With West Coast oozing confidence following their ruthless dispatching of Brisbane, Fremantle forward Chris Mayne says the Dockers simply can’t afford any fadeouts in Saturday’s AFL western derby.
The Eagles dominated the Lions from start to finish on Sunday, but it was their 11-goal blitz in the final term that announced John Worsfold’s men had rediscovered their mojo after two lean weeks.
Ninth-placed Fremantle have been good in patches this year, but have struggled to consistently deliver four quarters of good football.
The trend was evident in Sunday’s 27-point win over Port Adelaide, when the Dockers led by 44 points at the final change before letting their foot off the pedal.
Mayne said they couldn’t afford to do the same against a West Coast outfit still fighting for a top-four spot.
“If we slip a little bit, then quality sides like West Coast can really damage you,” Mayne told reporters on Monday.
“Against a top side like that, you really do have to play four quarters.
“The last month has been our best footy. We’ve played the way we’ve wanted to play in glimpses and it has been nearly four-quarter efforts in most games.
“It’s going to be a challenge for us to really produce that form and keep it going. Hopefully momentum will stay with us and we can keep getting wins on the board.”
Mayne has been one of Fremantle’s most reliable players this season, booting an incredibly accurate 31.3 over 16 games.
The 23-year-old has formed a potent duo up forward with skipper Matthew Pavlich over the past seven weeks, with the pair combining for 47 goals over that period.
Fremantle scored just five goals in their embarrassing 48-point loss to West Coast in round nine, and Mayne said the Dockers were keen to make amends following three straight losses to their arch rivals.
“They’ve got the last three over us and this time in front of our fans it’s important for them to get one back,” Mayne said.
“(The Eagles) have shown over the year that they should never be doubted, no matter who’s in the side. They’ve got great depth.”