By TazKat -
March 17th 2010 @ 2:04am
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Life returns to normal as AFL finally kicks off
What a long summer it has been without footy. It seems an eternity since the gladiators of Sleepy Hollow and Moorabbin gave us that unforgettable arm wrestle last September.
The non-stop drenching of cricket, and the circus that accompanies it, has worn thin. A large portion of the country is breathing a massive sigh, indicating that AFL is well and truly back.
Oh yes, it’s an exciting time sports fans.
Supercoach and Dreamteam nerds are working double overtime, while the shattered fans of last year are buying new team merchandise to replace the gear that was incinerated following the 2009 debacle.
The final siren of the NAB Cup is like an angel singing to footy fans. Round one is around the corner. Guernseys can once again be worn to work.
The uncomfortable six month silence at smoko is washed away by constructive “footy talk”.
The wife goes from happy to not so happy, as she prepares to ask you “is the footy on tonight”, every Friday for the next six months.
Pure bliss, I tell you.
By now we are completely over the fancy salad diet we’ve been trying. It’s such a relief to welcome back the pies and beer.
It’s been too long. Up there Cazaly!



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![ANZ Stadium is draining the lifeblood out of rugby league one game at a time. There cannot be a worse venue to watch rugby league and in some perverse form of torture fans are being forced to turn up to the godless place with greater and greater frequency. To be precise it is 34 times [...] Steve Kaless: ANZ Stadium: The temple without a soul](http://cdn0.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/hazem-el-masri-th.jpg)
![The hype surrounding the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda is justified considering how close they got last year and their NAB Cup form. But what about the other side to finish top four and back it up with a strong pre-season? If recent weeks are anything to go by, Collingwood deserve to be placed right up [...] Michael DiFabrizio: Why can’t Collingwood win the flag?](http://cdn0.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/luke-ball-th.jpg)
![Last night on the Footy Show, it became clear that there are no winners in Jason Akermanis’ sacking. The often controversial and always outspoken Akermanis came out swinging and certainly landed a couple decent blows along the way. In the end, though, it wasn’t the Bulldogs or Gary Lyon, or anyone else for that matter, [...] Justin Rodski: Akermanis remains defiant until the bitter end](http://cdn0.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/jason-akermanis-bulldogs-th.jpg)
![The actor Peter Ustinov, a wit and a tennis tragic, watched Monica Seles grunting her way to a victory at Wimbledon and with a sniffy hauteur said to a friend: ‘I’d hate to be be in the hotel room next door on her wedding night.’ Forget about wedding nights when grunting and groaning are presumably legitimate [...] Spiro Zavos: Take the grunt out of tennis](http://cdn0.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/maria-sharapova-grunts-th.jpg)
![Carlos Spencer said it, and I believe it. Super 14 crowds are nothing compared to what they used to be. Once upon a time, the Super 14 was one of the hottest tickets in town, particularly in Sydney which is its biggest Australian market. But crowds in the Super 14 are falling away, to the point [...] Andrew Logan: Who’s to blame for falling Super 14 crowds?](http://cdn0.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/waratahs-berrick-barnes-th.jpg)
![Wednesday’s State of Origin rugby league match, which drew over 66,000 spectators at ANZ Stadium in Homebush, gave me an idea: why not have an annual State of Origin cricket match between NSW and Queensland? Then I backpedaled. These two teams play each other twice in a season attracting a “grand” attendance of less than 2,500 [...] Kersi Meher-Homji: Let’s have a State of Origin clash in cricket](http://cdn0.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/ipl-mutant-symonds-th.jpg)
![I don’t get the Melbourne Cup. Or what’s become at least. I appreciate it as a sporting contest – something that has been long debated – with a storied history intrinsically linked to Australian culture. But what is it really about? I’m not condemning the event. Anything that has survived since 1861 must be [...] Adrian Musolino: The contradiction that is the Melbourne Cup](http://cdn0.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/contradiction-melbourne-cup-shocking-brown-th.jpg)
![Despite a season of on-field struggle, A-League cellar-dwellers Adelaide United have managed to retain excellent attendances this campaign with an average home crowd of almost 11,000. So I decided to ask Reds Chief Executive Officer Sam Ciccarello how they’ve done it. To emphasise the point of their success, throughout this A-League campaign only the populous centres [...] Ben Somerford: Why are bottom-club Adelaide’s crowds so good?](http://cdn0.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/adelaide-united-th.jpg)
![Yesterday’s news that the Western Bulldogs will be seeking two home games at Basin Reserve in the New Zealand city of Wellington, possibly as early as next year, is a positive for the game. I touched on the topic of teams expanding beyond their existing support bases earlier in the week, and this is a great [...] Michael DiFabrizio: The Western Bulldogs in Wellington is a great idea](http://cdn0.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/western-bulldogs-th.jpg)
![That was one of the most disappointing Socceroos performances in recent memory. Far from being a result we can take some comfort from (in that it’s getting Australia a step closer to South Africa 2010), it’s actually highlighted how dangerous the gambit of what I would call containment is becoming for our national team looking [...] Jesse Fink: Is South Africa 2010 a road to nowhere?](http://cdn0.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/mark-bresciano-soccaroos-th.jpg)
![Netball is now following in the footsteps of cricket and rugby in providing a shorter version of the game, which will hopefully excite existing netball fans and grab the attention of new ones. Between October 9-11, a new World Netball Series will take place in Manchester, featuring the top six netballing countries: Australia, New Zealand, [...] Natalie Medhurst: World Netball Series may fizz without crowd support](http://cdn0.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/nat-medhurst-th.jpg)
![If we assume the 2018 World Cup is destined for Europe, as FIFA have all but confirmed, then 2022 is shaping up as a battle between Australia and the USA – a David and Goliath battle, according to Goliath. US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati, representing Goliath, laid out a list of reasons why [...] Adrian Musolino: Australia faces a colossus in its bid for 2022 World Cup](http://cdn0.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/despite-indifference-soccer-beckham-th.jpg)






James said | March 17th 2010 @ 11:59am | Report comment
Can’t wait. Just a shame the battle for the wooden spoon is first up with Tigers V Carlton
Redb said | March 17th 2010 @ 12:04pm | Report comment
yeah
although it’s likely to be more competitive this year. The Blues have no Judd or Fev.
The game of the first round is definitely Western Bulldogs v Collingwood – this promises to be an unbeleivable game.
James said | March 17th 2010 @ 12:08pm | Report comment
As a Tigers supporter I left the G last year pretty disgusted (not for the first time)! We got torn to shreds that night (didn’t help that Cousins’ hammie tore to shreds too).
Looking forward to Cats V Bombers to see where the Cats are at after a slow start in the preseason.
Redb said | March 17th 2010 @ 12:12pm | Report comment
The Cats have us by our after burners I’m afraid.
I’m not expecting a huge turnaround, I dont know whether its becuase Mark Thompson use to play with the Bombers, but the Cats really seem to fire up against us.
We have improved against most teams, Geelong is not one of them. I hope I’m wrong.
p.s. Brisbane v West Coast looms as a very good game also.
JamesP said | March 17th 2010 @ 9:34pm | Report comment
also sydney v st kilda. on paper it looks like an easy victory to st kilda….but contests between these
two are always tough. last 2 times they met saints won by a solitary point each time…
Dogz R Barkn said | March 17th 2010 @ 12:13pm | Report comment
The start of any footy season (of any code) is always an exciting time: so much hope, so much optimism, everyone starts equal, etc, etc
Does anyone remember that League ad with Thomas Kenneally? (excuse my spelling if I’ve got it wrong) Did you get that ad in the Southern states? Great sentiment – applicable across the board.
Redb said | March 17th 2010 @ 12:15pm | Report comment
I can’t remember a more anticipated AFL season.
James said | March 17th 2010 @ 12:20pm | Report comment
Thanks to the depth at the top end.
Hawks, Saints, Cats, Dogs all have genuine chances at the flag. Lions are the darkhorses for mine.
Redb said | March 17th 2010 @ 12:24pm | Report comment
Not to mention Collingwood and Adelaide.
Dogz R Barkn said | March 17th 2010 @ 12:25pm | Report comment
And I note the Pies have been talking themselves up!!
Redb said | March 17th 2010 @ 12:29pm | Report comment
Jolly and Ball are very handy pickups.
James said | March 17th 2010 @ 12:30pm | Report comment
I keep forgetting the Pies (probably cause I hope they bomb).
As for Adelaide, let’s wait an see. Pretty awful preseason and Van Berlo looks in a bit of trouble with his back.
PS: Just finished my Supercoach team. Managed to squeeze in Ablett, Franklin, Bateman, Brown, Gibbs, Hall, Chapman! Quality!
Redb said | March 17th 2010 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
Dustin Martin is the best tip I’ve heard but lets keep that quiet.
Adelaide are stronger than people think, they were slow starters in 09 as well.