Fremantle senior coach Ross Lyon says Freo won’t fall into the trap of underestimating their opponent in Saturday night’s clash with Essendon at Domain Stadium.

2016 has been a challenging year for both sides, but Lyon said Essendon still possess quality players and the capability to mount a challenge every week.

“They’re doing things well and have challenged a couple of teams,” Lyon said. 

“They still have some very good players like (David) Zaharakis, (Brendan) Goddard, (Adam) Cooney, young (Zach) Merrett is coming through. 

“At the start of the year, if you look at when they were playing AFL teams at full (strength) they were going to be under some pressure but they’ve fought on magnificently. 

“John (Worsfold) is clearly a competitor and leading them well.”

Talking points: Rd 11 v Essendon

While Essendon started the year with a depleted list and Freo’s run with injury has yielded similar results, Lyon said he wouldn’t compare hardships with other clubs and instead focus on what can be controlled on Saturday. 

“There are some similarities if you look at who we have out now,” he said. 

“Our injury list continues to grow and we understand it gets more difficult from there but we’re looking for improvement and performance.

“I’m not going to change my belief system, what I value or compare to other clubs. 

“(For us) It’s about being a no excuse football club.”