The Roar
The Roar

AFL
Advertisement

JOHNNO: Is a round one win really that important?

Expert
26th March, 2013
5

When a dozen wins in an AFL season could mean making the top eight, obviously every one is important. But some observers put round one performances on a par with finals.

Win round one and it is obviously a massive kick-start to your year.

You bank four valuable points, your supporters get first bragging rights on Monday at work, club memberships will be helped along, and the players will feel validated that the months of hard slog over summer were well and truly worth it.

Does that mean that a loss is the end of your season? Of course not, though it does mean that the pressure rises because as a team you just want to get off the mark.

But the effect really depends on where your team is at in terms of development and recent success.

Teams confident in their list, their direction, and their own core strength will shrug off a loss, just as they will accept a win with equanimity.

Those sides are playing the long game, and looking at the entire campaign to be played out over a year.

Those sides that have struggled more recently are intensely eager for signs that they’ve finally turned the corner, that this is their last year in the purgatory of ‘development’ or ‘reconstruction’. They want to be contenders.

Advertisement

A bad loss can be enough to crush such a team’s confidence, make them feel their effort has been wasted, and see them spiral for a few games to follow. No doubt some slides have begun as early as round one.

But equally, for such teams, a couple of early wins can cause problems.

Almost every season we see one or two emerging teams get off to a flier, think they are firmly at the top of the league, then get brought down with a crash over the next few weeks.

That can knock the stuffing out of a side more than an early loss or two.

Overall, players and teams as a whole have to do what Rudyard Kipling suggested: “meet with Triumph and Disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same.”

As a confident and mature side, you’ll take what lessons you can out of the match you’ve played, without letting the result affect you either way.

With Essendon and Fremantle getting that immensely satisfying first victory over the weekend, I look to the end of this week as round one continues.

Advertisement

There are a number of teams that a victory would do so much for.

On Thursday night against Carlton, the Tigers would love to start well, as recent history shows us that the Blues have dominated this traditional round one fixture, and often the Tigers have battled to get going afterwards.

The Bulldogs are at home to NAB Cup premiers the Brisbane Lions. In front of the faithful the Dogs need a victory to show improvement from last year, and prove to themselves, the fans, and the competition that they will be able to compete with the middle-range teams.

The Saints need the perfect start in a potential danger game versus the Gold Coast Suns at Metricon Stadium.

Both the Demons and Port Adelaide would dearly love four points in the kitty after dire recent seasons. The desperation for these two teams to get win number one notched early will be intense.

That desire will also be intense for the Kangaroos as they face the Pies. But if the Roos do win then you doubt the Pies will be so concerned.

The same will apply for the loser out of the Hawks and the Cats, as they continue their recent rivalry, and it also applies for West Coast after they went down to Freo.

Advertisement

The desperation to witness victory in the first game of the year really depends on context.

Winners get the start they want, but lose and you are only a week away from victory.

As important as it might seem to get off to the perfect start, round one results are rarely remembered come season’s end.

close