Essendon leaders are once again in the gun for their lack of effective contest work as the club languishes in another disappointing loss.
The Bombers were trounced from start to finish, kicking three goals in the first three three quarters before an improved final-term performance drew the margin back to 43 points at the final siren.
Youngster Sullivan Robey was a standout, collecting 22 possessions and two goals, but the likes of Zach Merrett (four clearances), Zach Merrett (two) and Jye Caldwell (three) struggled to make a meaningful impact.
"I can reluctantly - not even accept - but reluctantly understand where we're not at the level we need to be in a lot of parts of the game," Bombers Brad Scott said.
"But the contest is the non-negotiable part of it and that was just in the first quarter nowhere near where it needed to be.
"You shouldn't be, as a team, looking to your 18-year-olds to lead you out of that.
"The sky's the limit for where these guys can get to, but right now we need more support around our young players, which sounds a little bit back-to-front, doesn't it?
"Our contest (in the first quarter) was as poor as I've seen it. The way we started the game was just nowhere near the level it needs to be.
"We were a completely different-looking team in the second half in that space than where we were in the first.
"So it's not capability, it's the mindset to come out and compete against a very good team, which was just nowhere near the level in the first 30 minutes of the game."
On the flip-side, Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir was "frustrated" by the club's final-quarter fadeout, conceding five goals to three as the margin was trimmed.
The Dockers secured a record ninth-straight victory, equalling a club record. But Longmuir said they still have work to do.
"Give them (Essendon) the credit they deserve ... it's hard to control four quarters in modern-day football," he said.
"Where are we at? Round 10 - there's a long way to go. We're not the best team in the comp, we have work to do.
"Having said that, we've set our season up well. I'm proud of what we've done so far, absolutely, but there's plenty of work to do.
"I talked to the players pretty bluntly after the game. It is what it is. They were frustrated - when they show frustration, you probably need to give them the answers."
