One down, 22 to go.
The first eight games of the 2021 AFL season didn't just provide us with our initial set of winners and losers, it raised another series of questions.
With each of the league's 18ย clubsย set to do battle again this weekend, we attempted to answer the major issues facing their playingย listsย andย coachesย alike.
Sydney
Has everyone slept on the Swans?
Unless you reside within walking distance of either the Albert Park or Kippax Lake, you are probably calling for my breaks to be pumped.
Fair enough too.
John Longmire's list of seasoned stars, progressing youngsters and promising rookies may have beaten both the odds and the Lions in Round 1, but any talk about Sydney returning to September for the first time since 2018 is wildly premature.
Despite claiming the points by five goals at the Gabba on Saturday night, the Swans' victory was just their second game since August the 13th last year. Despite opening 2021 with a bang, Sydney managed just 5 wins from 17 starts last season, with an average winning margin of just over 16-points. In their 12 losses, the bloods were beaten by a mean north of 22.
Although not too far of the pace of the peloton, Longmire's cygnets competed in seven matches that were decided by 10 points or less. However, as is the case with young teams, they only came away with the chocolates on two occasions.
Should Sydney follow the trend St. Kilda are desperate to extrapolate and start sealing these tight clashes, then perhaps some of the early crows pushing the Swans finals credentials may well prove prescient. Still, until claiming wins instead of counting the cost becomes the norm, keep your chips off the table.
