Following a tough seven-point win over the Crows in the wet at AAMI Stadium on Saturday the Dockers enter the round 11 bye in fourth spot on the ladder with seven wins and a draw.
Only once before in its history has Fremantle had a better start to the season, when it won eight of its first 10 in 2010. Fremantle finished sixth that year.
Pavlich has missed the past six matches with an Achilles injury while No.1 ruckman Sandilands is yet to play owing to a severe hamstring injury, absences that appear to have had little effect on Freo.
"I think in years gone by if we were missing Sandilands and Pavlich, Fremantle would be walk overs," McPharlin said to the media on Sunday morning.
"To see that regardless of who is in the side that we're a really competitive unit, that's really pleasing."
The All Australian defender, in his twelfth season at the Dockers, believes the 2013 team is playing some of the best football of any during his time at the club.
"I think in terms of consistency of effort it's been really strong," McPharlin said.
"I've enjoyed playing under Ross Lyon and the philosophies and methods that he brings to the club.
"I think from that point of view the club is in a really strong position to keep playing good football."
McPharlin felt the win over Adelaide was only the second time this season the Dockers had put together a consistent four-quarter performance, and even then they were outscored by the Crows in both the first and last terms.
"We feel that we've probably only delivered a four-quarter effort once, up at the Gold Coast, and then probably yesterday as well," he said.
Fremantle now has a week off before hosting the Brisbane Lions in round 12.
McPharlin said coach Ross Lyon had urged the players to enjoy the time off during the break in order to freshen up for the second half of the season.
"He said just relax, get out of here, enjoy yourself for a week and I think in this business it's a very tough industry that we're in," McPharlin said.
"Emotionally, physically, mentally, we're pretty exhausted from the first half of the year so we'll do our utmost to not think about football at all really this week and then we'll hook back in the following Monday."
