Rating the Kangaroos' win over Fremantle as one of the finest he has ever been involved in, coach Dean Laidley has hinted not so subtly he is the man to lead the club's continued revival.

Undermanned and under immense pressure, the Kangaroos secured a stirring four-point victory against the Dockers, catapulting themselves inside the AFL's top four, and placing huge pressure on counterpart Chris Connolly in the process.

While his players - notably Brent Harvey and Adam Simpson - deserved much praise, Laidley also showed he has improved enormously as a coach, steering his side through injuries to Scott McMahon and Daniel Wells to help secure a 12.10 (82) to 11.12 (78) triumph.

And after an exuberant celebration marking the significance of the win, Laidley said he intended to stay at Arden Street and finish the job he began back in 2003.

"We had to work overtime in the coaches box today to make sure we had enough grunt," Laidley said.

"I suppose when you do that, you have helped them get over the line, you have steered them a bit - but their gut running and true grit won the day.

"Right now, where our footy club is, (I have) probably not (had a better win).

"They are a wonderful bunch of guys, we have made some big changes physically and our mental stuff.

"I would love to coach these blokes for a lot longer."

After the Kangaroos broke out to a 23-point third-term lead, thanks to Glenn Archer's foray forward, the Dockers stuttering season looked to have finally been put out of its misery.

But with the Kangaroos running out of legs, and Wells (knee) and McMahon (corked thigh) sidelined, Freo found another gear, taking the lead midway through the last term through Ryan Crowley.

However, through the inspirational Simpson, Archer's intensity and McMahon's miraculous recovery, the Kangaroos hit back, with Archer kicking the winner after a needless free kick conceded by Shaun McManus.

"We have worked on being very good in these scenarios, in hostile environments," Laidley said

"And I thought we grew as a group today."

Even then, Scott Thornton had the chance to hand Freo the win, but missed the set shot from 40m, which Dockers coach Chris Connolly said summed up a season of missed opportunities.

"We have got to be very careful not to say Scott Thornton cost us the game - there was enough really poor errors that cost us goals," Connolly said.

"No-one player carries the burden of the loss, we had our opportunities."

Laidley admitted to some unconventional work in the box as the Docker lined up the kick.

"I was on my knees with my hands together looking to the sky - I was praying," Laidley said.

And in heaping high praise on skipper Simpson, who ended with 33 possessions, Laidley simultaneously had a dig at Kangaroos' premiership captain Wayne Carey, who called for his head before the season started.

"He (Simpson) is first class ... he might not have the talent of some of the other leaders have had at this football club, but for pure leadership, he is a mile in front of anyone I have seen," Laidley said.

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