Eleventh placed Fremantle face third placed Geelong at Simonds Stadium.

Here are some of the key stats and stories heading into Sunday’s game.

The bye
The jury is still out on whether returning from a bye is a help or a hindrance but there’s no doubt that Freo were flat coming off a six day break in their round 12 loss to Brisbane. Geelong has also been afforded extra rest after their trip West to face the Eagles in round 13, coming off a 10-day break since their clash on Thursday 15 June.

Simonds Stadium
Simonds Stadium has been a home fortress for Geelong, losing just six games in six and a half years under senior coach Chris Scott. Freo has two wins in their past three visits to the venue, with the loss coming via a two-point heartbreaker in round 20, 2014.

Fourth quarters
The bulk of Freo’s six wins in 2017 have come on the back of a strong final term, but Geelong remain the strongest finisher in the league. Geelong average 34.75 points in the final term, which is the highest of any team in any quarter in the AFL this season.

Hand not foot
Geelong have made a point of moving the ball by hand in 2017, averaging 191.7 handballs per game (4th in AFL) compared to 130 kicks per game (17th in AFL). Led by Patrick Dangerfield, who averages 17.8 handballs per game, Geelong have used the handball to move the ball around at stoppages. According to Champion Data, Geelong use a handball to exit a stoppage 60.3 per cent of the time, the second highest in the AFL.

The ins
Both teams are expecting some significant inclusions for Sunday’s game. Tom Hawkins, who kicked three goals against Freo in round one, returns from suspension while Mark Blicavs is expected to return after being rested against West Coast.
Freo could see up to three players return from injury. Ed Langdon is the most likely inclusion after missing alternate games during the Freo’s past four games while Hayden Ballantyne (hamstring) is available to be selected for his first game in 2017.
The most crucial inclusion could be Aaron Sandilands, who has missed Freo’s past three games. A final decision on Sandilands is expected to me made after Friday’s training session, with young ruckman Sean Darcy a chance to make his debut if Sandilands is not included.