Fremantle was “obliterated” by West Coast’s midfield in Sunday’s Carlton Mid Derby, losing the inside 50 count 64-30, including just seven entries in the second half.
Lyon said the midfield had struggled for depth this season and admitted it had been the club’s weakness.
“We haven’t fully recovered, with David Mundy still building, no Fyfe, no Morabito, and Barlow still working his way back,” he said.
“We just haven’t got that depth so were going to have to look at players like de Boer and Mayne and reconstruct a midfield to give us a chance to compete against the best AFL teams.”
Lyon said a host of players had done well to plug the gaps in the middle this season, but ultimately the club needed to build a midfield that could compete against class units like West Coast’s.
“At times, the Pearce’s and Mzungu’s have really batted above their weight and carried the run and the ball-winning, but over the journey they need a bit of help,” he said.
“A bit of class - that’s what we’ve identified as the problem.”
The coach also said Freo would look to inject leg speed into the team and hinted at opportunities for youngsters Tom Sheridan and Hayden Crozier, and Michael Walters, who has been building form in the WAFL since the club sent him back to Swan Districts for not meeting fitness requirements.
“Crozier was really close to playing today and Sheridan’s been in the mix,” he said.
“We want to get some run and skill but we don’t want to compromise and give games away.”
Lyon said Sunday’s Derby was a “very disappointing day for the Fremantle Football Club”, but promised to leave no stone unturned to improve in all areas of the game.
“We walk away unhappy in all areas,” he said.
“We’ve haven’t met expectations over the past few weeks and we’re pretty keen to grow.
“But there’s character within the group and the coaches are really determined.
“We sit here hurting, we’re proud, but we don’t want to fracture. We’ve got the character to dig in and do the work.”
