Fremantle midfielder Will Brodie says the playing group will back Nat Fyfe in "completely" after the former skipper's quiet start to the AFL season.
Fyfe, playing as a permanent forward, tallied just nine disposals and 0.1 in last week's shock 15-point loss to St Kilda.
The poor display sparked debate over whether Fyfe should return to his accustomed midfield role, where he won two Brownlow medals and established himself as one of the league's biggest stars.
Fyfe booted three goals apiece against Adelaide and Port Adelaide during the pre-season, and the Dockers are set to persist with him as a forward.
The 31-year-old will get the chance to atone for his round-one performance in Saturday's clash with North Melbourne at Optus Stadium.
"Fyfe's had a great pre-season block. He's in good form," Brodie told reporters on Tuesday.
"We believe he'll bounce back. He's a superstar player as we know. We'll back him in completely."
The Dockers won the inside-50m count 65-53 against the Saints, but the tall forward line of Matt Taberner, Luke Jackson, Josh Treacy and Fyfe failed to make an impact.
Fremantle's star-studded midfield also lost the clearance battle 35-29 against the undermanned Saints.
Brodie said it was an area the team would address this week.
"We believe we weren't good enough in the contest," he said.
"Our clearance and stoppage work (was) a little bit on the back foot.
"We definitely could have been better in our delivery (to the forwards) and our contest work for sure. There's a lot of areas we can improve."
Brodie's career resurgence at Fremantle was rewarded with a three-year contract extension on Tuesday, tying him to the club until the end of 2026.
The 24-year-old managed just 25 games across five years at Gold Coast, and he's already reached that mark in little more than a season at Fremantle.
"I'm super pumped to be locked in," Brodie said.
"(I) just feel like I'm being believed in and backed in (here at Fremantle). I've been given a role that suits my strengths.
"It is nice to have a bit of security, to lock in with this young group and develop and get better."
