Gab Rossi is back for another year at The Mongrel. Here are his takeaways forom Round One.
- IS IT REALLY WORTH PERSISTING WITH OPENING ROUND?
The concept of an opening round featuring four games a week before the rest of the competition plays, was introduced in 2024 and was heralded as a resounding success by the AFL, although the fans might’ve had a different take. You more or less had to wait until Round 7 last year to get a clear picture on how the ladder stood as far as how your team was going. It might seem a minor issue, but with the byes throughout the year, it always does make the ladder look messy, but at least there was just that three week period where the bye rounds were clumped together that things looked a little confusing. Last year, opening round threw up more anomalies for a longer period, and now we’re faced with two postponed games due to panic caused by a cyclone in Queensland. When the team from Tasmania enter the competition, it’s only going to get worse!
The AFL are clearly trying to step in on any ground taken by the NRL starting a week earlier, and that’s why they play those opening games in the heartland states of Queensland and New South Wales. But seriously, if you’re going to open up proceedings a week early, why pass over the heartland states for the AFL? It just seems odd that the league is so focused on those two states for that one week. A true opening round should probably feature nine games, and each state should have at least one game happening that week. So, with that in mind, we could just start the season a week earlier than normal and call it Round One!
Maybe a mid year break could make up the extra week? Or they could play 24 games for premiership points instead? Why not? The AFL snuck in the 23rd game a few years back without any consultation. It just kind of happened. Whatever the case, Opening Round in its current form is a bit of a non-event in my humble opinion.
- BABY TIGERS EXPOSE SOFT UNDERBELLY OF THE BLUES
Some had Carlton contending for finals, while others weren’t so sure. Many suggested Richmond would be all but certain wooden-spooners, some even going so far as to predict a winless season. We can put the latter to bed as they already notched up their first win of the year after trailing by 41 points midway through the second term. From that point on makes for very poor viewing for Blues fans. Supposedly seasoned professionals missing easy targets by foot and grassing handballs to opponents just a few metres away happened with monotonous regularity. Some of it can be put down to the pressure placed on them by a spirited and clearly more determined young Tigers outfit. But sadly, a lot of it was just plain old dumb football at a level which puts any prospect of the Blues contending this year in the dumpster, not to mention the coach being a chance to see out this season.
The possibility of Voss being moved on hinges on what happens in the next three weeks. You would think the Hawks will be too good for Carlton this week, and if the Blues lose to the Dogs and Pies to find themselves 0-4 to begin the year, you can bet that the club may have 100,000 members all screaming for blood.
What a brilliant result for Adem Yze. People labelled his rebuild as ambitious and questioned if he’d survive it. There’s still a lot of work to do, but one thing that was clear was that his players were playing for him and they ran out the game looking quicker and cleaner than their bumbling opponents. Sam Lalor was excellent on debut and it seems he’s ready-made at this level. Taranto and Ross both got plenty of the ball. Richmond will have ups and downs this season, but they’ve already shown enough to ensure they’re not taken easy, moving forward.
As for Carlton, it might be time to make some changes to a team that seems riddled with players who will remain in the side despite performing poorly. Carlton fans have run out of patience and will expect to see some serious action from the selection committee.
- FAST STARTING HAWKS SIMPLY TOO CLASSY FOR BOMBERS
Hawthorn have picked up from where they left off in 2024. After their poor start to last season, they’ve probably had the most wins of any side in the competition since, and now they’ve won in Sydney before defeating a determined Essendon team after opening up a 27 point lead at quarter time and keeping them at arm’s length for the entire match to eventually win by 26 points in a solid performance.
Essendon came at them time and again, but could never really get the margin below three goals. Hawthorn always had the answers with a spread of goalkickers amongst their small forwards in Moore, Watson, Hardwick and Ginnivan who kicked ten goals between them. Sam Mitchell has put together the team he wanted and he’s got them playing in a style that could take them all the way. It was a very professional performance that saw them challenged, but as good sides do, the Hawks had all the answers. It’s hard to see them losing to Carlton next week, so a 3-0 start would be an ideal way to kick off their 2025 campaign.
The Bombers showed a lot for the last three quarters, after being soundly beaten in the first term when Hawthorn kicked six unanswered goals. As the game wore on, they were far more competitive and did put some pressure on the Hawks. They never gave up but just came up against a team that, at this stage, seems likely to feature in September. Jye Caldwell was Essendon’s best with 36 touches and a goal in a performance that sets him up to be a premier midfielder of the competition. Zach Merrett worked hard with 26 touches and two goals. Overall, there were a few positives for the Bombers who come up against the Crows in Melbourne next week. We’ll certainly have a better idea of where they’re at after Round 2. It’s an absolute must win if they want to rise up the ladder into finals contention this year.
Many have the Bombers missing out, but on what we saw against the Hawks, they’re not all bad. It’s games like next week where they simply have to win, and then there’s the latter part of the season where they’ve struggled in recent times. That’s the challenge facing the Bombers, and I’ll be keeping an open mind for now, at least.
- THE CATS DON’T KNOW HOW TO BOTTOM OUT
There’s an obvious reason why the Geelong Football Club can attract gun players from other clubs, and that’s the fact that the prospect of playing finals and contending for a flag is a likelihood almost every year. Last season they were just a kick away from playing off in a Grand Final. In the off-season they picked up a young star by the name of Bailey Smith from the Bulldogs who was arguably best afield in their big win over the Dockers on Saturday, and opposition supporters can only look on with envy as they continue to stay relevant.
It was a dominant first half which saw the lead get out to as much as ten goals before the Dockers fought back in the third term sparked by first gamer, Murphy Reid, who had a four-goal burst in ten minutes announcing his arrival in the AFL. The lead at the final break was a precarious 21 points, with many thinking that the Dockers were about to pull off their biggest comeback in their short AFL history. The Cats were having none of that, and they turned on the afterburners in the final term with a scintillating ten goal to one quarter with the final margin being a 78-point thumping.
For the Cats, Jeremy Cameron kicked four goals with three each going to Ollie Henry and Tyson Stengle. Bailey Smith enjoyed his first game with the club finishing with 32 possessions and applying his usual dash that he was known for in his Bulldog days. Sam De Koning looks like being somewhere back to his best after an indifferent 2024 season. He had 25 touches and even managed a goal from his defensive post. All in all it looks like, once again, the Cats will be a force to reckoned with this year.
Even though the Dockers might often travel poorly in this competition, many scribes believe that Fremantle will make September action this year so the win by Geelong is to be taken seriously. I’ve already mentioned the heroics of young Murphy Reid who for ten minutes must’ve been thinking that this AFL caper isn’t all that hard after all. The loss would be a concern to Longmuir and Company because despite the midfield dominating the possession numbers, the final margin was ugly. The Cats take on St Kilda next week at Marvel Stadium and I suspect they’ll pick up their second win of the year. Meanwhile the Dockers will be home to a desperate Swans who have lost their opening two games of the season. A lot hangs on this games for both teams, and who will win that is anybody’s guess.
- TOUGH DRAW FOR SYDNEY MIGHT SEE THEM SLIDE
Heading to the SCG usually meant a loss was more likely than not, but Sydney have now lost their opening two games at home, albeit against two teams who look likely to be right in the mix for premiership glory. And now they’re faced with a trip to Perth to take on the Dockers who will be keen to redeem themselves after their big loss to the Cats and who also perform considerably better in front of their home crowd.
The prospect of being 0-3 is real with possibly some respite in Round 4 against the Kangaroos. Then it’s on to the Pies at the MCG. It’s a daunting task to get back into contention after a 1-4 start. One has to wonder how much of a detrimental effect the insipid Grand Final performance and subsequent change in coaches has had on this group, but they’re clearly no longer the world beaters they were in the first half of 2024. A quick look at the stats from this game shows a fairly even set of numbers as you’d expect in a close contest, and although Heeney and Warner were solid, kicking two goals apiece, 23 and 20 disposals respectively suggest they were held back from breaking the game open. The Swans are still lacking a genuine spearhead forward with Amartey only managing two behinds from eight touches.
Brisbane would be pleased to walk away with the victory. They conceded the first four goals of the game before settling into a rhythm that saw them take the lead in the third quarter with six goals to two. Zac Bailey booted four goals for the Lions in a matchwinning display. His value to that side cannot be underestimated. And Dayne Zorko is still among Brisbane’s best despite turning 36 in February. He scored two goals from his 24 touches and already looks set for another big season.
Brisbane should be too good for the West Coast Eagles at the GABBA next week. The following round sees them take on the dangerous Cats at home. If they can get over that one, then it should be followed by a win on the road against the young Tigers. A 4-0 start would be the perfect way to begin a premiership defence, and looking at the Lions so far, there’s nothing there to suggest any sort of hangover.
- FEEBLE PORT ADELAIDE WITH THEIR BIGGEST LOSS UNDER HINKLEY
After Collingwood’s poor showing in the opening round against the Giants, some would’ve tipped Port Adelaide despite being played at the MCG. Collingwood looked old and slow against a strong looking GWS outfit. Prize recruit Jack Lukosius opened the scoring early in the match in what some thought may signal a Power onslaught, but it wasn’t to be. Jack himself was barely sighted after that finishing with a modest 11 touches and not really having much of an impact. It might seem unfair to single him out as he had plenty of mates who were deemed absent for most of the night. With the exception of the skipper in Rozee (35 disposals) and Horne-Francis (25 disposals), nobody else managed 20 or more.
It was a dark night for the Power who endured their biggest loss under Hinkley, and one can only imagine how he’d be feeling right now after such a loss while knowing he’s gone come the end of the season, regardless of where they finish. Port get a crack at the young Tigers at home next week. Hopefully, for Hinkley’s sake, they don’t do a Carlton and do the unthinkable in front of their home crowd.
The Pies were heavily criticised during the week following on from their dismal display in Western Sydney last week. Tim Membrey had a game he’d rather forget in the opening round, but with three goals by quarter time, Saturday night seemed a lot brighter. He finished with four for the night and, for now at least, the decision to bring in a 30 year old was vindicated. In fact, all three taller forward options hit the scoreboard with Mihocek and McStay both finishing with three apiece. Steele Sidebottom also fought back from an ordinary first game versus the Giants finishing with 31 touches and a goal. Former Port defender Dam Houston was a thorn in the side for his old team. He slotted nicely into the Magpie defence and had a very solid 27 touches.
Looking ahead, Collingwood face the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium. With the players missing from the Bulldogs line-up, Collingwood may go into this game as favourites. A win there and their Opening Round loss will be a distant memory.
- NORTH MELBOURNE WERE COMPETITIVE, BUT STILL CAN’T FIND A WIN
There is no doubt North Melbourne are improving, but all it seems to mean right now is that they remain in some games for longer than before and their losing margin has decreased. However, the fact is they are still losing, and until they can rack up some W’s, they’re destined to remain in that bottom echelon of teams on the ladder. The Dogs were still able to control proceedings despite some significant absentees. In the end it was a reasonably comfortable 16-point win with the Kangaroos continually challenging without ever taking the lead. Full forward Nick Larkey staked his claim for a Coleman Medal booting five majors while Paul Curtis finished with three in the last quarter to keep his side in touch. Sheezel and Simpkin both had 30 or more possessions while former Doggie Caleb Daniel had 24 touches against his old team.
North desperately need to find a way to win a game. Once they start winning the odd game, it will result in more wins, like it’s contagious. Their next few weeks won’t be easy starting with Melbourne, Adelaide away and then Sydney. But after that they’re home to the Suns and then it’s a Good Friday clash with the hapless Carlton. After six rounds, the Kangaroos might just have one or two on the board.
Many have written off the Bulldogs for this year, but this was a losable game, so fans should take heart in the fact they got the job done. And who knows? Things just might get better as players return from the sidelines. Having their skipper missing is definitely a blow, but with Richards, Liberatore and Dale running around, they’re still going to see plenty of the ball, and if Naughton can kick his three or four goals each week, they might just be OK. Vandermeer joined Naughton, scoring three goals and looked lively. The Bulldogs have a crunch match against Collingwood next week. It all depends on which Collingwood turns up. But, for now, Bevo can breathe a little easier, because a loss to the Kangaroos would’ve seen a lot of pressure come to bear on the embattled coach. Questions have been raised over the handling of Ugle-Hagan as well as the mediocrity of the past few seasons. I suspect every loss will weigh heavily on his prospects moving forward.
- THE SAINTS MIGHT BE IN FOR A LONG YEAR
Ross Lyon must know that he has one hell of a challenge to get St Kilda back into contention. Although one gets the impression that the Crows will put away quite a few sides on their home deck this year, a ten goal plus drubbing was probably not what Lyon was hoping for. The Crows scored at will against a side noted for being able to defend better than most. Fogarty booted four goals and no doubt the Adelaide faithful are hoping he can finally deliver on the promise he has shown. Crouch, Soligo and Laird were all busy through the middle, while Izak Rankine hit the scoreboard twice from his 28 possessions. If Rankine can stay fit it will go a long way towards helping the Crows climb into the eight. Nicks will be pleased with this performance, but it needs to be backed up next week against the Bombers in Melbourne. A poor showing on the road will possibly suggest not a lot has changed from their past two years under Nicks.
As for the Saints, former Bulldog Macrae enjoyed 34 touches in his first outing for his new team, while Wanganeen-Milera continued his consistent form from last year with 27 touches. There were injuries during the match with the big one being Rohan Marshall who I’m sure the club would want back ASAP. Wanganeen-Milera and Hill also went off later in the game which adds to their already lengthy injury list which includes the likes of Max King, Mitch Owens, Howard and Phillipou. As if it wasn’t going to be a tough season already, now Lyon and his team will be looking to enter their next encounter against the rampant Cats with around seven or eight of their best 22 unavailable. It was already looking like a tough year for the Saints, but now it’s looking as though it might be even harder than we thought.
- LACHIE KEEFFE IS A TRUE SURVIVOR
Set to be delisted at the end of the 2024 season, the club thought better of it and handed Lachie Keeffe one more year as a reserve ruckman to the more fancied Briggs. In a game that would’ve seen him lower his colours to Max Gawn which is hardly cause for embarrassment, Keeffe had his moment when in the final minute of play he kicked truly from 40 metres with a wet ball to put his side three points ahead and secure the four points against an unlucky Melbourne side who lead for most of the second half of the game. It was a fairytale moment for Keeffe who has endured a lot of ups and downs in his career, and you can see the players all knew what it meant to him.
The Giants have started the season with two wins and look set to once again be a part of finals action and hopefully redeem their straight sets exit from last season. Toby Greene is finding form again. He kicked three goals from 23 touches, as did the evergreen Coniglio. Green, Whitfield and Callaghan all got over 30 touches with young Callaghan already showing signs of being among the most improved in the competition. It’s looking pretty good for the Giants, and they get a week off to refresh.
Melbourne have lost a few close ones in recent memory. It might start being a psychological issue as the frequency of these results rises. They’d spent most of the match stopping the orange tsunami from occurring, but in that last two minutes from a kick in, the Giants finally broke the game open and were quick enough from coast to coast to deliver to Keeffe, who had found some space. Max Gawn could only look on and even after playing as well as ever will probably feel somewhat responsible for the loss.
It was good to see Petracca back in good health finishing with two goals from 27 touches. Viney and Oliver were solid but the GWS midfield are proving themselves to be elite and hard to beat. It was one I’m sure Melbourne feel they have let slip, and after last year’s failed campaign. I’m sure they will be hurting. One gets the feeling the Demons will come out and take their frustrations out on the Kangaroos next week, but the Roos won’t give in easily. Melbourne will still have to be somewhere near their best. But there’s no doubt in my mind that this loss will hurt them for a while to come.
- IS THIS THE YEAR THE SUNS PLAY FINALS?
I know it’s just the Eagles. I realise it’s only Round One, too. But that was a pretty impressive demolition of a side trying to fight their way back into relevance on their home deck in front of their parochial fans. We can talk about how disappointing the Eagles may still be and how they will still find themselves at the wrong end of the ladder by year’s end, but one gets the distinct impression that Hardwick has now got them playing the way he wants them too, and let’s not forget his buddy Dan Rioli has joined the club in what was an impressive debut in the red and gold.
Appointing Noah Anderson as captain might be a stroke of genius too. Not only did he elevate himself to finish with 36 possessions, but his best buddy in Matt Rowell also got leather poisoning with 30 touches of his own. Jarrod Witts dominated the ruck and everything looks to be humming along nicely for the Suns who enjoyed an 87 point victory on the road. Ben King booted a career best six goals and it might just be his year for Coleman honours if all goes well for the big man.
The Eagles suffered a few injuries that probably didn’t help, but the scope of this loss is something new coach McQualter wasn’t fully prepared for. All of a sudden, a difficult task becomes a huge hill to climb and for a coach in his first term as coach, there’s nothing worse than finding yourself without a maiden win several games into the season. Jake Waterman looks set to miss a few weeks with a calf strain after booting a couple goals. Only Graham and Baker for the Eagles were able to get more than 20 touches in a game totally dominated by the away team.
West Coast showed a few glimpses last year. But at this stage it does look as though they might be heading for a season that might see them contending for the wooden spoon again.
