Fremantle coach Mark Harvey admitted his side might call on outside help in search of that winning feeling after Carlton extended the Dockers' nightmare streak of final-quarter fade-outs.

Like a weekend angler, the Dockers again were ruing the one that got away, as the Blues came from behind at three-quarter time to win 14.13 (97) to 14.4 (88) at Telstra Dome.

Harvey's side has now lost its past four AFL games by a combined 19 points after leading at the last change, and with a win-loss record of 1-8 after six-straight defeats, a season that promised much is in ruins.

Although this one was different in that Fremantle were outplayed for most of the game but lifted in the final quarter without nailing the result as they came up with a new way to let it slip.

The visitors had been lethally accurate to three-quarter time - their only miss to that point was a Chris Tarrant poster - but they booted three behinds and sent two other shots out on the full in the final term.

Captain Matthew Pavlich booted four goals but was on Saturday night agonising at hitting the post from 20 metres out in front, 19 minutes into the last quarter, when a goal would have put his side in front and taken the wind from Carlton's sail.

The Blues had just got themselves in front through best-afield Nick Stevens, but Pavlich's miss allowed Carlton to settle and then find the winner, through Darren Pfeiffer's snap at the 23-minute mark, which put them eight points up.

Pavlich's miss - plus another snapped behind - came just a month after he hit the post when a goal was needed against Geelong in round six.

Harvey said Pavlich and Tarrant, who booted three goals, had kept their side in the game but acknowledged Fremantle might have to consider working with a sports psychologist.

"We might (have) to consider visualising winning," Harvey said.

"You could look at it, yeah."

Harvey admitted the fade-outs gave opposition sides something to focus on.

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade did last week, and Carlton's Brett Ratten admitted he spoke of Fremantle's recent defeats as he gave his players a rev-up.

"When you're going into the last quarter we made it a highlight as well," Ratten said.

"I think Fremantle have played some really good footy without winning games and it's hard, but that's sometimes the way the cycle goes."

Although Carlton booted three goals to one in the final term, Ratten said he would have been disappointed to have lost the game given they held sway for most of the afternoon.

Carlton midfielders fed off Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands like he was one of their teammates, Stevens blanketed Peter Bell and got 28 disposals himself, Chris Judd lifted when he needed to and their pressure and tackling was much better.

Carlton's win gave them a respectable 4-5 record - their best standing since they were 6-7 in 2004 - and snapped a run of nine defeats to Fremantle.

"We just stuck to our task and what we had to do," Ratten said.

"Sometimes you don't kick so straight and we didn't today, so to get the reward that we did, we squashed another record along the way.

"Round 16, 2001 was the last time we beat Fremantle and that's another record we tick off."

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