MONDAY 16 MARCH

There are advantages to this new working environment. In our morning media team conference on Facebook messenger, one of our video guys Scott is changing a nappy from home. He has twins aged one as well as a three year old.

Britt, Brett and I are ensconced downstairs in the depths of the football department and our manager Kasey is talking to us from upstairs, but she might as well be on the moon. We’re probably only sitting 15 metres away from her – separated by flooring – but it could be months until we talk face-to-face.

Day 1 in the football department - comms team meeting #foreverfreo pic.twitter.com/Ts4zX0Nooq — Tom Fee (@thomfee) March 16, 2020

Later we make the most of our newly awarded ‘football department’ status and head into the 11.30am player meeting.

Peter Bell gives a strong message about this being a great chance to test the club’s culture. It’s about clear communication, having care and empathy for others, accepting and rolling with the inevitable changes.

The first change is finding out we’re moving.

Our AFLW team has returned from the east coast, and unlike the boys, they have day jobs and don’t have the luxury of being able to self-isolate.

The AFL contingent are heading to Optus Stadium for the week where the team can further reduce the circle of people they’re in contact with.

In the changerooms, it’s…well, it would give a freshly-stocked toilet paper aisle at Coles a run for its money as the players run about and pack their things.

What struck me most was just how many boots the players have. Think of a ridiculous number of boots for a player to have and double it. That’s how many they have.

I decide to make myself useful and man the doors. Their hands are full and it’s good for hygiene. It also means I can get some nuggets of info.

Rory Lobb jokes about feeling like he’s been delisted.

Connor Blakely comments about how good coronavirus has been for small talk. “It’s the new bringing up the weather.”

I chat to Lloyd Meek, his parents have just cancelled a trip to Perth to see him later this month. He’s chasing a debut this season but isn’t sure how he’ll get game time at Peel with the WAFL being suspended.

It might be weird for the boys, but the girls are pulling their hair out.

Brett relays a conversation he’s had with Hayley Miller.

After going three goals down on Sunday, the girls used the unknown to spur them on, focusing on the fact that this could be their last game this season and they wanted to stay unbeaten.

Hayley’s also concerned they won’t have the chance to play for a result after putting so much work into the season. And if they do get a result, it will come with an asterisk.

We have work to do, which is almost impossible. With no face-to-face contact, we’re constantly distracted by even more emails, more phone calls, more teleconferences.

Meanwhile, the ASX is down 10 per cent and I keep getting texts from friends and family about whether the season is going ahead.

The media team signs off the day with another group call. Working from home is already testing us.

“I’m thinking about getting a cat,” jokes Meg, our brand and marketing coordinator.

“Scott’s got three children, just take one of them” was the response.

TUESDAY 17 MARCH

The players are off today so it should be a quiet one. We’ve been ordered to move out by 3pm, so we’re gone before the AFLW players get in.

It’s eerie downstairs. If no-one’s there, the lights turn off automatically until someone walks by. Everywhere you go it’s dark, empty and you’re always the one setting off the light sensors.

Our AFLW podcast with ‘Hayley and Sez’ is due to be recorded, but we can’t be there to help with the recording.

Fortunately, Brett had already been coaching our ruck Mim Strom to run the show. Mim’s just started a communications degree at uni and has been volunteering with us. With her expertise, we can keep the show alive.

More than a ruck - Mim Strom working the controls for the podcast. (Pic Hayley Miller)

It’s 3pm and I’m about to leave, I’m just about to head to the players lounge to wash out a lunch container.

I notice the lights are on in the corridors. Someone is here. I open the door and there’s Sarah Garstone, two days after successfully making her debut. She’s here early for the podcast.

I keep my distance but throw as many compliments as I can her way for her efforts at the weekend. What a weird time to make your debut. Sarah was riding high after predicting Laura Pugh would kick her first goal on the podcast the week prior.

All packed up, Brett and I head out. The Cockburn ARC is uncharacteristically quiet. And, unexpectedly, it’s absolutely bucketing down outside. I get drenched as I roll my filing cabinet out to the car.

Reece Conca and his puppy Albus still squeezing in a bit of training on his day off ?? ?? #foreverfreo pic.twitter.com/loO05SzvUL — Fremantle Dockers (@freodockers) March 17, 2020

WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH

Another day, another new location. This time at Optus Stadium.

Both Belly and Justin Longmuir kindly invited us into the team selection meeting.

Team selection involves all the coaches and Bell. It starts with JL putting his preferred team up on a PowerPoint. Due to there being no game the weekend prior, this team's lineup had already been discussed for days by the coaches, so there was almost instantaneous unanimous agreement.

I quickly eye over the team to see if there’s any big ins. Sam Sturt will debut, Caleb Serong will have to wait another day as an emergency. James Aish will play his first game for Freo.

The big concern surrounds whether one player will get through training later that morning. A few names are thrown up as potential replacements.

Next is the team meeting. We get to stay. I’m standing in the aisle at the back and Nat Fyfe sits nearby and pulls out his notebook. If I strain my eyes I get to read the notes of the Brownlow Medallist. Cool.

At this point, I feel like this is all fascinating but also pointless. I’m doubtful the season will go ahead and find it hard to put myself in the mindset of travelling and working this weekend. I wonder if the players are feeling the same way.

JL obviously realises this and attacks the issue head on. He really is the most polite human, but when he’s talking footy with the boys, the occasional F bomb creeps in. We watch a video. JL tells an analogy. Before I know it, I’m fired the F up for football this weekend. I’m desperate to see the boys take on the Bombers. Bring it on.

Being in team meeting has its advantages. Suddenly all of the complicated terms I hear from the boys at training make sense. I overhear Joel Hamling on the sidelines talking to a young player about one of JL’s concepts.

At training Luke Ryan asks between drills if he’ll get a banner for his 50th game.

It takes an incredible amount of work to make a banner (shoutout to the banner team) and an army to hold it up on game day – just not possible in this environment.

He jokes he might have to make one and hold it up for himself.

The rest of the day we are torn between two realities.

At some point, the AFL will announce one of two scenarios. We’re playing, or we’re not. We have to prepare for both.

While almost everyone is talking about the ‘if’ we play, I notice JL is always talking about the ‘when’. He wants to keep the players in the mindset that the game is on.

He calls us into the changerooms and announces Sam Sturt’s debut. The room erupts. For one moment, we all forget about the ‘if’ and just enjoy seeing a young man’s dreams come true

As the waiting continues, JL finds a way to pass the time. "I might do some pushups" he says, as he busts out 50 of them no worries.

Push-ups to pass the time while we wait... ?? #foreverfreo pic.twitter.com/uEipDrxMMn — Fremantle Dockers (@freodockers) March 18, 2020

Later, much later, the AFL finally calls a media conference. Alex Pearce is the only player left in the stadium as we wait around a TV for Gill McLachlan.

Alex breaks the news before Gill has the chance. The AFLPA sent out an email. Game on.

I text the group chat. “We’re on”. They start to roll out Plan A. We prepare to announce Sam Sturt’s debut.

The AFLW team finds out the home and away season has been cut short and finals are starting immediately, but they won’t know who they’re playing until tomorrow – two days before their game.

That night, Andy Brayshaw sends through a whole bunch of videos from home of his dinner preparations with housemates Luke Valente and Stefan Giro. It’s hilarious. It’s just us dipping our toes into the content we want to provide our fans so they can feel connected despite being unable to attend games.

See how the boys are faring at home while on lockdown ?? #foreverfreo pic.twitter.com/OlDUIPt8gM — Fremantle Dockers (@freodockers) March 18, 2020

Footy might still be on this weekend, but everyone is talking about how the fans won’t be there. How much easier it will be now to be the away team. How weird it will be doing a set shot without having that one fan to aim at. Travis Colyer remarks that a ground with no fans ruins your depth perception, making it more difficult to judge hitting a player on the lead.

He also expects the banter with his former teammates to be at another level with no fans there to drown them out.

Most of all, it’s about wanting to play to give those at home something else to think about.