RAMPANT skill errors against the Western Bulldogs ensured a heavy Fremantle loss on Sunday night, but Garrick Ibbotson says the side is better than the 63-point margin suggests.

Missed shots also played a part in the 25.7 (157) to 13.16 (94) loss at Subiaco Oval, but Ibbotson said turnovers cost Fremantle the game.

"We're a better side than what we actually were today," Ibbotson said after the game.

"It's obviously disappointing the way the game turned out, but I think a lot of it was just our turnovers.

"We've just got to work on that during training and try and fix that real quick."

Fremantle conceded 18 goals from turnovers as the Bulldogs' highly-skilled midfield fed on Fremantle's wayward rebound from defence.

Ibbotson said with defenders now running hard up the ground to help work the ball through midfield zones, turnovers off half-back were going to be even more damaging, particularly in the corridor.

"We struggled up the corridor a little bit, and if you go through the corridor a turnover is going to be costly," he said.

"It's an easy way home for the opposition and that's what happened to us today.

"Run off half-back is really important and on the flipside of that if you make a mistake or an error it's really going to hurt you.

"Because you've got half-backs running up the field, if there's a mistake they're out of the play because the ball's passed them already."

Amazingly, Fremantle had more inside 50s than the Bulldogs (51-49) and as late as the 24-minute mark of the third quarter was just 16 points behind.

But the side failed to capitalise on its momentum, booting 5.7 for the term.

Luke McPharlin, Matthew Pavlich, Paul Hasleby and Josh Head all missed gettable chances, while at the other end the Bulldogs were clinical.

"The Bulldogs were amazing in front of goal today," Ibbotson said.

"And that's what happens if you convert goals, it makes it a lot easier to win the game. That's what the Western Bulldogs did to us.

"We did the opposite. We scored a lot of points, we wasted opportunities in front of goal and it cost us in the end."

Ibbotson said the versatile Paul Duffield and midfielder Brett Peake played good running games off half-back and through the midfield, while Stephen Hill and Nic Suban would be better for their tough initiations to AFL footy.

Both debutants kicked a goal – Hill with his first kick – but were otherwise quiet.

"They'll get better as they go along, and the more games they play they'll get more confidence and more authority to take on the game," Ibbotson said.