Opinion AFL 2025 Opening Round - Weekend Wrap & Liked, Learnt, Hated

[Zevon]

We thought Opening Round 2024 was bad enough. Nope. Opening Round 2025 (or rather Gather Round: Sydney Edition) took us to whole new fiasco levels. When even Mother Nature herself is trying to wash away any reference to this mare’s nest of a concept you know you’re on a loser. Unless you’re the AFL, who are no doubt making plans to lock us in for another decade of these March monstrosities. Oh well, at least it means the Weekend Wrap will be nice and short to write. Let’s do this.

Swans v Hawks, Friday night: It shaped as a great test for the Hawks to prove that last year was no fluke. They delivered in spades, barging into Sydney and leaving last year’s grand final no-shows wondering what hit them. Very mature signs to be able to set up a hefty lead away from home, see it evaporate, then steady and kick away again in the final term. And while I’m not taking anything away from the splendid young Hawks, I suspect that won’t be the last time a side cuts the Swans apart this season. They still look way too easy to slice through when things aren’t going their way. Oh, and can I get on Sir William Day for the Brownlow please? Preferably at whatever his odds were before the game started??



Giants v Pies, Sunday arvo: Thank goodness there’s still a Sydney team that has some mettle. No Hogan, no Green, and after a few minutes no Briggs… still no worries for the Giants! Maybe that $400 million they paid for Finn Callaghan was worth it after all. Bloke’s a jet. The Pies were supposed to be set for a rebound year, but if they couldn’t beat GWS today they never will. Heck, they didn’t even get close. Maybe they’re just not that good? How surprising… with a forward line of Schultz, Membrey and Hoskin-Elliot they should be amazing right?

Don’t forget to post your Liked, Learnt, Hated below… along with any other thoughts you had about Opening Round!

 

[RedWhite4Ever]

Watching Collingwood start and end their season in a half of football.

 

[peetoo]

Brownlow

Day then daiclight

 

[MarcMaverick]

Brownlow

Day then daiclight

I was gonna say Callaghan, Kelly and Taylor did alright today.

 

[Chief]

Liked: Not much cyclone damage round our way.

 

[peetoo]

Someone stole Pendles time and space

 

[Nvent]

Collingwood just so slow.

 

[kickazz]

Didn't watch any footy. Too early, weather too good.

 

[Hawkinspired]

Day was $41/1 last week now $12/1.

 

[Burtonsgottago]

Hated - Opening Round. I don’t like the concept. Let everyone start Rd 1 and give the northern states a round where they are the focus during the mid season bye.

 

[The King!]

Opening round can get in the bin, even last year when we won I felt the same.

Hawks mature win.

Didn’t like much

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Liked - Syd v Haw and GWS v Coll were both good games to watch (last quarter aside for the GWS v Coll). A win for the hawks. Fairly high scoring football.

Learnt - that I won’t learn much until we hit round 5-6. That as always, pre season form is as useful as motorcycle ash trays. That people didn’t realise Will day was a star.

Hated: injuries, commentary on Daicos - negative or positive, it’s too much both ways.

 

[kreuze_missile]

Opening Round 2024 - 4 games
Opening Round 2025 - 2 games
Opening Round 2026 - 0 games.

Please and thank you.

 

[JackFlash]

Liked : Footy is back...sort of

Learnt: The AFL are starting to lose ground to the NRL, Andrew Dillon has dropped the ball

Hated: Round Zero! This must be the flattest start to a football season of all time, instead of opening up with a bang and an all out Round 1 football extravaganza, they have given the NRL a huge free kick and a middle finger to AFL fans.
The AFL have some big problems.

 

[FrustratedTiger]

Liked - Collingwood ain't that good

Learned - Andrew Dillon isn't Gil McLaughlan

Hated - Football on the March long weekend.

 

[OhhhhhCyril]

Liked. Gutsy hawks win away.
Last year they smacked us as the G, and before that in Sydney the year before. I had hopes but didn’t expect a win. Mature and sets the tone for the season.

Will Day, TB, Finn callaghan

I think it’s easy to forget how good GWS are. Should have won it all last season. They are a hard running, tough football team, and let’s not forget they were missing several key players.

I wouldn’t worry yet, but pies did look slow and sluggish. Pies also paid way overs for that Freo guy who does nothing..

Swans will bounce back. Missing some import players, like Hawthron, not sold on the forward line at all.

 

[Viceregal]

Watching Collingwood start and end their season in a half of football.

You forgot to mention whether you liked it or hated it

 

[nmfc91]

Liked - Hawks & Callaghan
Learnt - AFL don't listen to their fans
Hated - the scoreboard graphic

 

[unitedhawk2]

Liked: Day and Callaghan, who will both be elite by the end of the year, if they aren't already.

Learnt: Pies will have another September holiday.

Hated: Opening Round concept. Unfortunately, I'm not expecting it to be binned for 2026 because we've learnt over the past year that this current regime at AFL House doesn't listen to its fans, players, coaches or media analysts - recent exhibits that prove the point include Opening Round itself; the refusal to scrap the Sub and revert to 5 on the bench; and, over the past few weeks, the concerning 'hands in the back to push an opposition player into a marking contest' issue. David King made a sensible suggestion on First Crack last night, saying the last of those issues should be treated like the bump rule, with the perpetrator being liable for any damage caused. The problem is it's far too sensible a suggestion for Dillon/Kane to consider.

 

[peetoo]

Run round one over 2 weeks. Simples

 

[Burtonsgottago]

Liked : Footy is back...sort of

Learnt: The AFL are starting to lose ground to the NRL, Andrew Dillon has dropped the ball

Hated: Round Zero! This must be the flattest start to a football season of all time, instead of opening up with a bang and an all out Round 1 football extravaganza, they have given the NRL a huge free kick and a middle finger to AFL fans.
The AFL have some big problems.

The AFL has outsmarted itself. So focused on promoting the game in the Rugby states all the while ignoring the heartland.

 

[Cam Payne]

Liked the footy being back.
Learnt not showing up to matches will make Brisbane's title defence difficult.
I finally understand why Maggie preferred Robert to Arthur.

 

[Osho]

Opening Round 2024 - 4 games
Opening Round 2025 - 2 games
Opening Round 2026 - 0 games.

Please and thank you.

I'm lookin' forward to the -2 in 2027. How tf will that look?

 

[Andronicus]

I'm lookin' forward to the -2 in 2027. How tf will that look?

Bombers and suns will be -1 all season until Rd 24 when they have to play twice.

AFL just trialling it early.

 

[kreuze_missile]

I'm lookin' forward to the -2 in 2027. How tf will that look?

North and Saints fold?

Timeline is feasible.