- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The opening weekend of the AFL season saw some great match-ups that made for intriguing pre-match discussion.
Plenty of questions were being asked about both the Collingwood v Fremantle and the Carlton v Port Adelaide games prior to weekend action at Etihad Stadium. All are finals aspirants this season and a fast start early in the season can set up your campaign long before Round 23.
Fremantle made a statement when they dismantled Collingwood last Friday night by 70 points. They showed pre-season form means nothing and that being driven by a grand final defeat could be the catalyst that sees them go a step further in 2014.
Collingwood on the other hand left their supporters wondering what exactly just happened after a very strong start with relentless pressure saw them rattle Fremantle early on.
Many wondered whether Port Adelaide could match their stunning 2013 season again this year.
They showed grit, determination and fantastic fitness to run all over the top of Carlton. Port Adelaide looked determined to take the next step and got their season off to a great start.
Carlton left their supporters wondering if they are getting closer or further away from the elusive “premiership window”.
I don’t believe that the results of either Friday or Sunday were completely unexpected, however you can always rely on the Victorian football media to talk up traditional powerhouse clubs with a better than even chance to win their fixtures.
The greater interest to me of this opening half of Round 1 was the Saturday fixtures – GWS v Sydney and Gold Coast v Richmond.
The Saturday results would have left plenty of people, experts and tipsters alike, with a couple wrong and scratching their heads as to what exactly happened.
We saw a couple of underdogs beat the favourites who are expected to be involved in September action this year.
GWS v Sydney (Spotless Stadium)
GWS opened their season at their home ground, Spotless Stadium, against their cross-town rival the Sydney Swans.
The general consensus was that GWS would show an improved performance due to getting another pre-season training load into their youngsters.
Word was that their experienced recruits in Shane Mumford, Heath Shaw, Josh Hunt and Dylan Addison would provide some much needed experience and extra muscle to a very young side on the day.
The Swans went big during the trade window last year to secure Lance “Buddy” Franklin on a huge contract and are widely regarded as a premiership favourite.
They have a solid backline lead by Ted Richards and Heath Grundy and a great young midfield which includes Kieran Jack, Daniel Hannebury and Lewis Jetta.
Not to mention the constant debut’s in recent season of young kids such Tom Mitchell who have shown that they belong at AFL level.
The concern is that they have also lost plenty of depth with the departures of Mumford, Jed Lamb, Jesse White, Andrejs Everitt and Tony Armstrong to go with the retirements of Jude Bolton, Marty Mattner and Mitch Morton.
They have had an easy time against the Giants to date, winning all four previous clashes by an average of 79 points. Their most recent encounter was a 129-point thrashing in Round 16 last year.
Prior to Saturday this fixture was a guaranteed eight points for the Swans and a nice percentage boost.
Watching the game it was an interesting battle that took place in the first half, which was interrupted by an extended quarter time break due to a rain delay.
In the second quarter the Swans at one stage got out to a four-goal lead. One had to wonder if this would be another day that the Swans kept relentlessly piling on points against the Giants to secure the win and move on to next week .
The Giants kept themselves in the contest and the margin at half time was a slender seven-point lead to the Swans.
The second half said plenty about the Giants attitude and confidence. They could sense that they were in the game and kept pace with their rival.
The midfield efforts of Adam Treloar, Stephen Coniglio, Callan Ward and Shane Mumford cannot be underestimated – they were immense on Saturday.
Ultimately, with the Giants kicking six goals to the Swans five behinds in the final quarter, it gave the Giants their most famous victory in their short time in the AFL.
In conditions that have suited the Swans to a tee in the past, they were outmuscled, out worked and out enthused by a hungrier and more desperate opponent.
It was an unexpected result to say the least.
It was a result that the Sydney Derby needed and it was good for AFL football in the Harbour City. The Giants win will fill them with great self-belief for their Round 2 clash with the Saints in Melbourne.
Gold Coast v Richmond (Metricon Stadium)
Later on Saturday evening the Tigers were on the Gold Coast for their opening game of the season against the Suns and were coming off their first finals campaign in twelve years last season.
The Tigers want to improve on their 2013 season and go deeper into the finals and were favourites to get a first-up win.
The Suns are seeking a first finals appearance in the club’s short history with many wondering if they can take the next step this season and beat top eight contenders.
I was at the game on Saturday night at Metricon Stadium and after the Tigers posted the first goal the Suns piled on the next four in a response that was to set the tone of the game.
Richmond would come at the Suns and they were able to respond on all occasions.
If not for some errant set shots early from Tom Lynch, Sam Day and Andrew Swallow, the Suns could have built an unassailable lead early in the game.
The second and third quarters were tight and tough affairs and resulted in a real arm wrestle between the clubs. The football was not particularly pleasing on the eye but that’s the way it goes at some stages during a match.
The start of the final quarter was indicative of the Suns belief in themselves and the training that they have done in the previous seasons.
Richmond kicked the first couple of goals and found themselves in the lead for the first time since the first minutes of the game and it had me wondering if the Tigers would now go on with it.
Would the Suns be made to pay for their inaccuracy in front of goal earlier in the game?
The response by the Suns was stunning, kicking the next four goals and completely deflating Richmond on the ground and their supporters in the stands.
In seasons gone by the Suns would have seen that game result in a loss by not being able to run out the full four quarters. It appears now that the younger members of the team have the requisite fitness to flourish at the top level.
It will be interesting to watch the Suns’ season unfold and whether they do announce themselves as a serious team on a weekly basis.
Making the finals is not out of the question, however the popular school of thought is that they will need another season to gel the forward line to kick the scores required of a top-eight team.
Summary
In watching these games on Saturday I couldn’t help myself and lean towards the Giants and Suns to win their respective clashes.
What is it about watching the underdog in any sport that makes you want to see them win?
Certainly the Suns were not as dismissed as the Giants prior to the first game but Richmond were expected to win and continue the progress made under coach Damien Hardwick in the previous seasons.
Is it the hopeless nature of their previous contests against their current foe? (This does not really apply for the Suns and Tigers but work with me here!)
Is it the fact that the “experts”, be it former players or journalists, are writing off the less-favoured team days before the game?
Is it that sport fans enjoy seeing the unexpected happen?
When it is a head-to-head clash anything can happen. I think this year we will see many more upsets than in recent years.
What would the scribes think if Brisbane and Western Bulldogs were to win this weekend against more fancied opposition away at venues that no one expects them to perform at?
Is it likely? No.
Is there a slim possibility that it could happen for the Lions and Bulldogs? Yes.
As the AFL has told us and as you have seen last weekend, everything’s possible.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.