ROSS Lyon says Fremantle will target multi-positional midfielders with speed and skill over the off-season as the club enters a crucial phase of its rebuild.

The Dockers signed off on 2018 by bouncing back from a horror loss to Geelong with a competitive nine-point defeat to top-four bound Collingwood in champion defender Michael Johnson's farewell game.

It was a much-improved effort, made all the more meritorious given the performance wasn't driven solely by big-name onballers Lachie Neale, Nat Fyfe and David Mundy.

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Taylin Duman (24 disposals) was superb in defence, Bradley Hill (35) enjoyed his best game in 2018, while Tommy Sheridan (21) and Joel Hamling were strong contributors.

Freo finished the season with eight wins, equal with last year's tally, and a similar percentage in the mid-70s.

Lyon acknowledged the Dockers – who lost a League-high nine games by at least 50 points this year – need to minimise the gap between their best and worst.

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"We'd like to make a progression, but you look around the League, it doesn't automatically happen with draft picks," Lyon said.

"There's a number of Melbourne clubs (who) bottom out, (and think) 'we get a draft pick', no, culturally you've got to work hard, enjoy the burn, you've got to be high-demand, but balance it up with the human side.

"What that looks like, I don't know, but I'm sure you'll hold me to account and the club to account if it doesn't hit the perceived markers, but that's okay."

Lyon said any players Freo recruits from rival clubs must be capable of stepping into the best 22.

The Dockers have had mixed success in recent years after luring Cam McCarthy, Shane Kersten, Joel Hamling, Bradley Hill, Brandon Matera and Nathan Wilson back to WA.

"We're not the quickest, we'd like some speed and skill. We want multi-positional players who can play midfield, forward and back," Lyon said.

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"If you're looking around the best teams, they're multi-positional. We'd like some more multi-positional midfielders.

"But you've got to be quality, you've actually got to come and be in no doubt that you can play in our best 22.

"Otherwise you're shifting people, making promises and then it gets very difficult if they're not playing."

Lyon wouldn't be drawn on reports the Dockers were interested in contracted Giants ruck-forward Rory Lobb.

"A lot of people have been mentioning it really, since I've been here. Any player out of contract, if you're smart and a manager, you'd throw their name out," he said.

"I'm not in a position to really comment. It would surprise people, but I think there's only been two meetings at this point because there's a bit of time.

"It's all done in the background and now it's over, they'll hook me in."

Lyon praised his players for their effort against the Pies, pleased Johnson and retiring backman Lee Spurr, also in attendance, were sent off with a fighting performance.

"I haven't thought about it in too much regard to last week, if you keep looking backwards it's not good but … I didn't think last week was typical of our year," he said.

"I thought it was a really strong performance today against a quality team. There was good method, good competition, run and intensity.

"It was a little bit frustrating we didn't take opportunities that looked golden.

"They probably had a few at their end, but I thought at certain times in the game we could've put a real gap on them.

"When you've got retiring players you want the effort to be commensurate with the esteem you hold them in.

"It's not about whether you win or lose, but we certainly ticked that box with our effort."