Subiaco Oval has long been referred to in the AFL as 'The House of Pain' for visiting teams.

But while there has been plenty of pain at Subiaco in 2008, this time it has been the two home clubs - West Coast and Fremantle - that have been feeling it.

The decline of the Eagles and the Dockers has been the biggest surprise of the 2008 season - coming just two years after the Eagles won the flag and the Dockers produced their greatest ever season in reaching the preliminary final in that same season.

In fact had the Dockers beaten Sydney in the preliminary final that season, the competition would have had its first grand final featuring the Eagles and the Dockers.

Now, less than two years later, the two clubs have won just four of 30 matches between them and are locked in a battle for this year's wooden spoon with Melbourne.

And in the process, as Sportal can reveal, the two Western Australian club's aura of invincibility at Subiaco has been shattered.

Discounting derby games between the two, the stats reveal the Eagles won just two of seven matches at Subiaco this year while the Dockers have won just one of seven.

In stark contrast in the fortress days of 2006 - again discounting derby games - the Eagles won 10 of 12 at home while the Dockers won nine of 11.

To put into context just how hard it has been for visiting sides to win at Subiaco until this year, the Eagles at one stage won 20 matches in a row there across the 2004 and 2005 seasons while the Dockers won 18 of 23 during a period covering 2006 and 2007.

But this year the Eagles in particular have not just been beaten on home soil, they have been humiliated in a way that not even those that thought John Worsfold's team would come back to the field following the loss of Chris Judd and Ben Cousins could imagine.

In five defeats this year their average losing margin at Subiaco is nearly 10 goals - including a record 135-point loss to Geelong in Round 13 and last week's 77-point mauling from last year's wooden spooners Richmond. In 2006 the Eagles average winning margin at Subiaco was nearly 10 goals.

And while Fremantle has been far more competitive at home than the Eagles this season - an average losing margin of just 19 points - the only visiting team they have beaten at Subiaco this year was the Kangaroos in Round 12.

Again this compares to an average winning margin of 38 points across nine victories there against visiting teams in 2006.

If you have any more doubts that Subiaco has indeed now become 'The House of Pain' for the home clubs rather than the visiting clubs - consider the following:

*Richmond had suffered nine losses in a row from 2002-07 but has won this year's two games by a total of 141 points.

*Carlton lost 11 in a row from 2002-07 but beat the Eagles there by 37 points in round seven.

*Hawthorn won just one of seven from 2002-07 but beat Fremantle in Round 2.

*Geelong lost six in a row from 2002-05 but has now won its past four, including handing the Eagles their biggest home defeat ever in round 13.

*And Essendon won just one of nine from 2002-07