Like last week in their match against Geelong, the Bombers were right in the contest for the best part of three quarters but faded late in the game to lose by 44 points.
It was a factor that clearly frustrated Knights, who lamented his side's inability to capitalise on the momentum it built in the first half.
"We got really poor value for our disposal all day", he said after the match.
"We just didn't hit the body at all. We constantly kicked it inside-50 either too high or behind our forwards.
"Even in general play, we missed targets by hand and foot that's just not acceptable".
Knights was critical of ruck pairing David Hille and Patrick Ryder, who he said had so far failed to deliver on their pre-season promise.
"Probably at the start of the year, I would have thought that David and Patrick would have been a strength for us throughout the whole of the season and I still think that will be the case, but it probably hasn't come to fruition in the last two weeks - we haven't had them both up at the one time," he said.
Knights said Hille had shown glimpses of good form but issued a challenge to Ryder.
"Paddy has got some work to do to recapture the form he showed last season."
Similarly, the coach was disappointed in the output of former Hawk Mark Williams, who he said recognised that he needed to improve his game.
"We've got him across from the club to have an impact to kick goals and set goals up, and that certainly hasn't been the case the first two weeks."
The stop-start style of play that the Dons employed against Freo was out of character, according to Knights, and was something he said the club needed to address if it was to discover the zip of its 2009 campaign.
"We played slow football," he said.
"We didn't see a lot of dash or a lot of dare that we've seen from the team in the last couple of years.
"That's what happens when you go back to playing slow, pedantic footy - it doesn't suit our group and it doesn't suit where we're going."
Forward Scott Gumbleton earned praise for the way he started the match, with Knights saying his fade in the second half was a result of being out of football for the past three seasons
"He's going to be a mighty player for us but it's probably going to be eight or tem games before he finds his full legs".
The Bombers play Carlton next week in what looms as a critical encounter for the club that is currently sitting 13th with no wins from two matches.
