Fremantle coach Mark Harvey has refused to label the Dockers' season a success despite massive improvement, saying there is no guarantee it will continue.

The Dockers' first finals campaign in four years ended with a 20.15 (135) to 10.6 (66) semi-final thrashing by Geelong at the MCG on Friday night.

Harvey admitted his side was outclassed and probably still feeling the effects of their tough elimination final victory over Hawthorn at Subiaco last weekend.

Despite the limp finish, Fremantle were still the season's big movers, climbing from 14th last year on the back of a large group of exciting young players.

But Harvey said the only true success was a premiership and he had told his charges not to expect the upward progression to automatically continue.

"(I told them) basically not to assume we'll be back here this time next year, if you think that, then you'll disappear quickly out of the finals race," Harvey said.

"That was the main point and to learn as much as you can out of the experience of the past two weeks, particularly the younger players."

Harvey said the Dockers had shown at stages this season that they could be competitive with the AFL's best clubs.

"We didn't (on Friday night), but we can match it with the teams that are perceived as being the top teams in the competition, that's what I'd say, we certainly haven't been able to do that in the last couple of years," he said.

But he warned that the club might have played "above ourselves this year" and the improvement would only count if it continued.

"I only see success as really the end result, I don't necessarily see it in the fact that you played two finals," he said.

"We've managed to come from six wins to 13 wins, so if that's how you read it that's okay, but it doesn't mean anything next year really."

Fremantle's 2011 prospects could be hampered by the potential exit of some key players, with key defender Chris Tarrant keen to return to Melbourne, while talented midfielder David Mundy is speculated to be headed to Gold Coast.

Fremantle also need to fully assess the damage to star ruckman Aaron Sandilands' knee, with the big man well below his best after sustaining an injury against the Hawks.

"Is there any posterior cruciate damage? We don't really know yet because there's so much fluid there," Harvey said.

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