Crows come out firing after finals disappointment

After being the first minor premier since 1983 to go out in straight sets, there had been plenty of speculation about how the Crows would respond in 2026.

Would the hurt of their losses against the Magpies and Hawks linger and have a negative effect or would it be the motivating force to help them get off to a strong start?

In their season opener against the aforementioned Collingwood, it appears that the Crows took the latter.

After a close first half, Matthew Nicks must have given his men a motivational speech as Adelaide looked far more willing to attack, which paid off with a 30-point lead at three-quarter time, which they held onto at the final siren.

A win like this — their first against Collingwood since 2014 — should do wonders for their morale, which should see them towards the top end of the ladder for another season.

Nicholas Quinlan

Can Brisbane overcome 0-2 omen?

Having suffered a 44-point loss to the Swans, the Lions find themselves on the ladder with a 0-2 record.

It was always going to be a tough ask for the reigning premiers, who were missing Harris Andrews and Darcy Gardiner through suspension. And it showed with their defence struggling to contain Joel Amartey as Sydney jumped out of the blocks fast.

This result now means Brisbane joins a group of reigning premiers from recent history that they would rather not.

Out of the five reigning premiers since 1999 that have lost their first two games in the following season (North Melbourne – 2000, Sydney – 2007, Hawthorn – 2009, Geelong – 2023 and Collingwood – 2024), none have gone on to defend their crown.

And to make matters worse, only the first two sides played finals the year after hoisting the premiership cup.

For a side that is on the verge of equalling its 2001-03 predecessors, this is certainly not the kind of stat you want to see.

But considering they went 0-3 in 2024 and became the first side since the 2016 Bulldogs to win it all from below 4th and the first since Richmond in 2020 to win after losing in the qualifying final in 2025, it wouldn’t be the first time that Chris Fagan’s men have defied the odds.

Nicholas Quinlan

Hawks find groove, Bombers at ground zero

After a shaky Opening Round falling to GWS by 27 points, Hawthorn managed to steady the ship with a 145-83 win against arch-rivals Essendon in front of an relatively subdued 71,384 at the MCG.

To the the Bombers' credit, they came out all guns blazing in the first term after a rousing Kevin Sheedy-led scarf wave pre-game.

But it was short-lived as the Hawks proceeded to flex their superior muscles, figuratively speaking, piling on 13 goals over quarters two and three.

That was the game in a nutshell, it felt as though Essendon gave everything they had from the get go and ran out of steam against a team that is simply in a different class to them.

Just how bad could this season be for Brad Scott's men remains to be seen but if it's the lowest of his tenure in charge, very few people would be surprised.

Jack Gunston was immense yet again with five goals, Nick "The Wizard" Watson was electric (four goals, 17 disposals) while Jarman Impey ruled the half back line with aplomb.

Zach Merrett showed why he was chased so heavily by the Hawks, compiling a classy 32 touches in a typical display.

I don't think Sam Mitchell and the Hawks will look back on this game much going forward as they face much steeper opposition in the Sydney Swans next week, but to get the win in a banana peel game will ease some nervous energy down at windy Dingley.

Ethan Clark

A lucky Blues win, but a win's a win

It wasn’t pretty but Carlton escaped with four points in a dour thriller against Richmond which ended 75-71.

The Blues were largely inept in the second half. They were merely saved by a larger case of Tigers ineptitude.

For most of the second half at the MCG, it looked like chaos would ensue and the Blues would go under.

Not because they were outplayed for four quarters, but because they left the door wide open. Against better sides, that might be a dangerous habit.

Tom Lynch’s 2.7 was wasteful and probably cost the Tiges a win. In the end the Blues were able to save themselves all the blushes.

But who would you rather be right now - a Carlton or Richmond fan? 

For some Blues it could be seen as a hollow win. A game they should've lost fairly comfortably in the end against a youthful side who is still getting things together.

Four points is good, a win's a win, they were the better side in the first half, but there’d still be a few concerns for Michael Voss. One goal in a half isn't going to cut it.

In the end, the Blues leave with the points and they have something to build on heading into the bye.

But Adem Yze and Tigers might feel like they let one slip having kicked 4.11 to 1.6 in the second half.

Andrew Slevison