Footy is back with a bang, and while all the home sides got up in Round 1, there were still some upsets and unexpected results. Let’s break down the rest of the performances from the AFL’s opening round.

North Melbourne
It was a case of last man standing at Etihad Stadium on Saturday Night, with North Melbourne outlasting the Adelaide Crows in the most entertaining game of the round. When the Roos produce their trademark high-octane brand of football there are few teams in the league that can keep up.

This North Melbourne side are a battle hardened, experienced team with all the bases covered in 2016. But there is a sense of urgency surrounding the Kangaroos this year as they strive to take the next step and make a grand final before the inevitable trap door opens.

One of the big advantages the Kangaroos have over every other side is ruckman Todd Goldstein. He is the best big man in the competition and his duel with Crows ruckman Sam Jacobs was one of the highlights of last weekend.

Smooth moving Daniel Wells could be the extra weapon the Kangaroos need. With Wells missing so much footy over the last couple of years he is like a new recruit this year. The combination of Wells and Shaun Higgins will be a real barometer for North Melbourne this year; if these two skilful players get enough of the ball it will result in match-winning scores for the Kangaroos.

North Melbourne’s next game is against the Brisbane Lions at the GABBA, a game the Kangaroos outfit should win to keep their season rolling along.

Adelaide
Last weekend’s loss to the ‘Roos could be a game the Adelaide Crows come to rue at the end of the year. The Crows did a lot right on Saturday night and probably played well enough to win the game but they just couldn’t hold their nerve in the last quarter and were overrun by an experienced North Melbourne outfit.

Any game Eddie Betts plays in will always provide plenty of excitement, and although the small forward’s radar was off against the Kangaroos, there were still some trademark moments.

Another exciting Crow small forward, Wayne Milera, played his first game in Round 1 and although he didn’t get much of the ball his talent was obvious.
With powerhouse captain Tex Walker and fellow key forward Josh Jenkins combining for seven goals, the Crows look to have a forward line capable of kicking match winning scores this year.

What separates the Crows from the top echelon of sides is the lack of midfield class and depth. Apart from veteran Scott Thompson, no Adelaide midfielder had more than 23 possessions in Round 1.

A Saturday afternoon showdown against Port Adelaide will be one of the must-watch games of the weekend.

Western Bulldogs
Hard to know what to make of the extraordinary opening round performance of the Bulldogs, other than that they have a lethal forward line. For a team which has been starved of success there are exciting times ahead for Bulldogs fans.

Similar to the manner in which the Swans ambushed the Magpies the night before, the Dogs stunned the Dockers in a seven goal to nil first quarter. From there the Dogs were an irresistible force that the Dockers simply couldn’t stop.

The run off the Bulldogs half-back line produced some extraordinary numbers for their running defenders. Jason Johannisen and Shane Biggs both finished with 35 possessions each and evergreen captain Robert Murphy grabbed with 31 touches.

All three are damaging users of the ball, and allowing them so many touches spells doom for the opposition side. Biggs is a player the Sydney Swans may rue letting go; while the Swans search for some quality ball users off half back young Biggs is setting up his Bulldogs teammates regularly.

Another game in the perfect conditions of Etihad Stadium against a young St Kilda side is what the Dogs face in Round 2. Hard to see the Saints having much hope in that one.

Fremantle
Bad performances like these leave the Dockers open to the inevitable questions surrounding an ageing team. Did they reach their summit? Are they on the downward spiral? Or are we just jumping at shadows after Round 1?

One thing for certain is the Dockers are a much better team than the one that didn’t turn up to Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Ross Lyon’s game plan is based around hard, tough football which makes it hard for the opposition to score. For a long time this was a successful way for the Dockers to win a lot of games, but on the weekend the Bulldogs simply blew past the Dockers to score at will.

With The AFL introducing new rules to encourage free-flowing football, were does that leave Lyon and his Dockers? Can they change their game style to compete under these conditions?

The answer is probably yes; Lyon is a smart operator and will have plans in place for this year which won’t change after one poor performance.

The Dockers still have a lot of talent on their list and their fans will still be confident they can bounce back and win enough games to put them in contention again this year, but they may not be as confident as they were are week ago.

Superstar Nat Fyfe played his worst game in recent memory against, but will look to bounce back against Gary Ablett and the Gold Coast Suns.

Port Adelaide
It took Port three quarters to shake a gallant St Kilda side in Round 1, but the Power split the young Saints open in the last quarter to run away with a 33 point win in an entertaining game.

The shadow of last year still lingers over this side and it’s hard to know if the 2014 Port – who were a kick away from the grand final – or the 2015 Port – who didn’t even make the finals – are going to turn up this year.

But with the quality of talent at their disposal it’s hard to see the Power missing the finals again this year.

In Robbie Gray and Chad Wingard Port have two of the most talented and exciting footballers in the country. Gray’s performances over the last couple of seasons have elevated him into the very top tier of midfielders, he could well sit in the top three players in the league behind only Gary Ablett and Nat Fyfe.

His performance on the weekend was another masterclass, finishing the game with 26 disposals and four goals. His partner in crime Wingard was almost as damaging with 21 disposals and three goals.

But it isn’t just the Wingard and Gray show for Port, as they have an embarrassment of riches in midfield, something evident on the weekend as their midfielders combined for 12 of the team’s 20 goals.

Although quiet for much of the first three quarters, new recruit Charlie Dixon played a big part in the Power’s last quarter blitz and if he can string multiple games together this year he will be a big weapon for Port Adelaide.

A showdown with cross-town rivals the Adelaide Crows is next for the Power. A win this week against a good Crows side could go a long way to banishing the memories of 2015.

St Kilda
A brave performance from the rebuilding St Kilda side in Round 1. The Saints played an attacking brand of football against the Power and in the end were overrun by a more talented football team.

But Saints fans would have finished watching the game knowing their club is on the right track. For portions of the game St Kilda looked like they may cause an upset and beat the Power, such was the football they played.

From these early signs it looks like the Saints will be competitive in most games, and if some of the better teams aren’t on their guard the young side may cause an upset or two.

Tom Hickey’s game in the ruck was excellent with a massive 56 hit outs. Hickey has all the tools to be one of the top ruckmen in the competition and is now entering the prime of his career.

Jack Steven had another big game for the Saints with 36 disposals, and as the Saints get better he will start to get the credit he deserves. Another young Saint who caught my eye was Eli Templeton. Although the young Tasmanian didn’t get too many touches, a couple of his decisions with ball in hand were eye catching.

Round 2 for the Saints involves a date with the Western Bulldogs in the confines of Etihad Stadium, a game which probably looks as hard as any in AFL football at the moment.

West Coast
The Eagles eased their way into the 2016 season with a 10-goal win over Brisbane. The Lions did their best to keep up with the high-scoring Eagles, but were blown away by the forward power of the home team.

If the AFL’s vision for the future of the game revolves around high scoring, then the Eagles should be their poster boys; the men from the West are going to kick some monster scores this year.

If the West Coast midfield wins their fair share of the ball, a forward line of Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling, Mark LeCras and Josh Hill will do the rest; winning their share of the ball against the other top teams will be the biggest challenge for the Eagles this year.

West Coast lack the midfield depth the other top four or five sides boast, something highlighted on grand final day when the Eagles lost the disposal count by 115 and had 19 fewer inside 50 entries than Hawthorn.

The addition of Jack Redden will give the West Coast midfield some more grunt and lighten the heavy burden carried by Matt Priddis, who just blew out the pre-season cobwebs with a lazy 43 possessions against the Lions.

One weapon the Eagles boast is Nic Naitanui. The sight of Naitanui grabbing 22 disposals and, more importantly, kicking two goals will send shock waves around the league.

A shot at redemption awaits the Eagles in Round 2, with a grand final replay against the mighty Hawthorn at the MCG.

Brisbane
A tough way for the Lions to start the year, but that they managed to kick 100 points against last year’s runners up is an encouraging sign. Kicking goals was a real problem for the Lions last year, so to rack up a big score against a good side was a promising start.

Brisbane’s recruitment of Josh Walker was a smart one, as the Lions need a work horse to shield the bodies of their young forwards for a couple of seasons. While Walker has his limitations as a player he is a tireless worker who gets to a lot of contests, and the Brisbane forward line will function much better this year with him there.

A fully-fit Brisbane team is a competitive unit, but with a lot of young and developing players on their list they lack the depth of most other clubs.

There were plenty of positives against the Eagles for the Lions. First-gamer Josh Schache kicked two goals, Lewis Taylor and Allen Christensen combined for six and Pearce Hanley and skipper Tom Rockliff made it through the game without injury.

Last season’s injuries to Hanley and Rockliff really rocked the Lions, and an injury-free season for both is of vital importance to the young Brisbane side.

The Lions are back home at the Gabba in Round 2, but will face a formidable opponent in the North Melbourne Kangaroos. A competitive effort is a must in front of their home crowd.

Geelong
The Cats faced the toughest test in football and passed. A Round 1 encounter against one of the greatest teams of all time is the stuff of nightmares for most teams, but the 2016 Geelong side is a different creature to any other in the AFL.

The combination of Rhys Stanley and running machine Mark Blicavs in the middle of the ground was excellent for the Cats, and Zac Smith had a dream debut for his new club, kicking three goals.

But this game will be remembered as the Patrick Dangerfield show. The former Adelaide Crow attacked the game like a man possessed, and the only blemish on his game was a couple of easy missed shots on goal.

Dangerfield played the game with a point to prove to his new teammates, and it’s safe to say they were left sufficiently impressed.

The next team to be confronted with the Geelong puzzle is the GWS Giants. The Cats will see this as a winnable game, and a chance to improve on their perfect start to the 2016 season.

Hawthorn
Opposition clubs and supporters will be like circling sharks this year looking for a weakness in this mighty team.

If you had to pick three players to take out of the Hawthorn side to bring them back to the pack, Luke Hodge, Jarryd Roughead and Bradley Hill would be right up there. The first two in Hodge and Roughead are pretty obvious, but Hill can’t be underestimated.

The combination of Hill and Isaac Smith on the wings is a big part of Hawthorn’s recent dominance; the running power and speed of these two players is hard for opposition teams to combat. With Hill out of the side, as was the case on the weekend, opposition teams can really clamp down on Smith without the worry of Hill getting off the leash.

But it’s by no means panic stations for the Hawks, merely another couple of speed humps on the road to greatness.

A grand final rematch at the MCG in Round 2 should get the Hawks excited.