FREMANTLE's top-four place is under threat this week and defender Paul Duffield says the players can't help but be aware of what another loss to Hawthorn could mean for their season.
The Dockers face their 2013 Grand Final conquerors at at Patersons Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
If Fremantle loses and Port Adelaide beats Gold Coast, the Power will draw level with the Dockers on 13 wins for the season.
Should the two sides both win in round 22 - Fremantle faces the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba and Port Adelaide hosts Carlton - they will meet in a cut-throat round 23 clash at Patersons Stadium to decide which team will finish fourth and claim the all-important double chance.
"It would be remiss of me to say it doesn't stick into the back of your mind a little bit," Duffield said.
"But the reality is we can only play the games that are ahead of us and we just have to keep winning games of football and everything from there will take care of itself."
The Dockers' hold on a top-four spot has been made more tenuous by their nail-biting defeat against Geelong on Saturday night when David Mundy's post-siren shot to win the game drifted narrowly right of the target.
Duffield said the Dockers were really upbeat about their performance despite the loss.
"It was a great game of footy and enjoyed by all," he said.
"We'll go forward from that no doubt, we'll take a lot out of it."
But Hawthorn has Fremantle's measure at the moment. The Dockers' head-to-head record against the Hawks is the worst of any opponent in their 20-year history, winning just seven of 29 games. The Hawks have won nine of their past 10 matches against the Dockers, including the past six.
Fremantle's only victory in that time was the 2010 elimination final at Patersons Stadium.
"We certainly haven't beaten them too many times in my time," Duffield said.
"I don't think we think too much about the psyche of that. We just aim to play very, very well and if we play very well then we'll give ourselves every chance of winning the game."
Even more concerning for the Dockers is despite enjoying eight-match mid-season winning streak, they have only won one game against top-six opponents this year, and that was against Geelong at home in round nine.
"So far we haven't been good enough, probably, to beat those couple of sides above us," Duffield said.
"But I think we were really close to Sydney early on in the year and if we can improve on a few things that could've been a different result.
"Obviously the weekend (just gone) was really close and I know Hawthorn stitched us up earlier in the year so we've got a great opportunity to try and rebound from that."
