Fremantle’s younger players will need to adapt to the demands of a travel heavy-schedule if they are to compete on a consistent basis, according to senior coach Ross Lyon.

Saturday’s match on the Gold Coast will be Freo’s ninth trip interstate for the season, but Lyon said travelling didn’t factor into how the team should perform.

“Good teams just go and win anywhere, and at the minute we’re a struggling team,” he said.

“This year we’ve got two Queensland trips, we’ve been to Launceston and we’ve been to Darwin.”

“Since I’ve been here this is the biggest travel schedule that I’ve experienced.

“That’s no excuse, but our young players have got to understand what they need to do to get themselves up.

“They get another opportunity to fine-tune their preparation, because that’s about mental toughness.”

Lyon said the team's experienced players were relishing the opportunity to help their younger teammates acclimatise when interstate.

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“Our leaders are really stepping up their mentoring of our younger players.”

“Sometimes it’s something as simple as [bringing] your own pillow to sleep on at the hotel.

“There’s little tricks of the trade like [not falling] asleep on the plane so that when you get there you sleep.

“Sometimes they’re discipline and preparation things, but they’re things you work through.

“They’ve all been through the challenges.”

Fremantle and Gold Coast have 28 injury-listed players between them, including two Brownlow medallists, two premiership players and six all-Australians.

But Lyon said injuries wouldn’t factor into his preparation.

“I didn’t get the scales out – I don’t weigh up what they’ve got out and what we’ve got out on any given day.”

“Regardless of who we play, we understand we’ve got some challenges.

“We’re more focusing on ourselves and we’re doing less on the opposition.”