FREMANTLE captain Nat Fyfe is adamant Ross Lyon is still the right man to coach the club, but he can't promise there won't be more tough times ahead.
Brownlow medallist Brad Hardie says Lyon and chief executive Steve Rosich should be the first ones out the door in the wake of last week's 133-point loss to Geelong.
The Cats booted an AFL record 23 straight goals during Fremantle's biggest ever defeat, and Dockers fans have been quick to vent their anger at Lyon.
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Although Fremantle has managed eight wins this season, the Dockers have lost nine games by 50 points or more.
Lyon has two more years to run on his contract, but Hardie says it would be better for Fremantle to count their losses and pay him out now.
"Make no mistake, this is a crisis and Lyon and Fremantle chief executive Steve Rosich (his biggest supporter) should be the first ones out the door," Hardie wrote on PerthNow.
"It's time the Fremantle board got serious about things and put the heat on a coach who has worn out his welcome, has completely coached the flair out of his playing group and, based on Saturday's post-match press conference, is either delusional or thinks he's above being questioned."
Fremantle is nearing the end of the third year of its rebuild and Fyfe said it was important for the club to stick by Lyon and Rosich.
"Sweeping change creates instability. I'm very comfortable with the coach and Steve Rosich," Fyfe said.
"I've had access to a number of coaches across my career – at Fremantle and International Rules Series – and Ross Lyon is as good as any coach that I've had.
"I can honestly say that I look around and see the building blocks of a quality team. It doesn't take much for it to turn. We have no interest in waiting years for these players to develop."
Fyfe said the loss to Geelong would be a burden he and his player group would have to carry.
But he feels the club is far better placed than it was in 2016, when they won just four games for the year.
The 26-year-old isn't worried that his best years could be wasted in a losing side.
"I feel like I've been in bigger holes than this in my career," Fyfe said.
"It's been a difficult three-year period for our club.
"I wish I could say this is the last time I'm going to step in front of a press conference under these circumstances, but the reality is it may not be."
Fyfe said Lyon had adapted well over the years to best suit the needs of the player group.
"In 2015 when we had senior players, the Ross Lyon we saw was a hard taskmaster," Fyfe said ahead of Saturday's clash with Collingwood in Perth.
"At the moment, we're getting a version of Ross who is building relationships, educating young players, and committing to a strategy which means we're going to lose games of footy at times.
"But in time, we trust that will pay dividends. I'm quite comfortable with the track we are on."
