The Dogs, who had unimpressive pre-season results, were big outsiders against a Brisbane side that had steamrolled through the NAB Cup.
But the red, white and blue outplayed the Lions all over the ground to win by 68-points.
McPharlin said this week’s opponent showed that being an underdog meant little at this level of the game.
“The Bulldogs were outstanding,” he said.
“They certainly looked very competitive, moving the ball well and it was a thumping and unexpected win.
“They came to play and that demonstrated that if a team is on, you can make a dent in any game.”
Fremantle beat an in-experienced Dogs’ side by 109 points in a NAB Cup game in Mandurah.
But McPharlin said that counted for nothing and that Freo would have to be on its guard on Saturday.
“We know that at any given time against any given team, you can be found out,” he said.
“We have to bring our best game or somewhere near our best.”
The 2012 All Australian defender said Freo viewed the home and away season as consisting of small blocks of games, rather than 22 games.
The first block was the opening rounds of the season, which he said were an extension of the club’s pre-season.
“We’ve been building for three or four months, rehearsing and replicating our game plan and working on our structures and contingency plans,” he said.
“We want to be a competitive unit in every game and show that all the learning and growth that we’ve done over the summer comes to the fore in these early games.”
While he admitted football sides historically tended to go through slumps at certain stages of a season, McPharlin said Fremantle would look to deliver its best effort at all times.
“We hope to continue to deliver the brand of football that we’ve started to demonstrate, particularly in the second half of last year,” he said.
“If all our structures and effort and game plan come to the fore on game day, we should be a competitive side in every game that we play in.”
2013 STARLIGHT PURPLE HAZE GAME: Friday 12 April v Essendon at Patersons Stadium, 6.40pm bounce down. Dress in purple to WIN! Proudly supported by Fremantle Ports. Click here for more information.
