GWS, PORT ADELAIDE, HAWKS AND SWANS LEAD THE WAY IN ROUND ONE – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE

GWS, PORT ADELAIDE, HAWKS AND SWANS LEAD THE WAY IN ROUND ONE

BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE

Get ready for another season that is supercharged with heart stopping action as the 2018 AFL competition has clearly shown after round one, and there is already every indication that it will be anyone’s premiership much like it has been over the past two years.

Jumping out of the blocks and looking the goods this year are underachievers, Greater Western Sydney, Port Adelaide and reigning premiers Richmond who will have Geelong, Essendon, Hawthorn, Sydney and perhaps Adelaide and Carlton breathing down their necks.

I mention the Blues because of their plucky opener against the reigning Premiers whom they gave a torrid time to before the arm wrestle petered out in the final quarter.

While Geelong can count themselves lucky to be on the winners list against a dominant Melbourne whose inaccuracy and the Max Gawn shocker with seconds to go in front of the sticks cost them a win they surely deserved, Adelaide found that being in the Grand Final last year did not impress the emerging Bombers who dug deep to overcome a last quarter 20 point deficit and turn it into a 12 point win for their jubilant long suffering fans at Etihad Stadium.

Former three-time premiership winners Hawthorn were impressive in their first hit out completely shutting out Collingwood before running out 34-point winners and giving Magpies coach Nathan Buckley plenty to digest as he hangs on to his role as coach for a make or break compelling year.

GWS Giants were ruthless in their demolition of 2016 Premiers Western Bulldogs with an 82-point thrashing and Port Adelaide announced their intentions for this season with an imposing 50-point win over Freemantle while Sydney left West Coast with bitter memories at their new Stadium in Perth beating them by 29 points.

St. Kilda also showed signs of improvement and backed the confidence of coach Alan Richardson that they would be contenders this year with an impressive 25-point triumph over the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast proved better mud larkers to outplay North Melbourne in atrocious conditions in Cairns.

It certainly is a long road to the finals but with the modern game played at breakneck speed and the injury toll likely to be the determining factor, the depth of talent of each team will ultimately decide on who will emerge at the pointy end of the season as the weeks ahead will unravel.