, who has been ruled out of Saturday's match.

On Monday, Fremantle confirmed their skipper would miss the fixture and an opportunity to play against teammates, after the Palawa man tweaked his ankle during an intra-club match last week.

Indigenous All Stars coach Xavier Clarke said Hamling, at 31-years and 194cm, would be an "asset" in their line up.

His addition also restores missing height in their defensive 50.

The squad's defensive stocks had already taken a hit prior to Pearce's setback, when Bulldogs key back Liam Jones suffered a serious hamstring injury in his club's own scratch match in Queensland the week previous.

"Joel's experience and leadership will be a great asset to the team," Clarke said.

"While we'll miss Alex Pearce's presence due to his injury, Joel's addition strengthens our already talented squad. We're looking forward to seeing the impact he'll make in what promises to be an exciting and important match for the Indigenous All-Stars."

Hamling played 61 matches for the Dockers between 2017 and 2023 before joining Sydney ahead of the 2024 season.

He's played 91 senior games across 13 seasons, featuring 23 times for the Bulldogs between 2015-16 after early years with Geelong.

Injuries significantly impacted Hamling's final years in the west.

The Yorta Yorta man didn't feature in a senior game for Swans in his first season at the club, but gained exposure in front of goals at VFL level kicking 31 majors across 17 matches.

Hamling was re-signed by the club in the recent Rookie Draft after being delisted following the 2024 season.

The Indigenous All Stars play Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Saturday afternoon, local time.