Round 2 is here!
The stakes already feel high, with teams knowing history is against them making finals from 0-2, while there are opportunities for others to stamp some early authority and go 2-0.
We’ve gone game by game through Round 2’s games to make some tips and predictions.
Carlton v Collingwood
Thursday - MCG
It’s fair to say the loser of this game is going to have a week in the spotlight, sitting 0-2.
Carlton and Collingwood both had close losses in Round 1, with question marks over aspects of their performances. The Blues got beaten badly through the midfield and conceded 75 inside 50s to Richmond, while the Magpies struggled to move the ball and score against the Dogs.
Collingwood came from behind to overrun Carlton last year at the Gabba in a strange game in the final month of the season. The Magpies have also won the last four encounters between the two teams.
Both teams will be stronger on paper, with Collingwood getting back Steele Sidebottom to help a midfield unit that looked undermanned in Round 1. Similarly, Carlton adds Zac Williams and Jack Martin, losing Jack Silvagni to a shoulder injury.
The Blues will be hoping to lock the ball in their forward half and control the clearances after being beaten badly in both areas against Richmond. Expect Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe to play big roles against a team that has been prone to turning the ball over going inside 50 in the past.
Tip: Collingwood by 12 points
Nic Negrepontis
Geelong v Brisbane
Friday - GMHBA Stadium
The first AFL game with crowds at GMHBA Stadium since 2019 promises to be an absolute cracker, as a pair of winless sides go head to head on Friday night in Geelong.
The Cats’ loss to last season’s wooden spooners Adelaide was the shock of the opening round, with the Crows’ pressure and attack on the ball being enough to pull off one of the great upsets.
Brisbane were equally as disappointing in their surprise first-up loss at the Gabba against a youthful Swans outfit, setting up an early-season litmus test at the Cattery.
So who wins this one? Chris Fagan’s side will be buoyed by both Jeremy Cameron and Patrick Dangerfield missing this one, with the latter serving the first of his three-game suspension.
Geelong still enters the clash as favourites and will be smarting after last week’s shock loss, but equally Brisbane would be relishing the chance to notch up their first win of the season in front of nearly 30,000 away fans.
This clash is all about the forwards, even with Cameron’s omission. Joe Daniher and Eric Hipwood could end up being the difference.
Tip: Geelong by 16 points
Laurence Rosen
Sydney v Adelaide
Saturday - SCG
No one would have predicted either of these sides being 2-0 this year, but one looks set to start the season off with a flyer.
Adelaide shocked the football world on Saturday afternoon, knocking off 2020 Grand Finalists Geelong in a stirring win at the Adelaide Oval, but it was perhaps the Swans who put in the most impressive performance of the opening round.
The Swans travelled to the Gabba and comfortably took care of the Brisbane Lions, cutting up Chris Fagan’s side with electric ball movement and slick skills in their 31-point win.
Most promisingly for Sydney, debutants Errol Gulden, Logan McDonald and Braeden Campbell showed they were worthy of the pre-season hype that surrounded them with outstanding first games.
Sydney will be further bolstered this week by superstar forward Lance Franklin, who comes in to the side for the first time since 2019 to form a mouth-watering inside 50 combination with the highly-touted McDonald.
If the Crows are to make it two from two they’ll need to bring the immense pressure that was on show against the Cats, and the smaller playing surface at the SCG may allow Matthew Nicks’ side to lessen the Swans’ ball-carriers open space.
Despite this, John Longmire’s side should be too good at home and may even launch themselves into finals contention if they notch another impressive win.
Tip: Sydney by 27 points
Lachlan Geleit
Port Adelaide v Essendon
Saturday - Adelaide Oval
Port Adelaide recruit Orazio Fantasia faces former club Essendon for the first time in what shapes as a daunting task for the Bombers.
Fresh off a four-goal debut outing against North Melbourne in Round 1, a fit and firing Fantasia admits he still has “nothing but love” for his old side.
The Power got their 2021 campaign up and running with a routine 52-point win over the Kangaroos with new boys Fantasia and Aliir Aliir making an immediate impression.
After a slow start, Port clicked into gear and played some scintillating football, kicking eight goals to one in the second quarter to blow the Roos away.
It’s been a week of soul searching for Essendon after squandering a 40-point lead to lose to Hawthorn by a solitary point in a thrilling season opener.
It was a golden opportunity lost for new senior coach Ben Rutten to notch his first win in charge of the Bombers.
A trip to the Adelaide Oval to face the Power is one of the toughest assignments in the AFL and an inexperienced Essendon side will find the going tough.
Tip: Port Adelaide by 40 points
Alex Zaia
St Kilda v Melbourne
Saturday - Marvel Stadium
The Saints were as gritty as it gets against the Giants last week.
At one point late in the final term St Kilda looked gone but resurrected themselves to claim a courageous win in the wet on the road with a number of key players missing.
It was a superb start to the season for Brett Ratten’s men who will have Max King and Zak Jones back in the side to take on the Demons on Saturday night.
Simon Goodwin’s side did enough against an undermanned Fremantle to secure four points, but it came at a cost with James Harmes set to miss up to six weeks with a broken wrist. Former skipper Jack Viney could ease some of that pain by replacing Harmes.
The Saints owe the Dees for last year’s controversial defeat in Alice Springs and back under lights on their home deck at Marvel Stadium should be able to exact revenge.
St Kilda plays an irresistible brand under the roof and should prove too quick for the Demons who pride themselves more on winning the contested ball.
If the Saints can get things on their terms by shifting the ball around swiftly and providing their dangerous forwards with ample scoring opportunities, then they should see it through in Spud’s Game.
But not without a fight from the Demons who have plenty to prove against last year’s Semi-Finalists.
Tip: St Kilda by 17 points
Andrew Slevison
Gold Coast v North Melbourne
Saturday - Metricon Stadium
Gold Coast returns home to Metricon Stadium after an admirable performance against West Coast last Sunday to take on North Melbourne in an intriguing Saturday night contest.
There is a massive opportunity here for both sides to get their first win of the season in what might be a tough year overall.
David Noble’s side will take heart from their opening quarter against Port Adelaide last Sunday, going toe to toe with one of the competition’s best sides. Luke Davies-Uniacke and Jaidyn Stephenson shone, with the latter collecting a career-high 33 disposals in his first game for the club.
There’s plenty to like about Gold Coast too even in defeat, but all the focus was on Matt Rowell who in his first game sustained a knee injury which will keep him on the sidelines in the coming weeks.
The Suns will enter the game as favourites and should win if they hold any ambition of playing finals for the first time, but this one is genuinely anyone’s contest.
Tip: Gold Coast by 16 points
Laurence Rosen
Hawthorn v Richmond
Sunday - MCG
Both Hawthorn and Richmond kicked off 2021 in winning style last weekend.
The Hawks looked dead and buried last Saturday night but somehow fought back from a 39-point half-time deficit to beat their arch nemesis Essendon by a point.
The Tigers had a fight on their hands in the traditional season opener against Carlton but customarily kicked away late to claim a 25-point triumph to get their three-peat pursuit off to a desired start.
In this fixture last year, the Hawks looked like world beaters when they trounced the Tigers by 32 points at the MCG. Plenty of water has flown under the bridge since then, however, with Damien Hardwick’s men claiming a third flag in four years while Alastair Clarkson’s side had to settle for a lowly finish of 15th.
But 2021 presents a new challenge for both clubs as Richmond strive for three in a row and the Hawks look to recoil from a five-win season.
The Tigers, and Dustin Martin, turned it on when they needed to against the Blues and will only be better for the run.
They will be buoyed by the return of captain Trent Cotchin and as is normally the case of late, their system and overall quality should see them through.
The Hawks were brave last weekend but would need to step up to another level here.
Tip: Richmond by 22 points
Andrew Slevison
Western Bulldogs v West Coast
Sunday - Marvel Stadium
Neither team was entirely convincing in Round 1, but both the Eagles and Bulldogs enter this one with wins under their belts.
This will be a fascinating midfield battle between two teams with a lot of depth to rotate through. How Stefan Martin and Tim English handle Nic Naitanui will also be interesting given they successfully limited Brodie Grundy’s impact in Round 1.
The Western Bulldogs won their 2020 match-up by two points in a low-scoring battle at Metricon Stadium. However, West Coast has won the previous five encounters dating back to the beginning of 2017, including two at Docklands.
The games haven’t been close either, with margins of 61, 54 and 51 across the last three West Coast wins.
Can the Bulldogs deal with the sheer size of the Eagles’ forward line? Josh Kennedy, Jack Darling, Oscar Allen and Nathan Vardy will ask questions of a smaller Dogs group, particularly in fast conditions under the roof.
Both teams will be in the finals picture this year and every win the Eagles get on the road will be worth gold, given their dominant record at home. The Bulldogs starting 2-0 with wins over Collingwood and West Coast would also set a strong tone for them.
Tip: West Coast by 8 points
Nic Negrepontis
Fremantle v GWS
Sunday - Optus Stadium
Fremantle and GWS will look to get their seasons up and running after Round 1 defeats.
The depleted Dockers conceded the opening five goals in their 22-point loss to Melbourne with luckless key defenders Alex Pearce and Joe Hamling – who both missed all of 2020 - picking up respective knee and ankle injuries.
The slow start and poor skill level ultimately cost Freo with Justin Longmuir’s side kicking at just 59 per cent against the Demons.
It was also a disappointing start to 2021 for the Giants.
An eight-point loss to an injury-ravaged St Kilda at a rain-soaked Giants Stadium is a result that could come back to haunt Leon Cameron’s team at season’s end.
GWS scored 11 goals from 68 inside 50s and had their chances to kill off the match but were unable to get the better of an undermanned Saints outfit.
It means one of these clubs will sit 0-2 after two rounds – a dreaded win-loss ratio when it comes to making the finals and winning a premiership.
Just five of 58 teams who have lost their first two games in the last decade have managed to play finals.
GWS have won four of their last five meetings against Fremantle, winning last year’s encounter at Optus Stadium comfortably by 38 points.
The Dockers, led by skipper Nat Fyfe, to bounce back in their first home match for 2021.
Tip: Fremantle by 20 points
Alex Zaia