Two clubs that have been forced to confront that question come face-to-face at the SCG on Saturday afternoon when Essendon take on the Sydney Swans.
So far the Bombers have shown remarkable resilience in the wake of overwhelming scrutiny surrounding the ongoing ASADA investigation into their former supplement program.
Questions were being asked when a six-game winning streak to start the year was followed by consecutive losses to Geelong and the Brisbane Lions.
But the Bombers steadied the ship with last week's victory over Richmond that kept them firmly nestled in the top four.
Now the Swans will discover how they handle off-field adversity when they compete for the first time since Adam Goodes' double serve of racial vilification at the hands of a Collingwood fan and then the Collingwood president.
Goodes felt compelled to leave the MCG arena ahead of his teammates and with time still left on the clock after being called an ape by a member of the crowd last Friday night.
He was then said to be in a worse state following Eddie McGuire's remarks on radio on Wednesday morning.
Through absolutely no fault of his own, Goodes was subjected to a disrupted week and will have his every action dissected from the moment he runs out onto his beloved SCG.
The Swans expect the dual Brownlow medallist to play and insist the week hasn't distracted from their preparations for such an important game, but Hird says that off-field issues can take a toll.
"Whenever there's media swirling around your football club for reasons other than football, it does take your mind off it," he said on Friday.
"But how far that takes your mind off it, that will be something for the Swans to comment on."
Both Hird and Swans counterpart John Longmire have often wheeled out the phrase "we'll focus on what we can control".
That is coach speak for "we will train the players as normal and attempt to keep their minds on the game".
Goodes hasn't spoken publicly since addressing a media conference last Saturday, with the club doing its best to shield and support its highest-profile player through such a difficult time.
"I think footy clubs are pretty similar in their support for one of their own," Longmire said this week.
"Whether that's the Swans or any other club in the AFL or any other country football club, football clubs are great support networks.
"Ultimately you look at what you can do to help your teammates out, help your mate out, and then focus on the football and try to win."
But the question remains: do players carry their off-field worries into battle, or can they leave them all behind once that whistle blows?
A-League club Central Coast found itself in a form slump midway through last season that coincided with the players being paid late due to some financial constraints.
But it ultimately brought the players closer together and the Mariners would finish the year knocking off the favoured Western Sydney Wanderers in the Grand Final.
Back in 2004, Hird faced the issue head-on when he found himself under intense pressure for disparaging comments he made about former umpire Scott McLaren.
Those comments earned him a $20,000 fine, but three days later he was able to leave all the controversy behind and kick a famous match-winning goal in a best-on-ground effort against West Coast.
"When you're training and playing, your focus is on playing the game or trying to get better," Hird said.
"There's no doubt that you can put that (off-field stuff) out of your mind and play football.
"The football is the great part of your year.
"As a playing group, as a coaching group and as a football department, we look forward to these moments every week.
"It's the one time we get to focus fully on footy."
That scenario was in evidence this week when the smile returned to Goodes' face during the Swans' Thursday training session.
As intense as the glare must have been from a media presence that rivalled, and possibly surpassed, that seen at the SCG during last year's Grand Final week, it still couldn't reach over the boundary and touch him as he trained.
"His immediate focus is just on training and running around on the SCG, which he loves to do," Longmire said.
The Bombers have undoubtedly done an outstanding job on the field so far, considering their proximity to one of the biggest sporting controversies the country has seen.
But that resolve will continue to be questioned as the year unfolds, particularly when the ASADA investigation into their supplement program is completed and made public.
Tonight, it is the Swans' turn.
James Dampney is a reporter for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_JD
