Fremantle great Paul Hasleby was bitterly disappointed by the Dockers’ performance in Friday’s 92-53 Community Series loss to Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval.
While the Dockers were missing some key players including Luke Jackson, Jye Amiss and Brennan Cox, Hasleby doesn’t think those outs accounted for how much they were dominated in terms of ball movement.
Even though the Dockers held their own at the stoppage, their midfield failed to really impact as the Power won the kick count 254 to 160 and the inside 50 count 56 to 37.
Hasleby put that down to a lack of intent and corridor ball movement as the Dockers went slow and used the ball carefully from half back.
“They had some players out, I understand that," Hasleby said on SEN The Run Home.
“Luke Jackson of course, Jye Amiss and Brennan Cox. But you still had some very good players, and you still had a very good midfield.
“When the talk coming out of Fremantle all pre-season was about their contest method. I expected better in the middle part of the ground.
“They had a great midfield and I’ve sung the praises of all of these midfielders through the pre-season, but they were towelled up a little bit by Port Adelaide.
“There was a lack of intent. The handball receives, the corridor ball movement.
“I watched all these other teams over the pre-season games and they're trying to do that, they've worked on something they're trying to implement it.
“I left that game thinking what have Fremantle been working on? They've been playing a little bit more careful in the back half.
“That might work for them… but in this day and age you've still got to be able to score and I feel they're going in a different direction than a lot of the other teams.”
With Jackson and Amiss sidelined, Fremantle’s tall forwards didn’t offer much with all of Matt Taberner, Josh Treacy and Sam Sturt going goalless.
Hasleby was particularly disappointed with the performances of Treacy and Sturt who he thinks had a golden opportunity to cement their spots ahead of Round 1.
“Josh Treacy needs to stand up or the game's going to overtake him,” Hasleby said.
“I know he's still young, but over the last two years and all pre-season (he was one of those) how you can have players that are just unbelievable … then the real stuff comes.
“He was deplorable on the weekend. I think at one point, he had one touch. He didn't even get near it. He didn't read the play.
“He's got to be better than that because it’s only one player that can step up and take his spot.
“It can happen very, very quickly. It might be one player from the draft, or it might be (Patrick) Voss who they selected.
“He (Voss) looked better. I'd love to see Justin Longmuir send a message straight away to Josh Treacy and say ‘Mate, that's not acceptable, that was really poor’. He needs to improve.
“Sam Sturt, I put him in the same boat only at the three disposals. He's had some opportunity last year. He’s not a young player anymore.
“When you get the opportunity given to you, you've got to do better than what we saw on the weekend from those two players.”
Fremantle will hope to put on a better performance when they host Brisbane in a Round 1 clash at Optus Stadium on Sunday, March 17.
