For Fremantle to take home the four points on Sunday, they will need to come out firing against Brisbane at Optus Stadium, according to Ed Langdon.
The midfielder said the team has discussed minimising any impact of starting slowly on their return from the bye, with a number of AFL teams struggling this season after a week off.
Fremantle kept Carlton goalless in the opening half following the Blues’ 15-day break and Freo is wary of any similar effect on Sunday.
Freo won’t be the only team targeting a big first term with the Lions looking to rectify their slow starts.
The Lions have lost every opening term this season, averaging 14.5 points less than their opponents in the first quarter.
Conversely, Fremantle has won nine of their 13 opening terms scoring an average of 5.7 more points than their opponents.
While Freo has a history of starting strongly, the Lions finish well - winning seven final terms compared to Freo’s three.
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“It’s probably more the mental side of it. The first quarter is where teams can get blown out after the bye because they haven’t played and are off one or two per cent,” Langdon said.
“We’re training really hard this week and had a good session on Wednesday and everyone seemed up and about so it’s all positive.”
Langdon said it was beneficial for Fremantle to go into the bye on a mini-winning streak, with Freo chasing their third consecutive win on Sunday.
The game is Freo’s first of six remaining at Optus Stadium this season with only three more games to come interstate.
“Coming off two really strong weeks into the break, it’s been really positive for the whole footy club and the fans,” Langdon said.
“We’ve played well all year at Optus Stadium. It seems to suit our game plan pretty well and it certainly helps when it’s filled with Freo fans.
“It’s a really good opportunity, especially this week coming off the bye, to continue that form and win a few more games.”
