Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich has bristled at a suggestion that the Dockers are the laughing stock of the AFL.

But the key forward agrees he, coach Mark Harvey and the rest of the team are under pressure following their poor first month of the regular season.

The Dockers were shockers on Saturday night, managing only four goals at Etihad Stadium as St Kilda kicked 17 for an 83-point walkover.

Pavlich said the team was rebuilding after veterans such as Peter Bell, Heath Black, Jeff Farmer and Shaun McManus retired at the end of last season.

"It's a really interesting way to put it, laughing stock, I find that very hard to believe," Pavlich said on Channel Seven's Game Day.

"When you lose about 1500 games of experience like we did last year and we draft in 14 new players ... back in 2000-01, when I first arrived ... maybe then there was an opportunity to label the club, not going over the (top).

"Right now, we're going through a phase, it's going to take a bit of time.

"The great thing is, the club is committed to playing the young players."

Pavlich added he was not listening to the growing criticism and speculation surrounding coach Mark Harvey.

"I don't listen to any of it, to be honest, I rarely read any of the newspapers, to be honest, I don't hear about it - you hear it second-hand," he said.

"We're absolutely all under pressure when we're zip-and-four."

Pavlich said the team's mid-range players had to lift for the Dockers to improve.

"The guys like Byron Schammer, Michael Johnson, Ryan Crowley, Steven Dodd - the great improvement has to come from the guys who have between three years and seven years (experience)," he said.

"There's no question there has to be some good leadership and some direction, that's paramount."

Pavlich added the club would have to be patient as they try to develop a lot of younger players.

"He (Harvey) is pretty pragmatic like the rest of us about it all," Pavlich said.

"When the club loses so many great players recently and we're blooding not necessarily younger players, (but) guys who haven't had a huge amount of experience, it's going to take a little bit of time, we understand that."

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