Opinion
Here’s my preview for the AFL’s opening round.
Richmond versus Carlton
The season opener. A blockbuster. 80,000 fans packed into the G to watch two rivals go toe-to-toe in the first game of footy for the year.
Yet this time around, there won’t be a single spectator watching on.
The Tigers thrive off their huge fanbase. Will this hinder their performance? The Blues had a poor Marsh series but will this reflect in the season opener? So many questions are being raised at this point in time.
The Tigers are backed heavily and are hot favourites to down the Blues on Thursday night but there’s something brewing over in Carlton and this will be the perfect opportunity for the Blues to send a message to the rest of the competition.
Western Bulldogs versus Collingwood
Arguably match of the round, this one. The Pies are favourites to be one of the top four this year and a huge possibility to return to the big dance in 2020 after missing out narrowly in 2019. Star midfielder Adam Treloar is likely to miss the clash but how much of a difference will this make?
The Dogs midfield is regarded as one of the best in the competition. The likes of Jack Macrae, Josh Dunkley, Lachie Hunter and of course Marcus Bontempelli proves a frightening sight for any opposition coach. Josh Bruce looked good in their Marsh series game against the Power as Sam Lloyd also looked lively in the forward line.
The Pies are slim favourites at this current point in time but it’s anyone’s game as the Dogs look to push their way back into serious contention in 2020.
(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Essendon versus Fremantle
On the back of two successful preseasons, the Bombers and Dockers will do battle in what shapes to be an intriguing contest. The Dockers will want to improve after last year’s mediocre 13th place and the Bombers will be looking for another chance in September after an embarrassing exit to the Eagles last year.
Both sides have fresh talent and recruits to unveil in the season proper as we only got a slice in the preseason.
Adelaide versus Sydney
A few years back and this game was a blockbuster. Now these two sides are both predicted to finish well down in the lower half of the ladder. The Swans have an exciting list but couldn’t manage to impress in 2019 and the Crows have offloaded plenty of players to start fresh in 2020.
Both sides have young and exciting talent that can build a foundation and make these teams successful in a few years to come. The forward lines look set to excite with Buddy Franklin down at one end for the Swans along with emerging superstar Tom Papley and at the Crows’ end, Tex Walker leads the likes of young Darcy Fogarty and Tyson Stengle.
GWS versus Geelong
Your Saturday night will be sorted with this cracker of a contest. Both sides finished 2019 well, but without the premiership cup, they will both be hungry for it in 2020. For the Giants, it will be sending a strong message to beat the Cats early in the year as they look to return to the top four after finishing sixth last season.
For the Cats, it will be a very interesting season. Many tip Geelong to struggle to scrape into finals and others tip them to rip the competition apart. Two of the better midfields will go to war in what looks to be one of the most exciting contests in the opening round.
(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Gold Coast versus Port Adelaide
The Suns proved that they weren’t messing around in the preseason, winning both of their games against quality opposition in Geelong and Adelaide. They unveiled their top picks Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson and their guns from 2019 were firing.
If this remains for the home-and-away season, we may see some big surprises from the Suns. The Power have a huge point to prove. When they are on their game, they’re unstoppable. But their inconsistencies in recent years have been their worst enemy. Finishing tenth last season and the season before that, could this be the year that the Power surprise a few and launch into September footy?
Charlie Dixon looked powerful in the Marsh series along with young Todd Marshall as Tom Jonas seemed a fitting candidate for Port skipper in season 2020.
North Melbourne versus St Kilda
The Saints had an intriguing preseason, defeating both Hawthorn and Collingwood, two powerhouse clubs of the competition. We can agree it was only preseason, but those are two big scalps that will give St Kilda a world of confidence heading into a big clash with North on Sunday.
With one big forward departing to Whitten Oval in Josh Bruce, Max King from up the coast has displayed some exciting forward craft in the Saints’ preseason games.
The Roos had a mixed bag for a preseason. They got thumped by the Bulldogs but responded accordingly with a win against the Swans in Tassie. Shaun Higgins was dominant and Nick Larkey looks set to be a dominant force in the forward line when paired with big Ben Brown.
Marvel will host an interesting battle on Sunday.
Hawthorn versus Brisbane
Neither of these sides were overly impressive in the preseason. The Hawks were ordinary against both St Kilda and Melbourne. The Lions lost to Port in the first game but went on to thump the Blues in the second.
Mitch Lewis looks to be an exciting one for the Hawks. If they can get him fit and firing, he could fill the void left behind byJarryd Roughead. The Hawks narrowly missed out on finals in 2019 and will be after revenge as they look to return to their dominant ways of the last five-to-ten years.
(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
The Lions, on the other hand, will be looking to fire back after last year’s speedy exit from September. A dominant home-and-away season saw them finish second just behind the Cats and one spot above the eventual premiers, Richmond.
There is still plenty of young talent at the Lions that is still developing and it’s scary to think of what they can become based off last year’s success. Can they be a real contender or was last year just a one-hit-wonder? Only time will tell.
West Coast versus Melbourne
The Dees’ track record in Perth isn’t horrible in recent years if you overlook their 2018 horror show. They went 2-0 in preseason beating the Crows and the Hawks, whereas West Coast failed against Essendon and Fremantle.
Tim Kelly looked slick in the blue and gold as he aimed to fit into that West Coast midfield engine. Their midfield still is one of the best in the competition on paper and their forward line is also very threatening with the likes of Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling and Liam Ryan all looming dangerously inside the arc. Nic Nat showed his athleticism at times in the preseason games, displaying his itch to get back out there when the real season kicks off.
The Dees unveiled their recruits in the likes of Tomlinson, Jackson, Langdon and the like. All were impressive and it looks to be a big comeback season for the Demons after a horrid run in 2019 saw them finish 17th. Will the Dees bounce back to September and will the Eagles continue their dominance of recent years?
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Diplomatically answered, Darcy!
For all the pomp and circumstance that surrounds the now-traditional Anzac Day clash at the MCG, there has been one thing conspicuously lacking over…
Old mate summing it up better than anyone possibly could!
