Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir says the Dockers have been hit with a huge reality check after suffering back-to-back defeats against the Gold Coast and Collingwood.
Freo are priced at 16/1 to win the AFL grand final and had been flying high in second on the ladder before slipping down to fourth on Sunday night.
Dockers wake-up call
The Dockers are still well placed to end their finals drought but they need to get back on track following the two defeats.
Longmuir says maybe a touch of complacency had crept in and they have been brought crashing back down to earth.
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"We were riding high, and everyone was getting way ahead of themselves," Longmuir told reporters after the game.
"If you get marginally ahead of yourself in footy, it gives you a reality check, and we’ve gotten that. If you’re off in any part, you get what you deserve. So it’s a reality check for us."
Struggling in the wet
Both defeats have come in the wet with the Dockers struggling to cope with the conditions. Longmuir believes it could be a mental thing and something they definitely need to improve on if they are to do well this season.
"I think it is a mental thing. Players read too much into the conditions and it affects their games too much, especially with ball in hand," Longmuir added.
"Whether it's the actual conditions or we think it's wetter than it is or drier than it is, I think that second quarter we just fuelled their forward game and fuelled their field position.”
