Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich has praised the performance of the club's middle-tier players following the Dockers' drought-breaking AFL victory over North Melbourne.

Just days after assistant coach Peter German warned that an end-of-season clean-out was on the cards if players didn't lift their act, Fremantle put together their finest performance of the season to rout the Kangaroos 18.12 (120) to 9.13 (67).

Pavlich starred with eight goals but the Dockers also received brilliant service from the likes of Byron Schammer, Brett Peake, Ryan Crowley and Dean Solomon.

"We were able to sustain enough pressure on them (the Roos) through the whole game, both from a physical point of view and a scoreboard point of view as well," Pavlich said.

"And that's where the improvement comes from.

"We certainly think our senior guys set a reasonable enough standard each week, both from a training perspective and an on-field perspective ... (but it also comes from) the improvement of the middle tier, who certainly showed what they can do and let's hope they can maintain it."

Fremantle coach Mark Harvey said the forward set-up, which gave Pavlich and Chris Tarrant plenty of space to work in, was a model the club would use going forward.

Jeff Farmer, a renowned goalsneak with 479 goals to his name, was a revelation on the ball, collecting a career-high 27 disposals and booting two goals.

"Jeff's been much maligned for the way this year has gone but from a work rate rather than an output point of view we've been more than satisfied," Pavlich said.

"It's great to see him get up the field a little bit more and play a little bit differently, and everyone knows how dangerous he is inside forward 50."

Harvey declared tagger Steven Dodd, who has missed the club's past three games through a calf injury, a certain starter for Friday night's clash against St Kilda at Telstra Dome.

But besieged veteran Shaun McManus appears set to miss at least another week with a knee injury.

"For people to say he wasn't injured - well if fluid on the knee isn't injured then I'm not sure what is," Harvey said of McManus.

"Dodd will be back this week. The boys were having a bit of a joke about whether he could get straight back in or not (on the back of our performance against the Roos)."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP