After months of preparation and speculation, the AFL season is officially underway with an exciting round of football in the books.
With all the anticipation finally giving way to tangible results and answered questions, here is what we learned from a big Round 1:
1. The league is better with mature age recruitsย
Jack Hayes and Nic Martin put on a show over the weekend, with the two towering players the standout performers among their losing teams.
Hayes, who only found a spot on St Kilda's list at the beginning of March, spent years plying his trade in the SANFL and making his name as one of the best down at Woodville-West Torrens. Making a Round 1 debut for the Saints, Hayes was one of the best in the red, black and white, amassing an impressive 18 disposals, ten marks and three goals.
Meanwhile Martin, who was overlooked in the 2019 AFL Draft, was a bright light in a dim 66-point Essendon loss. The 20-year-old collected 27 disposals, 10 marks and kicked five goals, a game high, and was awarded with the Round 1 Rising Star nomination.
While Hayes and Martin are just two of many debutants sure to make their mark this year, their early performances show the merit in clubs looking beyond the draft for their recruiting needs.
2. Momentum is keyย ย
A clear trend was present by the conclusion of Round 1, a rapid resurgence in scoring from centre clearances. 38 goals and 32 behinds were scored across the nine games in the round, the highest total since 2018, with Gold Coast, GWS and Collingwood combining for the most.
While the 6-6-6 rule has been implemented since 2019, prior to Round 1 the AFL was yet to see a payoff in terms of scores from centre clearances, with the averages per game from 2019 (2.9) and 2021 (3.0) registering little increase. But across the season opening round in 2022, that average rose to 4.2 and led to some fast-paced football.
While it can't be determined that this scoring pattern is here to stay, or if it is just a consequence of fresh teams in their first hit out, should this fast-paced game style continue, teams will have another factor to contend with - momentum.
Across the round,ย Adelaide managed to kick seven goals in a row against Fremantle, St Kilda kicked three goals in three minutes to quell Collingwood's lead and Melbourne and the Bulldogs found themselves in a seesawing run of goals.
With loud fans back in seats and goals flowing, momentum became a valuable asset for teams across the round, with many sides unable to stem the pressure on the scoreboard.
What did we just witness?!
Relive the last two minutes of #AFLCrowsFreo now ๐ pic.twitter.com/Pxvj3ss4Ya
— AFL (@AFL) March 20, 2022
3. The Rising Star award won't be an easy choiceย
Alongside Martin and Hayes, Round 1 was full of impressive debuts. Josh Rachele put on a show at the Adelaide Oval, collecting 14 disposals, five marks and five goals to nearly pull the Crows over the line in their one-point loss.
On Friday night, Nick Daicos proved he was worth all the hype and more, picking up 27 disposals (at 70 per cent efficiency), five marks and four tackles. The number four pick looked at home on an AFL field as the Pies cruised through the first half against the Saints, embracing the bright lights and expectations.
The number one pick impressed plenty too, with Jason Horne-Francis showing plenty of class that left him so highly rated as a junior. The 18-year-old starred early but faded as the game wore on, collecting 13 disposals, three tackles and a goal throughout the afternoon, giving fans a glimpse into his untapped potential.
While it's impossible to predict a season in Round 1, nor how well these young players will go throughout their debut year, it's clear thatย should they remain fit and fulfil the potential on full display in Round 1, the job of choosing the Rising Star at the conclusion of the season won't be the envy of many.
4. Gold Coast need Matt Rowell to play the whole seasonย
If his debut year didn't make it clear enough, Sunday evening did. The Gold Coast are a much better team with Matt Rowell in the side.
The former number one pick finished the game with 33 disposals, 10 clearances and six tackles and the Suns cruised to a 27-point win over West Coast, showing no signs of the knee injury that limited him to just 12 games in 2021.
Rowell controlled the game alongside Touk Miller (29 disposals, 8 clearances and five tackles), leaving the undermanned Eagles with little chance of squashing the Suns' lead.
If the Suns want to show some considerable improvement from their 16th place finish in 2021, having Rowell back in the side, and in impressive form, will make a world of difference. While the 20-year-old isn't going to lift the Suns all the way into the eight, he is able to have a measurable impact on games and in the bottom half of the ladder, that can be invaluable.
Well, no surprises here. Matt Rowell has been voted your Austworld Player of the Round! pic.twitter.com/aySeHKNUBp
— Gold Coast Suns (@GoldCoastSUNS) March 22, 2022
5. Fremantle still have their goalkicking woesย
Fremantle's kicking for goal left plenty to be desired last year, with an accuracy of 49.3 per cent dampening their season as they missed out on a spot in the eight by just one win.
Heading into 2022, the Dockers were expected to rectify their goalkicking woes, but pundits were left disappointed before the season had even officially kicked off. In their AAMI Community Series match against West Coast, Fremantle squandered their overwhelming forward 50 opportunities, finishing with a 13-point win but 11.13 on the board.
On Sunday afternoon against the Crows, Fremantle's goalkicking issues seemed to rear it's head again. While they managed to get away with a one-point win after some last minute heroics from Heath Chapman, 11.17 on the scoreboard would have left plenty to be desired in the coaches box.
In a season where Fremantle are expected to be competitive and improve on their 11th place finish last year, things in front of goal need to get better or it could be another boring September.
