The finale to Opening Round saw the Saints host the Magpies in front of St Kilda’s largest-ever home-and-away crowd.
Alas, the occasion proved too much for the Saints, as did the pressure of the Magpies, who owned the footy, controlled the tempo, and stood up in defence to repel every St Kilda attack.
Interestingly, Ross Lyon opted not to send a tag to Nick Daicos. He also took the opportunity to play Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera forward for a lot of the evening, where he was introduced to Harry Perryman. It was a big test for Big Wang, who now has a big target on his back, given the way his 2025 season played out.
Daicos ended with 41, and his brother added 36 off half-back, whilst Wanganeen-Milera managed just 19.
It is bound to be a talking point.
So, with that in mind, let’s jump into The Mongrel’s Big Questions from the Pies’ big win over the Saints to kick off the season.
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Oh… a Mongrel paywall… the worst of all paywalls. We’re all in on the 2026 AFL season. Player articles, stats, awards, game coverage. Dump the mainstream lip service and dive into articles like this – you will never look back. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I consider it your loss as we get into the grind of the season, and you’re stuck with the stuff that’s frustrated you for years.
