It’s easy to forget how good Fremantle were in 2015.

They won their first 11 matches of the season, finished with 17 home-and-away successes and claimed the minor premiership for the first time in their 20-year AFL history.

Bad luck struck in September, though.

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Key defender Luke McPharlin missed the finals with a calf problem and stars Nathan Fyfe (leg) and Matthew Pavlich (foot) had to play under duress.

And despite all that, only a superb Hawthorn performance in the preliminary final stopped them making their second grand final in three years.

So you can see why hopes were high among Freo fans during the summer.

Not enough support: Matthew Pavlich, as usual, needs more of a hand. Photo: Getty

Coach Ross Lyon had inked a new five-year deal and the arrival of Harley Bennell gave the Dockers more star power.

And with Fyfe fit and firing and Pavlich going around again, a top-four finish seemed on the cards.

But after just two rounds, Fremantle are in a world of trouble.

Bennell is injured, Pavlich looks almost finished and they are still struggling down back.

Footy’s faster 2016 style – due to changes in rules and interpretations – doesn’t look like it suits the Dockers and questions are already being asked of Lyon’s contact extension.

The Western Bulldogs showed up their lack of speed and youth in a 65-point Round 1 thumping.

But it was Saturday evening’s home loss to Gold Coast that really raised alarm bells.

The Suns had never beaten the Dockers and had an average losing margin of 50.6 points in Perth from seven attempts.

Yet they were comfortable in a 26-point upset victory that leaves Freo 0.1 per cent from the bottom of the ladder.

Fremantle can’t strike an appropriate balance between attack and defence.

Zac Dawson isn’t the answer down back. Photo: Getty

They kicked just five goals in Round 1 and conceded 15. Against the Suns, they attacked far more and booted 14 – but gave up 19.

They have two areas that need addressing fast.

McPharlin’s retirement has left a gaping hole and journeyman Zac Dawson isn’t the answer.

He’s had 10 goals kicked on in him in two weeks, by Jake Stringer and Tom Lynch.

The scary thing for the Dockers is that Dawson is their first-choice key defender, with Alex Silvagni continuing to get overlooked at selection.

Up forward, things don’t look much better.

At 34 and with 337 games under his belt, Matthew Pavlich isn’t the man you want commanding the forward line.

And he’s still getting no significant help from other talls, namely Matt Taberner and Alex Pearce.

That means that if Michael Walters and Hayden Ballantyne don’t kick a winning score, who will?

With the likes of Fyfe, David Mundy and Stephen Hill, Fremantle still have a good list, but it’s not one that can win the flag.

They’ll be better-placed in 2017 if defender Cale Hooker – as expected – leaves Essendon to join them.

But, on the basis of the first two rounds, will anyone be tempted to join him and head west?

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Josh Barnstable also writes for www.footyprophet.com – football and fantasy analysis unravelled.