Premiership coach Paul Roos has joined Mick Malthouse in slamming Nat Fyfe’s defensive work, declaring the Fremantle superstar’s two-way running is “bottom-end”.

Fyfe (31 disposals, 10 marks, three tackles) was the Dockers’ best player against Gold Coast according to Ross Lyon and Stuart Dew, earning five coaches votes despite copping close attention from diligent Suns tagger Jack Bowes (27 disposals).

While effusive in his praise of Fyfe’s offensive capabilities, Roos said opposition coaches were already devising plans to expose the Brownlow medallist away from stoppages.

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“Fyfe, who I know is an outstanding player ... some of his off-ball running is bottom end,” Roos told Fox Footy.

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“When they don’t have the football, he doesn’t work hard defensively.

“I’ve spoken to opposition coaches, I know they exploit him on the outside.

“He’s a great player but the level of coaching that goes into the game now, you’ll look at all opposition players and go ‘his strength is there, we can’t stop him ... so what we’re going to do boys is nullify him around the stoppages and then get off him in general play’.

Play Video Xavier Ellis and Nick Rynne discuss the Freo captain's standing in the game on The Hard Ball Gets AFL Show. The West Australian Video Xavier Ellis and Nick Rynne discuss the Freo captain's standing in the game on The Hard Ball Gets AFL Show.

“The challenge is he’s so good (one-on-one), if he controls that area he marks it down the line. So it’s a game of Russian roulette against him.

“But if you haven’t got a match up, which no teams really do - there’s no other Nat Fyfe - the trick to it is get off him and run, and that’s what the Suns did really well.”

Roos’ scathing assessment follows comments made by outspoken coaching great Mick Malthouse, who labelled Fyfe’s defensive application as ‘deplorable’ and said the Fremantle skipper had questionable disposal.

“I have reservations about whether Fyfe can be the complete player Fremantle needs him to be to lead them out of the wilderness,” Malthouse wrote in a column for The Sunday Times.

“Fyfe is excellent one-on-one, he is productive at stoppages, but he is deplorable in his defensive work.

“When his opponent spreads they know they can get him because he has little interest in working hard the “other” way.

“He too often makes the wrong choice with his disposals, and the team needs him to finish off by scoring goals when he has easy shots.”

The West Australian football writer Bridget Lacy questioned whether criticism of the Fremantle skipper was fair.

Speaking on the latest edition of the Duff and Quarters AFL podcast, Lacy noted Fyfe isn’t the only premier midfielder to prioritise his offensive game.

“I would say (Fyfe’s) probably not alone,” Lacy said.

“We know Dustin Martin hasn’t laid a tackle in two weeks of football. The great midfielders often aren’t that great running the other way.

“And, by the way, he’s the only Fremantle player that got any coaches votes on the weekend.

“Are we a bit harsh? Are we a bit quick to judge Nat Fyfe? As part of his Brownlow speech he paid tribute to Nic Suban because part of Nic Suban’s job was to block for Nat Fyfe and basically do a defensive job for Nat Fyfe.

“Are you prepared to sacrifice that for everything he does the other way?”

The 27-year-old sits fourth in the AFL Coaches MVP award, having already earned best-on-ground honours for his performance against North Melbourne in round one.