FREMANTLE will sweat on the result of scans for key talls Sean Darcy and Rory Lobb after the pair were injured in a 69-point loss to Geelong that served as a reality check for the young Dockers.

They could join key forward Matt Taberner (calf) on the sidelines, while young forward Josh Treacy was reported in the heavy defeat for rough conduct, leaving the Dockers' tall stocks delicately poised.

Lobb was substituted out of the match at half-time after experiencing pain in his syndesmosis and will be sent for scans on Friday after ending the match on crutches.

Darcy, meanwhile, suffered a medial collateral ligament injury early in the fourth quarter that the Dockers hoped was not serious.

"We've got a 10-day break and we’ll get them scanned tomorrow. I’m not going to rule them out for next week," coach Justin Longmuir said.

The Dockers suffered their heaviest defeat under Longmuir and will likely fall out of the top eight by the end of the round after their percentage took a hit.

DOCKERS v CATS Full match coverage and stats

Longmuir said it was a reality check for his young team after entering the match with three wins from their past four games in an impressive month.

"We just got taught a lesson around the contest and taught a lesson on how to stick to the gameplan and execute the basics under pressure," he said.

"We need to be better. This is not the first time against good opposition that we've faltered."

With a 1-6 record against current top eight teams this season, Longmuir said halting opposition momentum was a challenge for his team.

The inability to hit targets inside 50 was a glaring weakness on Thursday night, taking just two marks inside 50 to Geelong's 28.

"If you can’t string chains of possession together, it’s hard to connect going forward," he said.

"It’s something we’ve been pretty good at, but we came up across a really strong team defence. It was just another area of our game that faltered."

Longmuir said captain Nat Fyfe would continue to have moments of concern with his dislocated right shoulder, but the dual Brownlow medallist had got through the game after needing attention from trainers late in the first quarter.

The coach revealed young midfielder Luke Valente, who had been pushing to make his debut, had taken a short leave of absence from the club to help him deal with some off-field issues.   

"We’ll support him as best as we can to get him around friends and family … we’re fully supportive of what he’s going through," the coach said.

Geelong catapulted to the top of the ladder for the moment after its second biggest win of the season and will fly out of Perth on Friday steeled by its performance after arriving under COVID-19 protocols.  

Coach Chris Scott, who didn't yet know where the Cats would be flying to, said he was proud of how the club continued to handle the challenges presented by changing fixtures. 

"I thought tonight and yesterday we handled the situation really well," the coach said.

"We don't want to be the club getting on the front foot complaining about the situation.

"Everyone should understand how difficult it is. No one is trying to make it more difficult.

"We want people to be with their families as much as possible, but we also like the families to understand we have been given the privilege to continue doing our job and continue getting paid and doing what we love.

"With that sometimes comes sacrifice. But in the end that sacrifice will bring dividends."