FREMANTLE won't make any changes to its stoppage structures despite Hawthorn smashing the Dockers in clearances on Sunday, ruckman Aaron Sandilands says.
The Dockers have been one of the best clearance teams in the competition this season, with Sandilands and Nat Fyfe proving to be one of the most damaging combinations at centre bounces and stoppages around the ground.
But the Hawks smothered the Dockers at Aurora Stadium with high numbers and high pressure at stoppages, creating a blueprint for other teams to follow.
The Hawks conceded a loss in the hit-outs and first possessions stats but won the clearances by 19 and the centre clearances by nine to help set up a comprehensive 72-point win.
Sandilands said despite the Hawks' ability to counter the Dockers' stoppage set-ups so easily, he did not expect Freo to make any changes.
"I don't think we'll be changing huge amounts," Sandilands said on Tuesday.
"We try and practice different set-ups all the time. But it's getting back to owning the inside and winning it and getting it into our forward half to create that pressure.
"We obviously got beaten around the clearances on the weekend, including centre square. I think we got a fair bit of first possession but at times turned it over. So it's probably just a case of getting it out as quickly as possible and getting it forward."
ANALYSIS: How can Freo get out of its rut?
Sandilands said he might consider adjusting his hit zones to get the ball into space more given the congestion at stoppages, but he was confident the Dockers could still be dominant using their big bodies in close.
"For us, owning the inside has been working for us pretty well this year," Sandilands said.
"We did have a bad day on the weekend but over the season it has been one of our strengths."
Fyfe, who had a quiet day against the Hawks by his incredibly high standards, was charged by the Match Review Panel and fined $1500 for rough conduct after an incident involving Taylor Duryea. It was Fyfe's second fine for the season following his tripping charge against Western Bulldog Koby Stevens earlier this year.
A third offence would see him suspended and become ineligible for the Brownlow Medal – he is a short-priced favourite - for the second straight season.
But Sandilands said no one at Fremantle would need to tell Fyfe to curb his physicality in order to avoid suspension.
"We don't need to sit down with Fyfe," Sandilands said.
"(He) knows what is right and wrong."
Sandilands also backed Hayden Ballantyne to recapture some goalkicking form sooner rather than later.
The small forward has only kicked 10 goals from 12 games this season.
"'Ballas' is one of our leaders of the club and you can never question his effort and the way he goes about it," Sandilands said.
"When you've got blokes like that in your side they're always going to turn it around at some point."
Fremantle has a six-day break this week before facing Carlton at Domain Stadium on Saturday night.