How Long Since The Last Draw In A Season Opener?

[108CAM]

The 2023 season opener between Richmond and Carlton is the only drawn opening match I know of.
Is this the first time in VFL/AFL history that there's been a draw in the opening game or has it happened previously? I'd imagine the odds of the season opener being a draw would be similar to a drawn Grand Final.

And yes, I played the Barrackville Singers "It's A Draw" song right as the siren went.

 

[35Daicos]

The 2023 season opener between Richmond and Carlton is the only drawn opening match I know of.
Is this the first time in VFL/AFL history that there's been a draw in the opening game or has it happened previously? I'd imagine the odds of the season opener being a draw would be similar to a drawn Grand Final.

And yes, I played the Barrackville Singers "It's A Draw" song right as the siren went.

When it comes to a "stand alone" opening game last night's clash should be the first ever draw. You can see a list of the 164 (previous) drawn games here: https://afltables.com/afl/stats/biglists/bg8.txt

Prior to last night there had been 11 draws in Round 1 games, but quite a few of those draws happened back when all games were played on the same day and with the same starting time. This 1933 game should be the last time there was a draw in a game that could be classed as a "season opener" (all 6 games were played at the same time):


A Round 1 game in 2011 produced a draw, but it wasn't the opening game of the season:


There was a drawn game in the first round of 1982, but a Round 2 game had been played a week earlier. In 1960 and 1957 there was a draw in Rd. 1, but they were in Monday games, with games already having been played on the Saturday. In 1914, 2 (out of 5) of the Round 1 games were draws.