Fremantle is only treading water.

The Dockers’ greatest player, Matthew Pavlich, retired at the end of 2016.

Aaron Sandilands is 36 and leaves a big hole to fill when he isn’t fit, which is too often. He played just 26 off a possible 66 games in the past three years.

It’s not too late to sign up for tipping and Pick 7 fantasy! There’s great weekly cash prizes and the automatic chance to win a Mazda BT-50... Register to play The Game tipping and fantasy today!

David Mundy and Stephen Hill are club stalwarts but they can’t go on for ever. So that leaves questions over the bona fide abilities of Michael Walters and captain Nat Fyfe.

Don't miss the latest sports news! Was $13 now $7 per week for 12 weeks* (Digital + Print) Enjoy unlimited access to thewest.com.au and everyday digital editions on any device. Thursday - Monday papers home delivered with all of the latest footy news! *T&Cs apply

Walters has been outstanding, but I have reservations about whether Fyfe can be the complete player Fremantle needs him to be to lead them out of the wilderness.

I like to think that players prioritise their lives to get maximum results for the club. But when your captain chooses to play AFLX and THEN have elbow surgery, I become suspicious about where his loyalties and priorities lie. I would think Ross Lyon would have been fuming at that decision.

Side note: what is AFLX anyway?

Fyfe is excellent one-on-one, he is productive at stoppages, but he is deplorable in his defensive work. When his opponent spreads they know they can get him because he has little interest in working hard the “other” way. He too often makes the wrong choice with his disposals, and the team needs him to finish off by scoring goals when he has easy shots.

Camera Icon Nat Fyfe needs to improve several aspects of his game, says Mick Malthouse. Credit: Getty Images

Jesse Hogan is another mystery. With Melbourne, his great stamina gave him licence to wander out of the forward line.

But the Dockers will need him to be one of two focal points closer to the goal square. He has recognised issues that will not be easy to overcome. The football world should be encouraging and supporting him.

Fremantle’s depth is far from significant when it comes to making an assault on the eight.

Depth and consistency will hurt most clubs this year because there are not enough great players to fill all the ranks, so an ounce of luck injury-wise will be needed.

It’s only round one, but today’s matches could very well be season-defining for the six clubs involved.

St Kilda continues to shoot itself in the foot.

Think back to 2015 when Collingwood put talented, but injury-prone midfielder Nathan Freeman on the trade table after exhausting all avenues to get him on the park.

Play Video Ross Lyon announced to the team that the first year player would make his Dockers debut in their opening game against North Melbourne. The West Australian Video Ross Lyon announced to the team that the first year player would make his Dockers debut in their opening game against North Melbourne.

I can only assume the Saints sought expert advice on whether they could do more than Collingwood — with all the resources and facilities it has — to have him fit enough to debut and string some games together.

Through no fault of his own, that failed to happen, and after just two AFL games Freeman was delisted last year.

I really feel for the kid, but I do wonder what the recruiters at St Kilda are thinking when they again take on a player who was let go because his club could no longer get the best out of him.

Sydney knew Dan Hannebery had issues. They knew that he had been blessed with talent, but lacked speed and played a physical game which had taken its toll on his body.

Hannebery will not only NOT start the season for them, but one has to wonder just how many games he will play over his five-year contract, and more importantly, how well he will play when he does.

Gold Coast resides in a foreign AFL environment. The Suns’ playing list has been torn apart and their bones picked clean by scavengers wanting the best deal for themselves. As a result, a club that was supposed to be a highly competitive finals prospect has never finished higher than 12th in its eight seasons.

I feel for both coaches for different reasons. Alan Richardson begins the season on the back foot with a long list of injuries and outs, and Stuart Dew is left to virtually start over with what remains of his team.

Play Video Port Adelaide utility Jack Watts gave an emotional post match interview after the Power's upset win over Melbourne The West Australian Video Port Adelaide utility Jack Watts gave an emotional post match interview after the Power's upset win over Melbourne

Today’s clash is a battle to avoid the wooden spoon. One team will come away with an invaluable four points, while one will come away with nothing but the prospect of a long, long year.

Victorian clubs haven’t exactly spared Greater Western Sydney either. The Giants knew that salary cap advantages would have to be trimmed and they would eventually be forced to sacrifice talent. The more astute clubs had those players inked in years ago.

The club’s injury curse seems never ending.

The Giants don’t seem to know if they want to be a very defensive team or an all-out attacking side. They blow big leads, or at other times get hammered early and show no resistance. They’ve played finals every year since 2016, but the preliminary final against the Bulldogs was perhaps the one that got away.

For all their talent, the player pool below the 15th or 16th player is borderline good enough, which creates a juggling act for coach Leon Cameron and the match committee because against the best opposition these players are exposed.

Jeremy Cameron, Stephen Coniglio, Callan Ward, Toby Greene, Josh Kelly, Phil Davis and Heath Shaw can’t do it all on their own, and the wonderful depth this club once had is now playing elsewhere.

I fear the time has come and gone for GWS. Hopefully it doesn’t end up like Gold Coast.

You get the impression Essendon has been a wonderful side for a long time, but the reality is that it hasn’t won a final since 2004.

The Bombers are star studded and John Worsfold has done a great job in getting the team back on an even keel since the disaster of the drug scandal, so how can we continue to support the theory that the club is scarred by what took place many years ago now?

The significance of today’s game is not just the four points, but what direction the clubs are heading in.

With enviable manpower there are so many questions to be answered. How many goals will Jeremy Cameron need to kick? Can Tom Bellchambers hold down the ruck? Will Toby Greene stand up? Can Joe Daniher get fit and stay fit?

There is no doubt that this needs to be an action year for both GWS and Essendon.

North Melbourne was unlucky not to make the finals last year.

North will again have an impact on the top eight and should squeeze into the September mix.

As much as it chased and missed out on some big names, its recruiting has been good, securing Jared Polec and Jasper Pittard, both needed for their speed off the backline. It will need Ben Brown to be as productive as last year (61 goals from 22 games) and more assistance for him across the ground will be required, given that Jarrad Waite, a good foil, has retired.

The Kangaroos rely heavily on their wonderful captain Jack Ziebell and Shaun Higgins, but North has a team of goers and will collect some big scalps this season. Twelve wins should be enough to make the final eight.

Of the six sides I have mentioned today I have the most faith in North Melbourne making the eight, because of its consistency.

Today is a big day, but for three sides, tomorrow will be even bigger.