FRUSTRATED Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has called for more protection for superstar ball-winner Nat Fyfe, declaring if that doesn't happen, the Dockers will "have to take it into our own hands".
In Freo's 31-point loss to Hawthorn on Saturday afternoon, Fyfe was awarded a free kick early in the third term after being hit a long way off the ball, which his coach acknowledged.
However, the 2015 Brownlow medallist is bashed around too much in Lyon's opinion.
Nat Fyfe's got both of Fremantle's goals.
— AFL (@AFL) July 13, 2019
Doing his best effort to keep them in it. #AFLHawksFreo pic.twitter.com/nI2uSo1MoN
"He got checked off the ball heavily. I think he got a couple of free kicks, but we'd like him to be looked after more," Lyon said.
"We'll probably have to take it into our own hands, really, if he doesn't start getting looked after.
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"I don't say that lightly, but I've probably had enough of it."
Lyon called on his players to shield the gun onballer from opposition attention.
"Sometimes you've just got to protect your own," Lyon said.
When he has the ball Nat Fyfe can change the course of a match. Picture: AFL Photos
"I thought he got a couple of free kicks off the ball. He got checked heavily off the ball against West Coast and went down, checked heavily today off the ball and went down, and I hear the fines, but I think if you get bumped off the ball, I'm not sure that happened today, but I'm pretty protective of my players.
"We'll see what happens."
Fyfe went off in the second term and came back on with his right shoulder strapped, after also being hurt in last week's thrashing against West Coast.
Dockers superstar Nat Fyfe headed down to the rooms after this passage of play.#AFLHawksFreo pic.twitter.com/YiT9DGtwCt
— AFL.com.au (@AFLcomau) July 13, 2019
However, Lyon didn't indicate there was any major issue there.
The Dockers have slumped to 7-9, and while finals look to be an unlikely proposition after four consecutive losses, Lyon wasn't short on belief heading into the Hawks clash at University of Tasmania Stadium.
WATCH Ross Lyon's full post match media conference
"I was planning to win the next seven, to be truthful. That was my thing. I came down here with confidence," Lyon said.
Ahead of next Saturday night's clash with Sydney back at Optus Stadium, Lyon called on his men to be more aggressive.
"People that were in really good form have just tailed off a little bit, and we've got to fight to get our form back as a club," Lyon said.
"There's no isolating of individuals. We need to protect our own, we need to become a tougher club and we need to become a tougher team and a bit more ruthless.
"We're just maybe a little bit nice at the minute, but I think that's something I can help coach."