We’ll be ready for hunters: Barlow

Midfielder Michael Barlow says Fremantle must be ready for the rest of the competition to come for them after their blistering 8-0 start to the season.

Barlow described the Dockers’ 73-point win over North Melbourne at Domain Stadium on Saturday night as their most complete performance of the 2015 season.

"I thought we controlled the game basically from the outset, across the 120 minutes," Barlow said. "I think it is as good as we’ve been for the year."

But Barlow said there would be little time for celebrating as they move on to the task ahead against Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

"I think the best thing about the club at the moment, we are really demanding on each other," he said. "We identify areas we need to improve and continue to do that.

"You are already talking about Adelaide at Adelaide Oval with 50,000 South Australians there.

"It’s an exciting prospect to play there. "It’s just another opportunity to get a win interstate and keep us where we are."

Barlow, 27, believed they were playing as well as they had in his time at the club, but knows they will be the hunted after their undefeated start.

"The challenge for us week in, week out is that teams will come for us, you know sitting on top of the ladder and where we’re at," he said. "We acknowledge the challenge week in week out, regardless of who we play, what personnel, the scalp is going to be pretty significant. "We’ve just got to arm ourselves."

Fremantle remain two games clear from West Coast, Sydney and GWS on top of the ladder, but Barlow said he hadn’t even thought about the prospect of finishing in the top two.

"I haven’t thought a second about it," he said. "It’s a real marathon, the season. "We are only eight rounds in so probably a quarter of the way to giving yourself a real opportunity. "You drop one or drop two pretty quickly you start to get everyone on your back and the pressure comes. "We have just got to stay in the moment."

Barlow, who has been below his prolific best at times this season, was prominent against the Kangaroos with 30 disposals and two goals.

"My role hasn’t differed too much from the last few years, we have just getting more personnel that can go through the middle and spend time on the ball," Barlow said.

"Over my whole career, from week to week I never feel comfortable with my spot in the team. "But I think I bring a lot to the table. "Externally a lot gets noted if your numbers go down or you don’t hit the scoreboard. "There are different areas of the game that we really value internally. "We see a lot of the guys play roles week in week out that plaudits go to them within the four walls."

Coach Ross Lyon said the Dockers had emerged unscathed from the game, with veteran captain Matthew Pavlich a precautionary substitution off with a sore adductor.

Tendai Mzungu, Matt de Boer and Hayden Crozier still can’t break into the team, while key defender Zac Dawson is likely to make his return from a groin injury through Peel Thunder this weekend.