FREMANTLE tagger Ryan Crowley has been charged with pinching North Melbourne veteran Brent Harvey in Sunday's clash at Patersons Stadium.

Crowley was charged after a Match Review Panel Investigation and has been offered a $900 fine for entering an early guilty plea.

If he elects to contest the charge and is found guilty, his fine will be increased to $1200.

Crowley and Harvey waged a fierce tussle during the Dockers' 38-point win, with the pair constantly bumping and grappling with each other.

During the third quarter, a 50m penalty was paid against Harvey after he shoved Crowley in the neck.

After the match, the pair shook hands, but had an animated discussion as they walked from the ground.

North coach Brad Scott later said Harvey and Crowley had waged "a good battle". 

"Ryan plays a really effective, negating role for his team and I think he's really valuable to them," Scott said.

"I thought 'Boomer' (Harvey) really responded in the third quarter when we put him forward and he started to give us some options going forward.

"Boomer has played 350-plus games. I reckon he might have got away with 20 games at the start of his career, maybe 10, when he wasn't subjected to that sort of defensive pressure, but he's had it for his whole career so it's nothing new.

"The majority of his career he has won those battles. Today, Crowley was very good for Fremantle."

Nick Bowen covers North Melbourne news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nick