With the first month of the AFL season drawing to a close, narratives for all of the competition's 18 teams have begun to arise.

Whilst some are struggling and others are thriving, you can bet your bottom dollar that each of the league's list of polo shirt wearing pedagogues will still be desperate for improvement this weekend.

With this in mind, here are the key quandaries facing every AFL club ahead of Round 4.

Back
Next

Fremantle

Are they the AFL's biggest โ€˜Jekyll & Hyde' side?

With an unbeaten 2021 record at their craypot like haven in Perth and an inability to win after crossing the Western Australian border, the Fremantle Dockers have begun to earn the reputation of footballing agoraphobics.

Although this season's sample size could still fit in ones palm, the performance Justin Longmuir's men dished up against Carlton has done nothing to dispel the theory.

Since 2019, the Purple Haze have played 42 games of football. Of these contests, 19 have been home games in Perth for a record of 11-8. When looking at away games, this record sits at 6-17 from 23 starts.

Sure, Justin Longmuir has only been in charge of their list for 20 of these fixtured clashes, and sure, COVID-19 restrictions saw the Dockers play far more football away from their western abode than normal. However, in โ€˜J-Lo's tenure, the ledger still sits at 4-4 at home and 4-8 when asked to wear their clash strip.

These numbers are damning for a side that many feel should be breaking into the eight this year, and as they have another eight games fixtured away from Optus yet to complete, some alterations to their travelling mindset must be made.

Still, with the Hawks scheduled to fly to Perth this weekend, history suggests the purple portion of Perth will departing their home ground with smiles on Sunday evening.

If not, it only adds another layer to the club's Robert Louis Stevenson-esqe nature.

Back
Next