It was a similar performance from Fremantle against Adelaide on the weekend, one that got a similar result.
After little evidence of change for a fourth straight week, David King hasn’t held back in his assessment of the club.
A 37-point loss to the Crows now has Fremantle languishing in 14th on the ladder, leaving Justin Longmuir with plenty to ponder.
A slower game style has been on show from the Dockers across the first four rounds, one which Longmuir has suggested is in his club’s desired style.
Yet all indications are it’s not working after one win in the opening month.
King believes Longmuir’s style is costing Fremantle’s ability to win the ball around the ground.
“They get hammered at ground level. When the ball leaves the clearances and it goes to the contest, inevitably there’s a spoil and it spills… they’re minus 27 on the weekend, minus 20 the week before, plus 14 against the Kangaroos and minus four in Round 1,” King told SEN’s Whateley.
“They’re bad numbers. So they’ve got to correct that, but it doesn’t just correct by asking for more from your players, your system has to allow you to outnumber or put your elite talent where the contest has to be won.
“At the start of the season, their best clearance and contest beast (Nat Fyfe) is kept inside the cage, inside the forward 50… so why would that correct?
“Then you have a system that plays (with) control, and as soon as Adelaide stop them chipping it around, they have to kick to a contest which brings a spoil, which brings a ground ball and then they’re outnumbered because all their players have fanned for the uncontested mark game.
“So the ball’s coming back at speed. Where are your defenders? They’re all spread for the uncontested mark.
“So you bleed easy scores going back the other way because you have to pick up 30 metres every time you turn the ball over.”
Despite winning clearances, Fremantle also lost contested possessions by 14, a stat they've lost every time this year.
The Dockers have improved year-on-year since Longmuir was appointed back in late 2019, meaning a drop in 2023 would be the first in his tenure if Fremantle continues this year's trend.
King urged Longmuir to change his plans ahead of the remainder of the season, declaring Fremantle cannot experience success with the current style.
“It doesn’t work. I’ve been strong on this for 18 months with this footy club and if they continue down this path, it’ll be the death of them,” King continued.
“So change the plan. If that’s not how it should look, then show us how it should look. If you can't change it, that’s on the coaches and if you won’t change it, that’s on the coaches.
“If you’re going to play different, great, play different. But it has to work, there’s no good in just being different, it has to prove the reason they win games.
“They are uninspiring to watch, I would hate to play under their system and I think it’s bashed players with flair, it’s made them drones and they don’t have the damage they had only 18 months ago.”
King urged Longmuir to give his players the confidence to take the game, suggesting it’s the only way to get some flair back at the Dockers.
“Justin has to trust that this group will make errors and they’ll be able to live with them,” he added.
Fyfe is not expected to return for Fremantle’s Round 5 game against Gold Coast in what shapes as a crucial clash in the futures of both Longmuir and Suns coach Stuart Dew.
Following that clash, Fremantle plays seven of last year’s finalists in the coming two months.