Fremantle co-vice-captain Caleb Serong has highlighted the inconsistency of the season as a pain point for both the playing and coaching group, and that an all-in buy-in from the players is needed for a more connected brand of football.

Serong said accountability was key, and that the team needs to get back to playing connected team football after the disappointing loss to the Saints on Friday night.

“We need to get back to playing team football. That’s the reality,” Serong said.

“It’s not specifically one thing.

“We're analysing everything. We're looking at it all - from a player leadership point of view, from a playing group point of view, and from a holistic leadership point of view.”

Beaten in multiple areas across the ground by the Saints, Serong said that returning to a team-first brand of football with a united approach would allow the team’s best football to resurface.

"I think the roles and the dedication to the game plan and the team will allow the talent to come out more,” Serong said.

“A big part is the way we defend. There’s decision-making around where we want to make team decisions that are predictable to each other - whether that’s squeezing or holding.

“Whether those are conscious decisions or just how the game (on Friday) was being played, we got hit between the eyes early and kind of lost that decision-making from a team perspective.

“There are a lot of those little micro-decisions that, if you look at them on tape it’s easy to say, ‘that wasn’t a team decision.’

“At the moment, there probably hasn’t been 100 per cent buy-in across the board, and I think that’s probably not allowing us to really bring that talent out to show.

“It wasn’t any individual's fault. It was a team thing - many of us didn’t get our roles done, and when that happens, you’re going to get the kind of results Friday night dished up.”

When asked about the accountability of the loss sitting with senior coach Justin Longmuir, Serong was strong in his view that it was “hard to cop” given the underwhelming team performance.

“It's on us to respond and make sure we're the ones going out there and playing the game plan he’s set up for us, because it’s a winning game plan in my opinion,” Serong said.

“We just haven’t played it consistently enough, and that’s on us.”

Fremantle backline coach Jade Rawlings voiced a similar sentiment when speaking on SEN WA with Tim Gossage and Adam Simpson on Monday morning.

“I think, from the Freo supporter’s point of view, they can rightfully expect more consistent competing from our group - and that’s on all of us, not just JL (Justin Longmuir). It’s on all of us as a Club," Rawlings said.

“That’s what leaders get employed to do - stand up in the face of adversity, and I believe our coach does.”

Fremantle will now face second-placed Collingwood at Optus Stadium on Thursday night as part of the Club’s annual Purple Hands Foundation Game.