Charlie Curnow roared for the Baggers scoring five goals to hand Cats a 0-2 start to the 2023 season.
(Photo: AFL Facebook)
Australians had an extra spring in their step over the weekend as the 2023 AFL season commenced. Blockbuster crowds attended the first two nights, the next generation shone across the country, and some crunching hits had a host of stars in hot water. The action from last weekend sets up a juicy card for round two which kicked off on Thursday night.
Carlton v Geelong
The Blues were in full control for most of the season opener last Thursday night. Holding the lead for 85 minutes, chances of a second-consecutive round one victory were dashed when Tom Lynch goaled in the final minute to force a draw. The tall-defender contingent of Lewis Young, Jacob Weitering and Mitch McGovern posed themselves on the Richmond forward line, taking a combined 14 intercept marks for the match. Hence, a measly 37.9 percent efficiency inside 50 for the Tigers (only Brisbane and Fremantle had lower in round one). Michael Voss’ men will be without George Hewett though, after failing a fitness test.
Carlton set up an enticing contest with Geelong, who will be looking to correct their 22-point loss to Collingwood last Friday night. The Cats have their own blemish as an MCL injury to vice-captain and All-Australian defender Tom Stewart has put him out for the next 3-4 weeks. In what is an already undermanned defence, they face the tough task of stopping the previous two Coleman Medallists in Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow. Cooper Whyte will make his AFL debut in the clash, while off-season recruit Jack Bowes will play his first game for the club, after moving from the sunshine state at the end of 2022.
Result: Carlton by eight points.
Brisbane v Melbourne
67 teams have started the season 0-2 since 2010. Of those, only nine clubs have played in September, making this clash all the more crucial for the Lions after their uncharacteristic 54-point loss to Port Adelaide on Saturday afternoon. After being competitive in the first half, they were outscored 13.9 to 3.3 in the second half. During that period, the prelim finalists went down 95 disposals, 22 inside 50s and 27 contested possessions. Considered to be Geelong’s biggest rivals for the flag by many this season, there is significant pressure on Brisbane to win tonight if they want to challenge for their first premiership in 20 years.
Melbourne on the other hand could not have started their season any better after defeating their 2021 grand final opponents by 50 points. Led by livewire, Kysaiah Pickett, the Dees started their 2023 campaign on a positive note thanks to a nine-minute patch before half-time that saw them pile on five unanswered goals. Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy silenced any doubts of their dynamic as a ruck duo, combining for 38 disposals, 33 hitouts and three goals. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Dees though as Pickett was rubbed out for two weeks after his head-high bump on Bailey Smith. The positive is that Melbourne won’t be scrambling for a replacement as Steven May, Christian Salem, Jack Viney and Bayley Fritsch have all been cleared to return to the side.
Result: Brisbane by 11 points.
(Photo: AFL Facebook)
Collingwood v Port Adelaide
Two of the in-form teams after round one, Collingwood and Port Adelaide will go to battle tomorrow afternoon at the MCG. The Pies proved that last season was more than just luck after defeating reigning premiers, Geelong on Friday night. After trailing for most of the first three quarters, Collingwood outscored the Cats 8.2 (50) to 0.6 (6) in the last 45 minutes to snatch victory. Nick Daicos was amongst the best with 35 disposals, while Jordan De Goey impacted the game in more ways than one as he kicked three majors to go with his 25 touches. Billy Frampton is expected to replace Jeremy Howe after that freak collision with Tyson Stengle resulted in an arm compound fracture.
In one of the shocks of the round, Port Adelaide won by nine goals against Brisbane. 2021 number one draft pick Jason Horne-Francis was one of the main contributors in the second-half turnaround, finishing with 25 disposals, seven clearances and a goal. In an all-round domination, Port went up 141 in disposals, 25 inside 50s, and 22.5 percent in efficiency inside 50. The Power could be bolstered by the potential inclusion of former captain, Travis Boak who is recovering from fractured ribs.
Adelaide v Richmond
The Crows will look to even the ledger of their 2023 campaign after blowing a 32-point lead against GWS last Sunday. Succumbing to their pressure, they enabled the Giants to record the last 18 tackles inside 50 for the game. The aftermath of the match provided a sour taste for the club as Shane McAdam was referred straight to the tribunal and given a three-match suspension after a high bump on defender Jacob Wehr.
Tom Lynch’s third major for the night helped the Tigers secure two points from their opening round clash against the Blues. An inside 50 efficiency percentage of 37.9 doesn’t usually provide a positive result, but a low-scoring affair helped Richmond do just that. Tim Taranto amassed 32 disposals in his first game for the club, while Daniel Rioli had 27 touches off half-back. Richmond is aiming to keep its top four aspirations with a win at Adelaide Oval.
Tim Taranto.
Western Bulldogs v St Kilda
Five unanswered goals to end the second quarter was ultimately the difference in the Bulldogs loss to Melbourne as a similar buffer was maintained until the last quarter. The four-prong tall forward line won’t front up in its entirety on Saturday night after Rory Lobb underwent surgery on his ankle. Liam Jones was also in the hands of the trainers, going to hospital after an incident where he hurt his neck. Scans cleared the key defender of any structural damage, but it is unsure as to his selection status for this match.
St Kilda struggled with injury during the pre-season with 14 patients on their injury list. But despite those setbacks, the Saints courageously got the four points. In a low-scoring affair, their defence was solid, as the Dockers only goaled from 10 percent of their inside 50 entries. Jimmy Webster and Jack Bytel face stints on the sidelines after suffering injuries throughout the game. Marcus Windhager will return, while Seb Ross faces a fitness test to prove he is available for the Dogs clash.
Fremantle v North Melbourne
In a defensive-oriented match, Freo was statistically the better side as Brennan Cox, Hayden Young and Luke Ryan had a combined 38 intercept possessions, but an inability to use the ball efficiently inside 50 ultimately cost them the game. Just 30.5 percent efficiency in the forward arc, the Dockers will want to use the ball better in front of goal if they want to win their first game of the season.
The Clarko era at North Melbourne got off to a good start after a five-point win over West Coast. Luke Davies-Uniacke had a field day with 32 disposals (19 contested) and 10 clearances, while third pick Harry Sheezel had the most disposals on debut in 32 years with 34 touches and nine marks. They will be without Tristan Xerri on Saturday night after he had ankle surgery.
Hayden Young was a defensive machine last week.
Sydney v Hawthorn
Sydney have won three of their last four against the Hawks and has all the momentum to do it again on Sunday. They didn’t skip a beat against Gold Coast on Saturday night, in a full-team performance. Chad Warner (30 disposals, 8 tackles) and Dane Rampe (25 disposals, 12 intercepts) led from the front, en route to a 49-point win.
Hawthorn will look to rectify its 10-goal loss to Essendon on the weekend. They got off to a fast start, leading by 10 points at the first change, but 16 goals to five after quarter time for the Bombers put the game out of reach. In some more bad news, Chad Wingard suffered another soft tissue injury, forcing him to sit on the sidelines this week. With Mitch Lewis already sidelined, it will require a valiant effort.
Essendon v Gold Coast
Essendon sent a warning to the rest of the competition after a 59-point thumping against the Hawks. The Bombers took charge after quarter time, putting their foot on the accelerator in the third term. A nine-goal surge put the Brad Scott-led side in good stead, setting up a comfortable victory. Archie Perkins had a day out kicking three goals and racking up 20 touches. They will carry that form into Sunday’s clash against the Gold Coast Suns.
The Suns aim to put together a better performance than what they did on Saturday night, going down to previous grand finalists Sydney by 49 points. In wet conditions, Gold Coast amassed 95 turnovers, preventing them from getting into the game. Playing under the roof of Marvel Stadium should hopefully make for a cleaner performance from the Suns.
West Coast v GWS
The Eagles valiantly fought back against North after being down 21 points at half-time, however fell short by five points. While Sheezel landed on the podium for most disposals on debut, Reuben Ginbey had the second-most tackles in their first game, behind Jai Newcombe. Elliot Yeo and Jai Culley will both have fitness tests in a bid to make themselves available for their first home game of the season.
It was a hard-fought win for GWS after a decimated outfit came back from as much as 31 points in the second term to claim a 16-point win. Down to two on the bench after Lachie Whitfield, Harry Perryman and Josh Kelly were ruled out with their respective injuries, Toby Greene led from the front with four goals and 19 disposals. All three casualties will be missing for their trip out west, in a game that could set up the Giants season, should they prevail.
Comments