The difference between Fremantle’s start to 2016 in comparison to last season is stark. It has been forensically examined on a weekly basis by all sections of the football landscape, on the back of the Dockers starting the season winless after nine rounds, compared to their 9-0 start to 2015.

But whilst the difference has been stark, Ross Lyon’s side has been decimated by injuries, with a handful of star players missing large chunks of football, including their most prized possession in 2015 Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe (broken leg), as well as four-time All Australian ruckman Aaron Sandilands (punctured lung), captain David Mundy (calf), off-season acquisition Harley Bennell (calf), key defenders Michael Johnson (hamstring), Alex Silvagni (calf) and now Alex Pearce (broken leg).

Fate has not been kind to the Dockers this season, that’s for certain. But a closer look at their last month shows that the West Australians have lost to some pretty tough opposition. Last week they went down to a rebounding Richmond at Domain Stadium, before that Hawthorn in Tasmania, Greater Western Sydney and Adelaide. Much like the casualty toll, the fixture hasn’t been kind for Fremantle.

The loss of Sandilands and Fyfe has crippled the Dockers around the ball. After being the No. 1 ranked team in the competition last year for contested possession differential (now ranked 13^th), hitouts differential (10^th), hitouts to advantage differential (12^th), clearances differential (12^th)and third for scores from clearances (14^th) and fourth for inside 50 differential (14^th), the Dockers have significantly dropped.

In defence, Fremantle has gone from being one of the premier defensive units in the AFL, conceding the fourth least points against last season (71.6 points per game), to conceding the fourth most this season (101.8 points). Whilst the absence of class in the midfield has been a big contributor, the retirement of Luke McPharlin has been felt greater by injuries to Johnson, Silvagni and now to Pearce, who broke his leg last Saturday night and will miss the remainder of the season.

But whilst collectively the numbers are bleak across the opening nine rounds of 2016, Lachie Neale has shone like a beacon. In the absence of Fyfe and without a number of regular midfielders who have been sent back to Peel Thunder, the South Australian ball magnet has been brilliant and has a maiden All Australian guernsey in his sights.

Michael Barlow is one midfielder Lyon has dropped a couple of times this season, but the 28-year-old returns this weekend on the back of some serious leather poisoning in the WAFL. The Victorian collected 39 possessions a fortnight ago and then backed that up with 44 touches, 13 tackles and three goals in the wet last weekend.

Fremantle’s struggles inside 50 have been widely documented this season with the Dockers lacking key targets in attack. After nine rounds, Fremantle is ranked No. 16 for points for (69.7 points), with Matthew Pavlich accounting for ten goals so far. Livewire forwards Michael Walters (17 goals) and Hayden Ballantyne (13 goals) have been damaging at times from limited opportunities.

Injury and form has provided chances for youngsters to gain exposure to senior football, with Lachie Weller, Connor Blakely, Ed Langdon and Ethan Hughes all playing at the minute. Blakely gathered 22 touches in the loss to Richmond last weekend, whilst former first-round pick Weller has played all nine games this year.

Star:

Lachie Neale’s contract status has dominated discussion in the West all year long, and will continue to, given the blistering form the midfielder is in. The small midfielder has been in All Australian form this season, averaging more than two disposals more than any other player in the game (33.7). Neale is also ranked No. 2 for contested possessions (16.9) behind West Coast Brownlow medallist Matt Priddis. In a year where the blowtorch has burned brightly in Perth, Neale’s form has been the shining light. He was considered unlucky to miss All Australian selection last year after being included in the initial 40-man squad. If he continues this form he should be a lock.

Fresh face:

Fremantle’s injury woes haven’t only plagued their best players, they have also wiped out some of their most recent draftees with Shane Yarran and Harley Balic missing large chunks of football. In defence, mature-age recruit Sam Collins is set for his debut as the Dockers desperately need defensive key posts to cover the loss of Johnson, Silvagni and Pearce. The Box Hill Hawks product has played nine games for Peel this season and will debut on one of St Kilda’s young key forwards.