FREMANTLE coach Ross Lyon concedes his side is not travelling as well as it was in 2013 as he prepares for another massive match against Hawthorn this week.

The Dockers have won nine of their past 11 matches this season but a 58-point loss to St Kilda, a shaky come-from-behind win over Carlton and narrow loss to Geelong over the last three weeks has left many questions surrounding their form.

 

The Dockers have won just one match against top-six opponents this year, beating Geelong at home in round nine.

 

Lyon said his side had struggled in some areas this season and had not been playing smart football recently.

 

"I wouldn't think we've been as good," Lyon said.

 

"I think we've struggled a little bit in some aspects. So I wouldn't say we're as on top of our game as we were.

 

"I think we're getting real momentum. We still, from here, have a real opportunity to build.

 

"We had a magnificent last quarter against Geelong, really, and we're pretty keen to take that forward with us.

 

"We know our best is very good but it's probably more our smarts and our efforts. We're probably not as smart a footy team as we have been in the past."

 

Lyon was particularly critical of his team's decision-making going inside 50 last Saturday night.

Geelong defenders Harry Taylor and Jared Rivers took 30 marks between them as they repeatedly dropped off their opponents to intercept Fremantle's forays forward.

 

Lyon took some of the responsibility but he also said his team needed to be smarter.

 

"We did some things on the weekend that really played into their hands," Lyon said.

 

"And probably from my end I should have adjusted a little bit earlier to reflect our dominance around the ball. 

 

"There were times we had equal numbers (forward) and we lost that through some poor decision-making. But at times we gave them that (spare man in defence) consciously and our ball use didn't handle it that well. I take some responsibility."

 

Lyon said his side was not focused on top-two or top-four ramifications this week but he did believe his side needed to claim a "big scalp". 

The Dockers have failed to beat Hawthorn since he took over as coach in 2012 with the Hawks winning the last six clashes and nine of the past 10.

 

"We'd like to get a scalp," Lyon said.

 

"We'd like to scalp the Hawthorn football club.

 

"They're a great team.

 

"We're an emerging club that needs to get some scalps at the right time of the year."