DAVID Mundy's kick to win the game with a goal after the siren was always a 50-50 bet, says Ross Lyon. 

 

"I thought it was a challenging kick," Lyon said.

 

Mundy's kick made the distance but sailed just right of the goalpost for a behind, condemning the Dockers to a gallant two-point defeat.

 

Watching from the boundary line Lyon suspected it was game over as soon as the ball hit Mundy's boot.

 

"I didn't think it came off sweet," Lyon said.

 

The coach was comfortable with the football being in the midfielder's hands, describing him as a beautiful kick, but he knew it was a big ask, particularly when fatigue was factored into the equation.

 

"You don't want to be kicking to win from 46m out when you are fatigued," Lyon said. "It's pretty simple: you're trying to get it done before then."

 

Just minutes earlier Lyon had watched skipper Matthew Pavlich hit the post from on the 50m line and then left the box after erupting in frustration at the decision by ruckman Aaron Sandilands to hit the ball in tight from a forward 50 stoppage rather than knock it wide of the congestion.

 

His opening words post-match summed up the contest for players and coaches.

 

"It was a tough game of footy," Lyon said.

 

However Geelong kept its nose in front of the Dockers with the Cats winning the ball outside the congestion early and when defending, continually intercepting any forward thrusts from Fremantle.

 

The Dockers did not use the lateral option as much as they might have but Geelong's pressure was also a factor in forcing them to make quick decisions.

 

"Their backs hurt us," Lyon said. "Their plus-one hurt us in the end. We were playing on very quickly which is good but if you play on quickly and kick it straight to them you look a bit silly."

 

It all meant the Dockers were 24 points down at three-quarter time.

 

Lyon adjusted the set-up, pushing Mayne behind the ball, creating a smaller forward line and exhorting his midfield – who had been exceptional all night – to attack the game.

 

Fremantle began to use the extra number it had around the ball and made the Cats defence more accountable.

 

"I thought we looked like a different team," Lyon said. “[We] gave a plan at three-quarter time and the players really went to work and showed the sort of footy they can play."

 

However the Dockers kicked 4.7 in the final quarter to just fail to win the vital four points.     

 

Lyon knows Freo has a huge battle next Sunday at home against defending premiers Hawthorn, but he appeared confident the team could learn plenty from the result.

 

"[If you] give good effort, [it's] easier to identify what went wrong," Lyon said.

 

No one doubted Fremantle's effort.

 

"We sort of adjusted and got the game on our terms and dominated but in the end we were not quite good enough to finish," Lyon said.

 

Fremantle is one game clear of Port Adelaide in fourth spot but has a tough three games in the run home with Hawthorn at home, the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba and Port Adelaide at home.

 

Fremantle is also likely to be without Luke McPharlin, who has a calf injury but is likely to bring in Michael Walters, who played in the WAFL on Saturday.