Alright, folks.

You should all know the drill by now.

There are 18 teams playing in nine games this weekend, and because nothing in this life is either perfect or complete, we here at Zero Hanger still believe each of these aforesaid combatants still come with a raft of question marks.

So, before the second month of the regular season draws to a close on Sunday evening, we have sought to answer each club's most pressing queries ahead of Round 8 of the AFL season.

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Brisbane

How important is Sunday evening?

Having strung together three straight victories since their patchy 1-3 start to the season, the Lions have both flown under the radar and claimed a place in the eight ahead of Round 9.

With their re-scheduled clash against Fremantle now taking place in the familiar surrounds of Woolloongabba, tipsters are currently expecting another win for the home team.

Still, just how important are the four points up for grabs on Sunday?

Succinctly, a fourth consecutive win for Chris Fagan’s pride this weekend is far more vital than some may have anticipated.

Should the Lions add another link to their chain – something Stats Insider gives them a better than eight in 10 chance of completing – then it not only consolidates their finals chances, but it also allows for breathing space between them and the ‘also rans’ hovering around the eight – the Dockers included.

Should their streak be halted at three, then the door remains open for further weeks in which they could feasibly be hopscotching between the final's dividing line.

However, a loss – unless it is seriously percentage denting – is unlikely to have warning klaxons sounding, as the league’s only merged club currently holds a better than 70% chance of returning to the finals in 2021 and their run home is ranked as the fourth easiest of any side in the league.

Despite this ace up the sleeve, you can bet your bottom dollar that Fagan will be desperate to keep it creased under his cuff for a rainy day further down the track.

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