Fremantle defender Luke McPharlin says he has fronted his teammates to explain the public half-time spray he delivered last week.
With the Dockers struggling to shake off a dogged Brisbane at a wet Domain Stadium, McPharlin criticised his team's preparation for the match.
"We were wasteful," McPharlin said on TV as he walked off the ground at half-time.
"It goes down to poor preparation going into the game. We really need to have a look at that.
"Mayney (Chris Mayne) missed that crucial one and some stupid free kicks as well have cost (us) going against, so we'll have to get to work."
Fremantle went on to win the match by 36 points after unleashing a seven-goal blitz in the final quarter.
McPharlin said his comments centred around "a few poor and undisciplined acts" he saw some teammates commit on the field, rather than anything more sinister.
But in hindsight, he wished he made the comments internally instead.
"I clarified it to the player group today," McPharlin said on Wednesday.
"I felt that it certainly wasn't the time to make those comments.
"These are the chats and the conversations we have daily inside these four walls.
"Coming off the ground at half time is a bit of whirlwind situation and you have just played a half of football."
McPharlin will notch his 250-game milestone on Sunday when he lines up against Hawthorn in Launceston.
But if it wasn't for the hard work of Dockers physio Jeff Boyle, McPharlin's career could have been over a decade ago.
"Jeff seemed to be well ahead of the game in terms of his understanding of osteitis pubis, which was the condition I had back in the day," the 33-year-old said.
"Thankfully I haven't missed a game with that condition since.
"He's been instrumental in my career and I owe a lot to him.
"He was concerned I wouldn't get to 50 games. So to get to 250 has certainly exceeded his and my expectations."
McPharlin played 12 games for Hawthorn before crossing to the Dockers at the end of 2001.
Fremantle sit two games clear on top of the table, but McPharlin said the third-placed Hawks are still the benchmark after they won back-to-back flags last year.
"They've achieved so much in the last few years, and we haven't achieved anything," McPharlin said.
"They're the team to beat.
"We know they've got class players across all their zones across the field, great leadership and well coached, and well drilled, so they present an enormous challenge to us."
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