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AFL displays the need, the need for speed

27th March, 2017
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Adelaide remains the league's leading force. (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)
Expert
27th March, 2017
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Round 1 of the AFL season was all about speed, and not the kind that West Coast players indulged in during the mid-2000s.

Carlton had beaten Richmond often enough off the back of the speedy trio Eddie Betts, Jeff Garlett and Chris Yarran going back some years to when the Blues used to have a functioning forward-line, but the season opener kicked off with Richmond’s three quick small forwards playing key roles.

Daniel Rioli, Jason Castagna and debutant Dan Butler, with 23 games experience between them, combined for 49 disposals and six goals for the Tigers, and while their tackle count was a seemingly minimal nine, the pressure they exerted was worth triple that.

Richmond has made a lot of noise about a new gameplan that can see them rise up the ladder, and speed in the forward line is clearly a key plank of it.

Jason Johannisen continued on his Norm Smith Medal-winning form, with 30 disposals and two goals, once again breaking the game open for his Dogs with his pace, angles and ability to run the lines. His rebound was critical given how dominated the Bulldogs were at stoppages.

Scott Pendlebury, who uses speed of mind as his main asset, was best-on-ground in a losing side, but Johannisen was next behind him. Marcus Bontempelli is the Bulldogs biggest weapon, yes, but Johannisen is the BrahMos missile.

Orazio Fantasia is arguably Essendon’s quickest player, and opened the clash against Hawthorn with a goal in the opening two minutes. He was to add three more goals across the night, and was a winning difference in a match where his opposite number for Hawthorn, Cyril Rioli, had no impact on proceedings.

Anyone thinking the game might be going passed an older and slower Hawthorn was certainly vindicated on Saturday night, as the youthful vitality of Fantasia, Zac Merrett, Darcy Parish, Andrew McGrath, and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti ran rings around their counterparts, complementing the more seasoned Dyson Heppell, Jobe Watson and Brendon Goddard.

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Andrew McGrath Essendon Bombers AFL 2017

Adelaide gazumped GWS with their blitzkrieg running and swarming through the middle, effectively beating the Giants at their own game.

Charlie Cameron had a career game with 23 touches, six tackles and a couple of goals among five scoring shots. His speed was evident not just in open space where he has made his name, but also inside the contest where he dominated with eight clearances and 14 contested possessions.

One of the things that made Chris Judd such a champion of the game was his ability to either hit a stoppage at pace, or explode away at speed from a stationary position, all the while getting his timing right to be where the ball was. Cameron has those attributes, and may just be ready to display them regularly now in his fourth year, turning 23 later on this season.

Round 1 is always exciting. Everything is fresh. We get to see new teams, new players, new styles. There are so many storylines going in, and even more coming out.

This year, we saw higher scores than usual. Eight of the winning sides topped 100 points. Brisbane, the other, finished on 98. The nine losing teams still averaged over 12 goals per game. The footy was fast and flying. Run was the order of the day on fast decks the unseasonably warm weather had produced.

Maverick and Goose had it right, all those years ago.

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