Fremantle coach Ross Lyon says he still has time to get his new look forward line sorted out ahead of his team’s round one clash with North Melbourne and has labelled fierce competition for spots as a positive for the club.

An improved attack remains the unsolved problem for Lyon, whose forward lines have finished bottom three in scoring in the AFL in each of the last three seasons when they have missed the eight.

Cam McCarthy has missed selection in the team to face West Coast today. McCarthy also missed out last week as four tall forwards — Matt Taberner, Jesse Hogan, Rory Lobb and Brennan Cox — played against Collingwood.

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“It is not so much good for the players but for the match committee to have pressure for spots in our front half — that form of pressure for spots is on,” he said.”

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“We have got to make hard decisions and you have to earn your spot.”

Improved depth is one thing, but the method is still being refined.

The positives to come out of the clash with Collingwood for the Dockers were statistical wins in the inside 50, clearance, contested possession and tackle count.

The negative was that it all still translated to a 27-point loss against the 2018 grand finalist as Collingwood intercepted clumsy attacks and swept the ball from defence.

The one statistical area the Magpies dominated was the rebound from the defensive 50, which they won 47-27.

“We were a bit bomby,” Lyon said.

“There was a lot to like about 60 entries but there were golden opportunities where we had free players and sometimes it was the player with the ball in hand who didn’t utilise the free player and sometimes the talls all wanted it deep,” he said.

“There are things we are working on at training ... that connection piece.

“When the ball is coming in forwards want to kick goals, but when they are all drawing back to the one spot you just become overly predictable. You always need a double threat, a lead, an anchor, those sort of things.

“It was the first time they had played together as a group against quality opposition. We have got a bit of time before round one.”

Lyon said the fact that the Dockers play the two grand finalists from 2018 in the JLT Community series was a great challenge.

“We played the grand finalists last week and now the reigning premier, so it is a really good test for us,” he said.

“They are confident, they are well drilled.

“There are so many different models now in the AFL. It used to be you couldn’t win a flag without a powerful full-forward and centre half-forward. There are options we need to work through.”

Lyon said McCarthy had not been written off as a player.

“He kicked 20 plus goals twice for us and it is still a pretty good effort in AFL footy if you kick 20 plus. He can play,” he said.