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Have you taken a breath yet? The players were certainly struggling for them at different stages during a high-intensity Round 1 of AFL football that was often times exhilarating in its execution.
The talk around town during the off-season was of clubs looking to adopt the attacking attitudes, if not the game styles, of Hawthorn and Port for 2015, or at least mimic them to the extent that the player groups at each respective club could handle.
Fast footy was going to be on the menu this season, and we saw the evidence of it immediately over the weekend.
Instantly playing on after a mark or free kick was very much to the fore. 45-degree kicks inboard, which are the most effective in breaking the lines, were commonplace.
Melbourne was almost unwatchable at times last year despite, or perhaps because of, Paul Roos adding more defensive steel to their game plan. With over a third of the side represented by players making their debut for the club, including noted runner Heritier Lumumba and speedster Jeff Garlett, the Demons were bold and thrilling in style, piecing together electrifying passages of play.
It didn’t hurt that they had the much anticipated Jesse Hogan as a focal point up forward. He took four contested marks on his own in his first AFL game. Essendon as a team only took two. The Dogs took five. Even Port only took six.
Adelaide left North shell-shocked with the ferocity of their attack on the ball, and the swift manner of their execution. In fact, execution is the right word. It was as brutal and efficient as a mob hit.
Every Crow player had his head on a swivel whenever winning the ball in a mark or free-kick situation.
Saving three or four seconds when making a decision with ball in hand is critical on a football field. An AFL player can cover 25 to 30 metres in that time to cover off a man or guard the space in front of a dangerous leading option.
It’s reasonable to assume the Crows have been trained and coached to attune themselves to every quick movement opportunity, and save those valuable seconds. Phil Walsh has had an impact.
Of course, we saw sides play themselves on into trouble by acting first and thinking later, but this is no bad thing. Better to learn on the run than not to try it at all.
Being quick of mind is what allows you to be quick of hand or foot, and we need look no further than Hawthorn for the perfect balance.
Hawks players are ever aware of what’s around them before the ball comes their way, and teammates are already moving into position up ahead of the immediate play, because they are all masters at reading what’s going to unfold. This allows them to only need a split second to assess what’s happening around them once the ball arrives, and then make the right decision in this time.
Awareness is one of the most important skills in football. We marvel at the likes of Gary Ablett and Scott Pendlebury when they effortlessly display it. Hawthorn has a team full of those blessed with it.
It will be an even more important trait from this point on, with the new rule change allowing players less time to dispose of the ball once they’ve had an opportunity. Across the weekend we saw many players take on one tackler, but get nailed by a second, losing the ball and costing their team.
Fast footy is what we want, and it looks like fast footy is what we’ll get.
But this isn’t just about speed by foot, racing on top of the ground. More important is speed of mind.
And from the look of it, it will be yet another area that Hawthorn will gain a competitive advantage over the competition. And that is a scary thought.