North Melbourne meets Fremantle in a crucial game this Sunday. The Dockers arrive at Etihad Stadium in the midst of one of their best runs in club history with six wins in seven games leaving them on the cusp of a fourth finals appearance. A win against North will essentially seal the deal for some September action.

Under Ross Lyon, Fremantle's defence has slowly tightened up as the season has unfolded and it has resulted in some interesting scoring trends.

In the last seven weeks, there has been a total of 41 goals in the first quarter of Fremantle games, an average of almost six per game. However the numbers decrease considerably in the second quarter with the average dipping to a shade more than four per game.

It seems to indicate that while first quarters in Dockers games are relatively open, as the game goes on, they tighten up in the defensive half. Three of the last seven matches have resulted in the opposition having a goal-less second quarter while the Dockers have only scored a total of six goals themselves in the same period.

The floodgates open up again in third quarter and a total of 58 goals have been kicked in that term in the last seven weeks - a significant increase on the 41 in the first quarter and 30 in the second.

There is no such trend in North Melbourne's play over the course of the six-game winning streak. There is minimal difference in the attacking and defensive stats across its four quarters; a far cry from earlier in the season when the Roos’ second halves were poor.

Fremantle is second in the competition for marks per game at 95 and along with points conceded, it's a stat which has transferred across from Ross Lyon's time at St Kilda. Controlling possession in the defensive half is a trademark of any Lyon team, yet an area in which this team excels is contested possession.

The Saints would frequently hover around the middle of the pack in contested possession during Lyon's five years at the helm. However at 150 per game, Fremantle currently sits third in the AFL in the stat. It has become a strong contested side through a balanced contribution from multiple players all over the ground with no Docker in the AFL top 20.

Arguably one of the most under-rated players in the competition is Matt De Boer. In his fourth year, he is enjoying a breakout season and acts as the glue of sorts for the midfield. He's enjoying career-high averages in contested possessions, possessions, marks, clearances, goals and tackles.

De Boer's flexibility allows the likes of Stephen Hill, David Mundy and Michael Barlow to focus on their own game and results in the trio being more dangerous as a result.

When Lyon arrived at the club, Fremantle had a 10-match losing streak in Melbourne dating back to Round 13, 2010. It's quickly turned that around under his tenure with three wins out of four games this season. Wins over Richmond (MCG) and St Kilda (Etihad) were the most impressive, while a seven goal final term over Melbourne (Etihad) also showcased the side’s attacking wares.

Five years with St Kilda playing at Etihad Stadium means Lyon knows how to coach at the ground and his players seem to have adapted quickly as well. In previous years, North would go in as the heavy favourite simply due to the home ground advantage. It won't be the case this Sunday.