Freo and the Lions - with Hawthorn also in the mix - certainly have claims to being the most injury-affected clubs this season and both are coming off disappointing losses at the weekend.
The Lions got within a kick of Richmond early in the final quarter only to be blown away, while Fremantle were horribly below par in an 89-point belting from Melbourne at the MCG.
Fremantle's horror injury run might be just starting to ease, with Michael Barlow making a successful return from a broken leg against the Demons and monster ruckman Aaron Sandilands (toe) facing a fitness test to be available this week.
Kepler Bradley (knee), Ryan Crowley (back) and Antoni Grover (adductor) were all victims from the Melbourne match and also face tests.
The Lions - already missing defenders Daniel Merrett, Jed Adcock and Brent Staker - lost Mitch Clark (ankle) and Todd Banfield (hamstring) last weekend.
The teams played in round one, and in a forgettable night for the Lions, they lost the match by two points and captain Jonathan Brown for eight weeks after he suffered facial fractures from an accidental knee from Luke McPharlin.
Forward scout
The club: Fremantle
2011 so far: Considering their injury list, Fremantle has done a remarkable job to remain in seventh place with a 6-6 record. Even with Barlow's return last week they're still missing regular starters Sandilands, Ballantyne (hamstring), Adam McPhee (knee), Anthony Morabito (knee), David Mundy (leg) and Nick Suban (leg), with Crowley, Bradley and Grover hopeful of not missing this week. They have been plugging the dam wall and won just two of their past seven matches.
The coach: Since taking over from Chris Connolly late in the 2007 season, Mark Harvey has gone about steadily improving Freo. In his early years he rebuilt the club with youth and after 6-16 seasons in both 2008 and 2009, saw the fruits of his development last year. Fremantle finished sixth with a 13-9 record and won a final against Hawthorn before bowing out against Geelong. Harvey is composed and refuses to make excuses for his team's inconsistent form this season.
The star: Six times All Australian, five times best and fairest and seven times club leading goalkicker - the stats don't lie, Matthew Pavlich is a superstar. Pav has excelled both deep in defence and deep in attack during his career, but with a firing Bradley and all of Fremantle's injuries this season he has played predominantly as a midfielder. He has a big body, is hard to move from a contest and is prepared to run forward.
The sleeper: There was much talk around the 2008 NAB AFL Draft when Fremantle took Stephen Hill at No.3 and left fellow Western Australian Daniel Rich to be snapped up by the Lions at No.7. Hill has certainly shown why Freo thought so highly of him in his 57 career matches. While still striving for consistency, Hill's run and penetrating left boot can open games up in the blink of an eye.
The young gun: In just his second season, Nat Fyfe is already getting the footy public to sit up and take notice. The Lions were on the receiving end in round one when he racked up 29 disposals and kicked a goal, and the 19-year-old has not looked back. Fyfe is good in tight and is an excellent overhead mark for his mid-sized (186cm) frame.
Strengths: Playing at Patersons Stadium is a four-goal head start for Freo. They play the big ground well and like to spread the ball quickly. The likes of Fyfe, Hill, Tendai Mzungu and Chris Mayne can hurt you with their speed. Countering quick teams has been a problem for the Lions in the past fortnight as they struggled to contain Carlton and Richmond, but is something they will need to overcome to defeat Fremantle.
Weaknesses: While injuries have a lot to do with it, Fremantle are having trouble putting a winning score on the board in the past month. With so much midfield talent missing, Pavlich has been forced to play in the middle, leaving a gaping hole up forward. Bradley missed last week and Ballantyne's productivity is sorely missed, which is just as well for a Lions defence that has also been decimating by injuries.
Michael Whiting covers Brisbane Lions news for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @mike_whiting
