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After two rounds this season, Fremantle were second on the ladder with two wins and a percentage of 238.8. They’ve lost three of their four matches since, being completely demoralised by Hawthorn and outplayed by both Sydney and North Melbourne.
In between, they were only able to secure a home win against an injury and illness-plagued Essendon, who themselves have lost three on the trot.
All eyes were on the Dockers just over six weeks ago when they opened the AFL season against Collingwood at Etihad Stadium. Premiership favourites in many eyes, they justified these claims with a resounding 70-point win over the Pies, keeping their opponents to only five goals in the process.
After a pre-season when they appeared to be going through the motions, the Ross Lyon machine had clicked into gear when the real stuff commenced.
It was more of the same a week later, this time at home to the Gold Coast Suns. In wet conditions that were always going to favour the more experienced side, the Dockers again kept the opposition to five goals in a routine 48-point win.
Perhaps these two easy wins counted against the Dockers when they ran into Hawthorn in Round 3, because they were humiliated in a way rarely, if ever, seen against a Ross Lyon-coached side.
The question of the week was whether it was merely an aberration, some sort of grand final hangover, or the symptom of a deeper malaise. Three matches on, and the latter appears to be the answer.
Losing to Sydney at the SCG, as they did in Round 5, isn’t a disaster. The 17-point margin seemed fitting enough for a tough contest, but in truth they weren’t in the game from quarter time.
The warning signs were there, and on Anzac Day the alarm bells joined in.
The match against North Melbourne was messy, the main feature being the lack of skill on either side. While opposition errors would usually be due to Dockers pressure, North’s were simply unforced, allowing Freo to waltz to an early 26-point lead.
For a Dockers line-up in any sort of nick, especially in Perth, that should have been the ball game, but once the Roos tightened their skills they carved Freo up, kicking 10.12 to 4.9 from that point on.
The home side displayed no tenacity, no ferocity, no fight. It was a meek performance.
Everything was tracking so beautifully for Fremantle under the Ross Lyon plan, even a step ahead of the Saints in his St Kilda days.
A year to bed down the game plan, straighten out individual deficiencies, and get everyone committed to selfless team play; a second year to make these principles iron-clad, finishing in the top four on the back of relentless pressure and team defence; then delivery of the Holy Grail in the third year.
As we know, the 2009 St Kilda team put together one of the great home-and-away seasons of all time, winning 20 games and losing two by a combined seven points.
Their defence conceded an average of almost three goals fewer than the next best team that year, Collingwood. To put this into perspective, the defensive difference between the two teams was enough to cover the Pies and the next ten sides in line.
Unfortunately for St Kilda and their long-suffering fans, they just happened to run into one of the great dynasties of all time, a Geelong team still burning from their own grand final loss the year before.
You could make the case that it was actually Hawthorn in 2008 that cost St Kilda a premiership.
If Fremantle are going to contend as they expect to in 2014, crunch time has arrived early. The Western Derby takes place this week, with the heat on both sides. Traditionally, there is no fiercer home-and-away contest. Lambs need to become lions.
If the players on either side have any pride and any stake in their club’s prospects this season, it will be a last-man-standing affair.
After that, the Dockers meet arguably the most extreme physical and mental test in football right now – Port Adelaide Power at the Adelaide Oval. Ask Geelong how easy it is to go over there on a six-day break after playing a bitter rival the week before.
Speaking of the Cats, they’re the next in line for Freo, and will be fresh from a week off. Enough said.
In short, the next three matches are about as tough as it gets for any club, let alone one floundering like Fremantle are.
Ross Lyon may well get the boys to meet him up at Cottesloe Beach at some point this week, and he should draw a line in the sand.
The opening line of the Dockers’ club song is “Freo, way to go.” It’s now go time.