If you look at the regular home and away season, I think you'll find that there would be a slight bias in win rate for all teams. However, some of the perceptions are:
* Umpiring: All stadiums have their favourite umpires and they tend to umpire according to their own style. For example, one club's standard defensive style is very much a double team full court press with plenty of active reaching. At their home stadium, the umpires get used to this style and so tend to give tolerance to minor contact. At other stadiums, some umpires penalise any contact. It is easier to call a foul on a player you don't see week in week out.
* Rest Period: With any carnival, there are gaps in the programme. If you live 10 mins from the stadium, you can go home, refresh, rest. No, how about those Mavs players For example, if you live in Mt Barker and have a 10 am game at Port and then a 3 pm at Hillcrest, you are likely to hang around the big smoke, go to a park, run around etc. Therefore, you are not as refreshed as some other teams. Fortunately, Wayville has Sexpo this weekend, so parents can entertain themselves between games, and then later that evening.
* Rise time: If you have a 9 am game at a stadium 10 mins away, then you can sleep until 8 am, dress and get to the stadium at 8:30 am. What about if you are a Centrals player in the Barossa Valley, or a Mavs player from Murray Bridge and playing at Morphett Vale at 9 am. These players have to allow up to 2 hrs for travel time, so in order to get to Morphett Vale at 9 am need to wake about 6 am to dress and then drive to the stadium.
* Road Travel: A 10 min car trip from Unley along 40 km/hr roads is always a lot calmer than a 45 min freeway trip from Stirling along a 100 km/hr freeway dodging semis. The number of near misses I see are incredible.
* Confidence: Playing at a familiar ground always gives a player confidence.
I am sure there are more, but this for discussion starters.
