FREMANTLE star Nat Fyfe says the Dockers are prepared for some short-term pain for the long-term gain of adapting to a more attacking era of football.
Last year's minor premiers have started the season 0-4 and the Dockers are barely recognisable from the team that has played in the last four finals series.
Fremantle kept opposing sides to less than 73 points per game across 97 matches between 2012 and 2015.
This season they are conceding a staggering 113 points per game and are ranked second-last for defence in the competition.
The Dockers have kicked more than 100 points in two of the first four games and Fyfe said they were paying a price for making some offensive changes.
Watch Ross Lyon's press conference after the loss to North
"We understand we're in a phase at our footy club where we're trying to adapt and grow for the long-term benefit to achieve a sustained period of success," Fyfe said on Tuesday.
"If that means some short-term pain, then we've got full faith in the coaching staff and our structure in the long-term that we'll deliver.
"I think we have to pay a bit of a tax for adapting our game plan and trying to score more, because that's the way modern footy is going.
"I think with the interchange rotations, players spending more time on the ground and players spending more time resting, the game has changed and a lot of teams have adapted really well to that and our attacking model is certainly trending that way, but we're leaking heavily in defence and that's a full 18-man issue. But we'll continue to tighten up on that."
Fyfe said there were some better signs in the 31-point loss to North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
"I've played in games where we've won and not felt like we've played as well as we did against North Melbourne on the weekend," Fyfe said.
"We're in the business of winning games of footy and that's what we want to do, but it's not all doom and gloom around here at the moment."
A major reason for the Dockers' leaky defence has been their poor ball use out of defence. They have conceded the fourth-most scores from turnovers per game in the AFL this season.
"Clearly your ball use links into your defence," Fyfe said.
"If you turn it over and don't use it well, particularly in the back half, then you're going to get scored heavily against. It's a double-edged sword. We've got to use the ball better. If we do that we'll score more, but we'll also stop the opposition scoring."
The Dockers have a great opportunity to get a win on the board against Carlton at Domain Stadium on Sunday.
Fyfe was hopeful that skipper David Mundy would return after missing the last two weeks with a calf problem. The skipper will need to get through training this week to be available.
Zac Clarke is also a chance to return from a knee injury that he sustained in round one as the Dockers continue to search for an effective ruck combination in the absence of Aaron Sandilands.
