Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir says the club has lost their "defensive identity" in the early part of the 2025 season as they conceded 100 points for the second time this year.
The Dockers, under Longmuir, have long been known for their defensive output, who tend to lock the game down with possession football, often resulting in a dire contest.
In 2024, the Western Australian club allowed, on three occasions, opposition sides to reach the ton in a true testament to their stinginess.
However, attempting to create a more offensive brand that leads to greater scores, the Dockers have seemingly let their defence slip, and Melbourne were the most recent beneficiaries, scoring 107 points.
"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," Longmuir 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."
The modern game demands both risk and speed on the ball, which Fremantle hasn't shown enough of.
Previous premiers in Brisbane, Collingwood and Geelong all had mechanisms to add organised chaos to the game, and therefore increase their scoring prowess.
The Lions ranked fifth for points for in 2024. The Pies were fourth in their flag year. Geelong were third.
Admittedly, all three were strong defensively, but without a solid scoring output, there is no chance to secure a premiership, and Longmuir believes the same.
"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."
Fremantle will get a chance to right their most recent wrong against an in-form Adelaide at Optus Stadium on Anzac Day.
The Crows have been one of the premier teams at transitioning the ball from one end to the other, with Dockers midfielder Hayden Young saying it will be a focus of the club this week.
Adelaide also boast a difficult forward line, consisting of Taylor Walker, Riley Thilthorpe and Darcy Fogarty, albeit the latter is under an injury cloud.
To help bolster that defence will be Heath Chapman, who Longmuir confirmed his return pending he gets through the week.
