THERE are few chinks in Nat Fyfe's armour, but goalkicking is one area both he and Fremantle are continually trying to improve.
The Dockers have worked exceptionally hard over the pre-season on their goalkicking following crucial missed opportunities in the last two finals series.
But according to Fyfe, it remains a work in progress. The Dockers kicked 1.13.17 against West Coast in the final NAB Challenge clash last weekend.
Key Dockers head permission to play list
"That's how you win games, kicking goals," Fyfe said this week.
"I kicked a couple of points (last Sunday). It was pretty windy down that end I will say.
"But it's ongoing. No one is ever going to find an instant fix on how to kick with 100 per cent accuracy. It's a huge mental preparation that guys have to deal with.
"We've got pretty strict monitoring on goalkicking, distances and type of kicks that we're doing, and we keep a running tally so guys know which areas they need to improve on.
"Guys have little competitions with each other to try and build that intensity and pressure because it's very hard to simulate what you get on game day."
Fyfe said he enjoyed taking some of the younger players down to Fremantle's coffee strip to cash in his winnings.
Coach Ross Lyon prefers tougher punishment for missed shots during training. Lyon occasionally stops training for one player to have a set shot with extra push-ups, burpees, commando rolls or running handed out to the whole group if the player misses.
Fyfe said it was good practice for the players to be under pressure.
"It does simulate a game," Fyfe said.
"Often Ross will pull it out when guys are pretty tired after a long session. It's important we keep working on it because it's going to be crucial."
Lyon didn’t use that drill during Friday's training session at Fremantle Oval with only 16 senior players training. Michael Walters, Stephen Hill and Max Duffy were also out on the track but none participated in the extensive match simulation drills.
Injured players Paul Duffield (ribs), Michael Barlow (ankle), Tendai Mzungu (hamstring), Zac Dawson (groin), Matt Taberner (Achilles soreness), Hayden Ballantyne (calf), Nick Suban (hamstring) and Alex Silvagni (hamstring) were absent from the session.
Dawson, Suban and Silvagni have already been ruled out of the Dockers' round one clash with Port Adelaide.
Barlow, Duffield, Duffy, Garrick Ibbotson, Danyle Pearce, Connor Blakely, Jack Hannath, Jon Griffin, Michael Apeness and Lachie Weller have all been granted permission by the AFL to play in the WAFL this weekend for Peel Thunder.
Fremantle confirmed on Friday afternoon that all bar Ibbotson and Hannath would play for Peel on Saturday against West Perth at HBF Stadium (Arena Joondalup).
Ibbotson and Hannath trained fully on Friday and Fremantle's football operations manager Chris Bond told the club's website that the pair did not need any more game time.
Ryan Crowley trained with the main group on Friday after the AFL confirmed Fremantle's tagger would not face the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal until May 1.
Crowley has been provisionally suspended since September following a positive test for a banned substance on July 13, 2014.
The date of the hearing means Crowley will be unavailable for selection for at least the first four rounds.
