FREMANTLE coach Ross Lyon is concerned that his side has not played its best football against the best opposition this season.
The Dockers suffered their third loss of the year on Sunday, defeated by West Coast by 24 points in Sunday's Western Derby.
Their two other defeats have come at the hands of Richmond and Hawthorn and Lyon said his side needed to improve against the best.
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"It's not ideal is it?" Lyon said post-match.
"It's about playing good football at the right time and we know that. We need to improve.
"You learn a lot of your loses historically, that's what I've found anyway. We basically know what happened. You need to work your way through and learn from it."
WATCH: Ross Lyon's full post-match media conference
Lyon dismissed any suggestion that his side might have been complacent given their recent record against West Coast and the fact they were two-and-a-half games clear on top of the ladder coming into the game.
"I can only talk for myself," Lyon said.
"My aim coming here, and that's why I sit here disappointed, was to measure ourselves against one of the benchmark teams.
"I would've liked us to play better against a quality opposition but I think we saw enough at times to think that our best is still pretty good and thereabouts.
"So that's why, I can't comment on what the players are thinking and whether they're complacent or not, but I know I'm not."
The Dockers face North Melbourne next Sunday afternoon at Etihad Stadium and look set to be without key defender Alex Silvagni, who faces a lengthy suspension for his off-the-ball hit on Eagles forward Jamie Cripps.
But they do have replacements with Zac Dawson and Luke McPharlin both available.
Dawson has served his two-match ban for elbowing Greater Western Sydney forward Jeremy Cameron and McPharlin was pulled out of the Derby with calf tightness as precautionary measure.
"There was certainly no risk-taking with McPharlin," Lyon said.
"If it had of been a Grand Final he would have played, or a first final he would have played.
"It was great to get Michael Johnson back. Dawson will be available for selection, McPharlin will be.
"North have a lot of tall forwards and we will go away and have a look at it."
Michael Barlow was subbed out of the game in the third term with just four touches to his name and Lyon said he was the obvious choice.
"He is normally pretty good, but he wasn't touching it and we had to do something," Lyon said.
"I think (Hayden) Crozier gave us a bit of bite and life. (Michael's) a proud player, he won't like it but that was the call."
