The Crows eventually broke away to win by 24 points at Subiaco Oval, but not without a scare from the winless Fremantle, which clawed its way back from 25 points down late in the third term to lead by a goal just minutes into the fourth.
But the unanswered five-goal run was the home side's only clean passage all day, with skill errors and missed shots when the game was on the line eventually taking their toll.
"Our young side got a bit of a run-on in the last quarter. We gave ourselves a little glimmer of hope ... then it was taken away from us quite quickly," Harvey said after the game.
"We couldn't stay composed in our decision-making, either when we were going inside the forward 50 or just in general play.
"(And) we mucked around with the ball too much, particularly into the breeze in the second quarter."
Harvey said his side needed to develop the confidence to take the game on and punish opposition sides with decisive ball movement.
"When we've got the ball, we're not doing enough," he said.
"We're not hurting the opposition when we should be, and then when we do turn the ball over, we're getting punished quickly.
"(Garrick) Ibbotson, (Stephen) Hill, (Nic) Suban, (Clayton) Hinkley – we need them to take the game on and start to create momentum for us.
"They need to have confidence in things like ball movement to be able to do that."
Hill was one Fremantle player who took the game by the scruff of the neck in the final quarter, dragging his side back into the contest.
"They're the sorts of signs you look for – he had the ability to try to get the team going and create that spark," Harvey said.
The coach added Fremantle would discuss its fixture with the AFL after Adelaide came to Perth in 34-degree heat with an extra two days of recovery under its belt after its round two clash with St Kilda.
"It’s the third game in a row we've played that the opposition has had more of break than us," Harvey said.
"I'm not making excuses, but I think there should be serious consideration with the draw – and particularly the two WA sides – as to when we play so early in the season and how many days the opposition gets on us."
Harvey said he was pleased with Greg Broughton's 19-possession debut and said midfielder Paul Hasleby (28 possessions and a goal) was working towards the form he is renowned for.
