Fremantle remains alert to danger even after starting the season with five straight wins for the first time in its history.
The unbeaten run puts the Freo Dockers one game clear on the top of the ladder.
Despite being pleased with the 68-point win over Melbourne on Sunday, coach Ross Lyon was not about to indulge in any musings about whether the club was in better shape than at any other time during his time at the helm.
Ross Lyon post-match Q & A: Round 5
"The challenges keeping coming at you," Lyon said.
Freo could be without star forwards Matthew Pavlich and Michael Walters (both concussed) when they play Essendon at Domain Stadium on Saturday night.
"Essendon are a really powerful team … it was important to come here and play well. We did that," Lyon said.
The coach also pointed out that despite the strength of their midfield and strong list they were without Ryan Crowley while he served a voluntary suspension awaiting a hearing at the Anti-Doping Tribunal.
Their list was also depleted when Colin Sylvia parted ways with the club during the week and Anthony Morabito remains a touch and go proposition to return.
"As much as it's not affecting us now we just know it's thinned us a bit more than we'd like over the journey of the year," Lyon said.
"[Having] three incapacitated already off your primary list isn't ideal so on the surface we seem pretty fit and healthy but we have got those three."
On the positive side, Lyon said Tendai Mzungu, Hayden Crozier and Tommy Sheridan were in good form yet not in the side.
Lyon knows from his experience at Carlton in 2000 (when the Blues won 13 in a row before losing five of the last seven) and St Kilda (who won its first 19 games before losing three of the final six) that nothing is guaranteed.
"It changes pretty quick," Lyon said.
However he acknowledged that the team met the challenge against Melbourne after losing two players by half-time.
He said key forward Chris Mayne was back to his best and that despite a little frustration with their ball use in the third quarter the performance was dominant.
"In fairness that is what we should be doing if we want to head to where we want to go against a team that is rebuilding," Lyon said.
After Essendon, the Freo Dockers play the Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne and Adelaide.
