FREMANTLE coach Justin Longmuir says the Dockers have "lacked a ruthless mindset" and need to regain their defensive edge after conceding 100 points for the second time this season and losing an important aspect of their identity.
The Dockers conceded 100 points only three times last year and not at all in 2022 when they reached a semi final, with Melbourne's 107 points at the MCG on Saturday representing the Demons' highest score of the season and well above their 2025 average of 61.
After ramping up their own scoring power and averaging 102 points across the past month, Longmuir said the Dockers could still put high scores on the board while locking down opponents with a better defensive game.
"We get criticised that we've been a defensive team at times, (but) I think our fans would have loved us to be a little bit more defensive on the weekend and keep a low-scoring team to under 100 points," the coach said.
"Twice this year we've conceded 100 points and last year it was three times across the year, so we've lost our defensive identity at times and we need to make sure we get the balance right with what we're coaching.
"It's a bit of a balance between what we value and where we spend our time on the game."
Fremantle has lifted its average scores from 85.4 last year to 90.3 in 2025, despite a slow start, with scores against also rising from 76.3 to 86.3.
Longmuir said better team defence and an ability to lock the ball in the front half could contribute to better performances both offensively and defensively.
"If we get the defensive aspect right, we're not giving up anything offensively by doing that," he said.
"You actually probably gain a little bit to be honest, because you win the ball back in your front half a little bit more, rather than relying on end-to-end chains, which we did on the weekend.
"We kicked nine goals out of the back half on the weekend. We still want that part to be there, but we just don't want to have to be starting up our chains from so deep."
The Dockers laid just four tackles inside 50 against Melbourne, compared to the Demons' 27, but Longmuir said defending the front half was not just the responsibility of the forwards.
Still, it will likely be a factor in the club opting against playing Liam Reidy as a second ruckman to support Sean Darcy, with Luke Jackson set to miss one more match with a hamstring injury.
"We want to be dominant in the ruck and make sure we are as strong as we can be in the ruck," Longmuir said.
"But if you play two rucks, how does that affect your forward line, and does your forward line function as well as it could?
"I feel like offensively in particular, our forward line is functioning pretty well at the moment. So that’s a consideration.
"He (Reidy) is a ruckman, and when he plays at Peel he plays predominantly as a ruck."
Defender Heath Chapman will be available this week after missing in round six because of illness, while Neil Erasmus will come under consideration to replace injured onballer Jaeger O'Meara, who is expected to miss with a hamstring injury.
On Fremantle’s approach, Longmuir said the team had lacked a "ruthless mindset" and an ability to consistently hunt the opposition.
Ahead of a critical Anzac Day clash against Adelaide at Optus Stadium for the Len Hall Tribute Game, he said the team and coaching group had taken ownership of their shortcomings.
"I would say it's mindset, because there's been times when we've been able to do it and lock teams away and play the game in our front half," Longmuir said.
"It's a consistent mindset of consistently trying to hunt the opposition rather than accept being hunted.
"We just haven't had that ruthless mindset to be able to lock in for four quarters of our footy.
"They (the players) have been pretty hard on themselves to be honest.
"We've all been disappointed in the performance, and I wouldn't say there's a lot of positive edits that we watched yesterday in review.
"But we're owning it as as a group. I'm part of that as well and the way I'm coaching them."
