Co-vice captain Andrew Brayshaw said despite the 48-point loss to the Swans the team could be proud of elements of the performance.
Fremantle won clearances (28-27) and only narrowly lost inside 50s (46-51), and contested possessions (110-115) in a loss that saw Fremantle only have one major to half time.
“I feel like the scoreboard didn’t quite reflect the effort that the boys put in tonight,” Brayshaw said.
“I thought we were really strong in the contest, but we just weren’t able to really make the most of our opportunities going forward.
“We had a lot of forward 50 entries and our pressure was good in the forward half but the way we scored just wasn’t good enough.
“Sydney are the best team in the competition, and they showed composure in their forward 50 while we didn’t.”
In an emotionally charged night, Brayshaw stood firm that despite the result the players dug deep to pay tribute to former teammate Cam McCarthy who tragically passed on Thursday.
“A really sad 24 hours for a lot of the boys here who were really close with Cam,” Brayshaw said.
“It was really tough for them (the players close with Cam), and we knew we were going to fight and try our hardest for him.
“Although we didn’t get the win we really tried to dig in for him."
On a positive note, Brayshaw praised the Fremantle members and fans and WA community who donated a record breaking tally to the Purple Hands Foundation.
“It’s awesome,” Brayshaw explained.
“We had one of our coaches talking to us about some of the experiences he’s had through Purple Hands, and we are really grateful to raise that much money.
“So many people aren’t in as good as a situation as the boys that we’ve got here so everything we can do, every dollar we can raise, we are really fortunate.”
Fremantle will now look to bounce back quickly as they prepare to face St Kilda at Marvel Stadium on Saturday 18 May.
“A couple of extra days break, a good chance to recover, and there will be plenty of stuff to review this week,” Brayshaw said.
“We will look to get back on the horse."
