JUSTIN Longmuir has lambasted Fremantle's inability to handle Geelong's pressure after its crushing 78-point loss on Saturday afternoon.

The Cats got out to a 54-point lead at half time, before running out convincing winners, only challenged by the Dockers in the third term, largely thanks to debutant Murphy Reid's four-goal return.

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"I just thought after the first five minutes we weren't tough enough," Longmuir said post-match.

"I thought their pressure was at a level we couldn't handle, and we couldn't apply the same pressure to them… their pressure was at a level where we weren't used to, weren't up to."

As a result, the Dockers were on the back foot for the remainder of the game, with the heat and Geelong's dangerous attacking style causing them to run out of legs late in the game. Cramp was apparent across the visitors' players, compounded by a groin injury to Sam Switkowski.

"We definitely were tired, and I mean, that's probably what happens when you're chasing backside all day," Longmuir said.

"For the first half, we were working so hard to get the ball back off them, and then you burn so many tickets trying to get back in the game in the third quarter, and we definitely got fatigued."

Amidst it all, Longmuir was reluctant to heap too much praise on Reid, whose four goals came within just six minutes, suggesting that his performance was indicative of the team as a whole.

"He had a great third quarter, a great patch, Murphy, and he's going to grow with all aspects of his game. So he probably played well I guess, but a bit like the rest of the team, you know. What was his first and second and fourth quarter like?" Longmuir said.

"I don't want to take any gloss off his third quarter because not many young kids can come and do that, so yeah, hats off to him, but we need a more consistent performance across the four quarters from everyone on the team."

Geelong coach Chris Scott, meanwhile, was pleased with the even performance across the board for his side, particularly when it came to applying pressure.

"There are a number of things beyond just the result that we were happy with, but I thought our ability to make it a bit harder for them to play their game with our pressure around the ball was right up there with the most impressive bits," Scott said.

"We know we're not a team that can just go out and play our way without any concern or work into the opposition, the competition across the board, it's just way too good these days. There's too much talent around that if you go out and just hope that your talent versus their talent is going to get the job done."

There was one shining light, however, in recruit Bailey Smith's Geelong debut, coming back from an ACL injury that kept him out of the game last year. The former Bulldog recorded a game-high 32 disposals and 693m gained, while also kicking a late goal.

"It was what we had in mind when we brought him in," Scott said of Smith.

"I think I've tried to temper expectations a little bit, even with him, not because we didn't think he could play the way he did, we always thought that was a strong possibility, but it was just (that) we've got a bigger focus, a longer-term focus.

"He's going to have his moments after missing a year of footy, but we're much more focused on what he's going to be over a 10-to-15-year period than this game of next game."

And while Reid's stunning four-goal turn was a tough one to watch as an opposition coach, Scott was able to reflect on an impressive debut from the young Docker.

"I was as happy as you could be as an opposition coach," Scott said.

"At the time not happy, but impressed."