FREMANTLE must improve if it is to challenge new premiership favourites and cross-town rivals West Coast, coach Ross Lyon says.
The Dockers beat the Sydney Swans by nine points on Saturday to confirm they would host their second preliminary final in three years, yet Lyon was keener to talk up the form of the Eagles than of his own team on the day Fremantle was presented with the McClelland Trophy for winning the minor premiership.
Six talking points: Fremantle v Sydney Swans
"They were super impressive last night," Lyon said.
"On the back of the quality they played they are rightly premiership favourites, logically, I would think.
"We're clearly not on their side of the draw again until potentially Grand Final week.
"We'll deal with West Coast if we have to."
Lyon was pleased with the Dockers' first half performance against the Swans when they established a 17-point half-time lead.
But he was furious with the third term and let his team know about it with a fearful spray at three-quarter time.
"I thought we were flippant, just flicking (the ball) around," Lyon said.
"At one stage we had 25 kicks, 60 handballs. It's not what any AFL team should be about, especially one against an elite pressure team like the Swans in their forward half trying to get the ball out.
"We've spoken about that. I thought in the last quarter we worked on that, we addressed that, we were better."
Click here to watch Ross Lyon's full media conference
Lyon said the Dockers would learn some lessons from the win.
"That will bring us to a hard edge," Lyon said.
"But the narrative has been we haven't played our best footy. I think we agree with that. We've shown glimpses."
Lyon was pleased with the performances of both Nat Fyfe and Hayden Ballantyne on return from injury. Fyfe collected 32 disposals while Ballantyne kicked three goals.
Lyon said the Dockers did not have any injury issues but Fyfe was clearly sore in the last quarter and in the rooms after the game.
Cam Sutcliffe had another issue with his shoulder but he played the game out and Lyon said he would be fine for the preliminary final.
Luke McPharlin was a late withdrawal with calf soreness. He's missed five of the Dockers' last eight finals, but Lyon said the week off should see him available for the preliminary final.
"I think two weeks gives him a really good chance to get up," Lyon said.
"(It was) just a bit of calf soreness. They'll work through it."
Lyon was asked about the possibility of Ryan Crowley being selected for the preliminary final as his 12-month suspension for a doping violation is lifted on September 25.
"It's a question without notice and it's not something I've thought of," Lyon said.
