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Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe injured a hamstring as the Dockers' winless start to the AFL season continued with a 13-point loss to Gold Coast.
A hamstring injury to dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe has compounded Fremantle's woes as they slumped to a 13-point AFL loss against Gold Coast on Saturday.
The winless Dockers are now 0-4 after the Suns claimed a 10.4 (64) to 8.3 (51) win in a fiery contest at Metricon Stadium.
Fyfe pulled up with just over five minutes to play in the third quarter and spent the rest of the match sitting on the bench with an ice pack on his right hamstring.
Deflated Dockers coach Justin Longmuir confirmed his captain will undergo scans on Monday and is set for a stint on the sidelines.
"He felt some tightness in his hamstring, the docs think he's got hopefully a low grade hamstring strain," Longmuir said.
"He's disappointed like all of us. Disappointed that we couldn't finish off the game the way we wanted to and obviously disappointed with his injury."
Whatever the outcome of the scans, Longmuir said Fyfe will remain with the team in their Queensland Hub to undergo rehab.
Without their captain, the Dockers couldn't overcome the in-form Suns who kicked two goals to none in the final term to notch their third straight win and move to second on the ladder.
First-year sensation Matt Rowell was again brilliant for the Suns, picking up 20 disposals and kicking two goals despite at times being marked tightly by Fyfe in the first half.
Ben Ainsworth also had two goals for the hosts, including a crucial right-foot snap in the final term which secured the win.
Touk Miller and star recruit Brandon Ellis also picked up 20 disposals while Jarrod Witts made the most of the Dockers' undermanned ruck division with 38 hitouts.
The win came despite some ill-discipline at times which kept allowing the Dockers to score cheap points, with Suns coach Stuart Dew admitting it was far from a flawless display.
"We're undisciplined tonight ... we don't want a repeat of that because that can cost you the game and I think it was four 50-metre penalties, and we don't want that to be us at all," Dew said.
"All of us who were frustrated need to be able to contain it and remain composed but yeah, it was pleasing that there was frustration, but we're still able to, when the game is on the line, get over the line."
Brett Bewley kicked two goals for the Dockers as did Michael Walters, while Darcy Tucker had 20 disposals and Jesse Hogan was more influential in his second match back in the AFL after his long absence.
Neither team kicked a behind in the opening half, the first time in VFL/AFL history that has occurred.
The Suns looked like they'd kicked clear after a five-goal run midway through the second term, but the Dockers were maximising their forward entries, kicking six goals straight from 13 inside 50s in the opening two quarters.
Both teams engaged in a wild melee as they made their way off at halftime, which is likely to result in several players copping up fines to the AFL and left Dockers' forward Matthew Taberner shirtless as he went into the sheds.
The teams were locked up at 50-all at third quarter time but goals in the final term to Jack Lukosius and Ainsworth were enough to secure the win.
Gold Coast travel to Geelong next weekend in their first away fixture of the season while the Dockers stay at Metricon Stadium to play Adelaide.