It was not pretty, but neither Fremantle or the Kangaroos were making any apologies for a dour spectacle, after the Dockers rose above first-half mediocrity to outlast Dean Laidley's youngsters for a vital 35-point victory.

Following an error riddled first-half at Subiaco Oval which produced more clangers than quality, Dockers' star Matthew Pavlich took the match by the throat, kicking six goals in the 13.6 (84) to 6.13 (49) victory.

And in a match both teams needed to win following insipid defeats last week, Freo's forward line experience proved too much for the Roos' young backline, with eight majors to one after the main break telling the story.

After the tussle, neither Kangaroos coach Dean Laidley or Freo assistant Mark Harvey were apologetic over the entertainment value, with Laidley in particular blunt in his assessment.

"It is not a pretty spectacle but I am here to develop players and win games of footy," Laidley said.

"It is basketball really isn't it - one team has a shot on goal, if they miss off you all go down the other end ... and see if they can get a shot.

"That is the way it is ... that is the way the game is heading."

Harvey, talking after the game because laryngitis had left Chris Connolly speechless, said overcoming a desperate and defensive Kangaroos outfit was a sign of progress for the Dockers.

"We were playing a side that had put everything on the line as far as their season goes, and we had to match that," Harvey said.

"We certainly did until half time and then we put a space in the game, and we managed to sustain our pressure - to win by six goals against the Kangaroos we were happy with."

After the Kangaroos had led by three points at half time, Fremantle broke open the game with four unanswered goals in the third term, with Pavlich and Ryan Murphy tormenting the visitors defence.

Murphy was deputising in the forward line after Luke McPharlin failed to appear after half time with an ankle injury, and Harvey paid tribute to the 20 year-old.

"I think Murphy was important ...chiming in with three, it just gives us a different dimension down there," Harvey said.

Despite their sixth defeat in eight games, Laidley said he had to persevere with his youngsters.

"Some of our young defenders probably got caught out and that is fine, we will keep playing them," he said.

"We have gone from a pretty experienced defence last year to one that is probably not as experienced and it is important to keep playing those kids.

"If I was sitting here 2-6 with the same team that we had last year I would be beside myself."

And although he was loathe to say it directly, Laidley said his club was now a long way from this year's finals.

"We have won two games, we are eight games into the season and we are going to continue down the track we have spoken about," he said.

"You actually have to win 11 or 12 to get there, and we are ten games off that now."

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