Round 1 of the AFLW season is officially done and dusted, with four new expansion teams making their mark on the competition during their inaugural matches.
With the league expanding to eighteen teams and a flurry of player movement across the off-season, the competition's opening round was always going to be one of intrigue and excitement.
And it delivered.
Premiership contenders emerged and stars shined over the weekend, but five things stood out to us here at Zero Hanger in particular.
Prespakis was made to be a Bomber
Maddy Prespakis' move to expansion club Essendon from Carlton made plenty of waves across the competition, becoming just of several Blues to vacate Ikon Park during the trade period.
Prespakis, a lifelong Bombers fan, jumped at the opportunity to play for her childhood club when Essendon came knocking, becoming a key part of their inaugural team.
The 2020 AFLW best and fairest winner was at her electric best on Saturday night during Essendon's 26-point win over Hawthorn, finishing the evening with 26 disposals, 2 tackles and an all-important goal. Awarded the ten coaches votes for her efforts, Prespakis proved that she belonged in red and black.
Melbourne and Brisbane are the teams to beatย
After coming ever so close to claiming premiership glory last season, the Demons look like they can go one step further and claim that elusive flag this season.
Friday night's win over reigning premiers Adelaide did plenty to establish Melbourne's premiership credentials, managing to claim the four points in a high-pressure affair.
Though the Demons did look dominant we can't discredit the Lions, who performed impressively in their 49-point win over Fremantle.
Kicking 11 goals throughout the match, at times it looked as if the Dockers had no answers for the frenetic Brisbane attack. Though just one round of football has been completed, it's hard to look past Melbourne and Brisbane as the two biggest contenders for the flag.
West Coast's clean-out looks promisingย
After claiming the wooden spoon in season six, having won just one game and ending the season with a percentage of 42.9%, things looked dire for the Eagles.
Heading into season seven, the club underwent a massive overhaul of its playing list, with 15 new players joining the club.
It seems this clean-out worked wonders for West Coast, claiming their first win of the season in Round 1 over Port Adelaide.
While the Power, another expansion team, aren't a top-of-the-table scalp, the Eagles still showed promise throughout the 12-point win.
The Eagles had six different goalkickers in the win, with forward Aisling McCarthy producing an exceptional game of football to earn ten coaches votes with her 18 disposals, 8 tackles and one goal performance.
Montana Ham will be a star
Sydney's prized number one pick made her debut in Saturday evening's loss to St Kilda, making her mark on the Swans' inaugural team. Ham's debut match wasn't without drama though, going down with a knee injury in the final term.
The young gun has since been cleared of an ACL injury, but still looks set to spend weeks on the sidelines. Despite that, Ham clearly showed that she was worthy of the number one pick in the draft, impressing plenty with her work prior to going down.
The 18-year-old ended the game with 11 disposals and a team-high eight tackles, and is sure to continue to impress around the competition in the second half of the season.
AFLW at Marvel Stadium works
Essendon and Hawthorn ran out on Marvel Stadium on Saturday night for their first match in the AFLW competition, moved from North Port Oval due to spectator demand.
The eventual 26-point win to the Bombers was an exciting affair, with the side kicking away late to guarantee the four points. Playing on the Marvel surface with 12,000 fans in the stands was a win for both fans and players, helping the two expansion teams produce some entertaining Saturday night football.
Both coaches on the evening, Bec Goddard and Natalie Wood, agreed that more AFLW should be played in stadiums that allow better playing conditions, improving the spectacle.
The ball is now in the hands of the league, and the fans, to see more AFLW under stadium lights.
