With the premiership cup safely stowed in the Demons’ cabinet and the dust settling on the player movement period, we can begin to look towards next season.
On Thursday the AFL dropped the 2022 fixture, with the Western Bulldogs to dominate in prime time, the ‘big four’ in Victoria to meet each other twice and a hot start in Melbourne prioritised.
Michael Voss will lead Carlton into a new era in their traditional Thursday night opener, while Sydney spearhead Lance Franklin will strive for five against the Giants on the Saturday, four figures within his reach.
Early on we’ll enjoy the latest chapter in rivalries old and new, while the trade period will tinge games that might otherwise have passed as pedestrian.
Here are a few occasions you won’t want to miss, starting with…
10. Gold Coast vs. North Melbourne
Round 12, TIO Stadium
Back in November Gold Coast axed rugged midfielder Hugh Greenwood, with his consent and the promise he would be redrafted owing to the fact each team must select three players at the national draft.
North Melbourne then plucked Greenwood from limbo, leaving the already-fragile Suns down their main contested ball and clearance monster.
How will it be received if the ex-basketballer can help the Roos grind out a win over Stuart Dew’s side in the heat and humidity of the top end?
9. Geelong vs. Brisbane
Round 4, GMHBA Stadium
Last time around in Geelong, the Lions were robbed of a victory after Mark Blicavs dropped the ball on the goal line in Zac Bailey’s tackle but went unpenalised.
Tempers had already frayed; Cats coach Chris Scott approached Brisbane coach Chris Fagan and his charges at quarter time with a few choice words.
The Lions dished out their revenge later on at the Gabba with a 44-point win, but it was more tense than the final margin would suggest, with 37 free kicks paid in the first half.
It promises much as a meeting of stoppage masters, but the ill-feeling and the potential we’ll see a steelier side to the Lions after their straight sets exit could elevate the fixture again.
8. Richmond vs. Essendon
Round 10, MCG
The first Dreamtime at the ‘G in three years - pandemic pending - will take on a different character again, with Richmond’s season still firmly on the rails when the last was played.
Damien Hardwick’s men are clinging to the status they established over three Grand Final victories in four seasons, and the aura that had descended.
Last time around, the Bombers scrapped their way into the lead with 13 minutes to play in Perth, having trailed by 30, but the Tigers refused to stop believing and piled on the last seven goals.
It was a crushing defeat for the Dons, having not won a Dreamtime match since 2014. The balance of power in the game had been prolonged.
On the flip side, the fixture remains an opportunity for Ben Rutten’s charges to truly announce themselves when they are ready.
7. Greater Western Sydney vs. Western Bulldogs
Round 14, GIANTS Stadium
We will experience the game’s newest and nastiest rivalry at least twice in 2022, but we’ll have to wait a while for the first.
Having by then served his six game ban for making contact with an umpire, a familiar foe for the Dogs in Toby Greene will feature, if he isn’t suspended for another reason.
The Giants’ stand-in skipper has attracted the ire of Luke Beveridge’s men for multiple incidents, including a boot to the face of Luke Dahlhaus and for gouging at Marcus Bontempelli’s face.
After Bontempelli cleaned up Nick Haynes in 2019, which resulted in a fractured larynx, the Giants sent the defender to meet the Dogs’ new skipper at the toss in 2020.
Most recently, Greater Western Sydney placed a bid on Bulldogs father-son prospect Sam Darcy, and the Dogs returned serve later in the draft.
It’s a short but violent history, with two charged finals in the books, and it promises much irrespective of where the combatants stand.
6. Richmond vs. Melbourne
Round 6, MCG
The two most recent premiers will meet on Anzac Eve, a match in which the Dees announced themselves as contenders and Christian Petracca foretold of his Norm Smith success.
In October the Tigers signed veteran key defender Robbie Tarrant from North Melbourne, signposting their intent to resume contention.
To borrow a line from former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, each of Nick Vlastuin, Dion Prestia, Dustin Martin and Kane Lambert will be “like a new signing” after injury-impacted seasons.
Can the Tigers stem the crimson and navy tide in the centre, break up the Demon duopoly of Steven May and Jake Lever, and ride their surging football back to the pinnacle of the game?
5. Adelaide vs. Port Adelaide
Round 3, Adelaide Oval
The only reason this is so low on the list is the one-sided nature of the rivalry; Adelaide have not won a Showdown since 2018, and the Crows have been thrashed in three of the five played since.
Nevertheless, the first-ever Friday night showdown, even if it will air on subscription television, is cause for celebration.
There are interesting narrative threads around the game. Adelaide are currently being put through their paces by former Port Adelaide and Melbourne high performance boss Darren Burgess.
The Crows also beat the Power to the signature of South Australian and former Sydney utility Jordan Dawson, who plays everywhere and nowhere, and slices teams up with his kicking.
4. The preliminary final rematches
Round 8, Adelaide Oval and Round 17, GMHBA Stadium
Port Adelaide were so favoured to progress past the preliminary finals to the extent that former players were organising travel to Perth for the fans.
In Brisbane for their semi-final, the Bulldogs were locked in their rooms with cold dinners slid under the door, while state governments played jump rope with their permission to train.
The underdogs would obliterate the hosts by 12 goals, on the back of a seven-goal stampede in the opening term, leaving Ken Hinkley and Power players questioning their identity as a team.
Further west, Melbourne ran in eight goals to none over Geelong, four from the boot of skipper Max Gawn.
The Demon behemoth streamed through the centre and kicked one from outside 50, snapped another from a ruck contest and marked in a pack directly in front. It was ludicrous.
Both Port Adelaide and Geelong will have circled these fixtures as opportunities to atone.
3. West Coast vs. Fremantle
Round 3, Optus Stadium
Has the pendulum swung in Perth? The Dockers last season broke through for their first Western Derby win since Round 3, 2015 and look invigorated under Justin Longmuir.
Former top five selection Adam Cerra departed for Carlton, but in the clinches they still boast Rising Star winner Caleb Serong, emerging leader Andrew Brayshaw and talented ruck Sean Darcy.
Having continually refreshed their set-up, Freo have lured Jaymie Graham across town as their forwards coach and former Bulldogs captain Bob Murphy in a football department role.
The Eagles, by contrast, look tired and less willing to pay the price, though their talent and maturity means they’re never far from flicking the switch.
In the first derby last season Fremantle were caught in the headlights, but their growth was reflected in a 15-point win in front of 51,692 in the second.
Coming so soon after the promise and the low stakes of the pre-season, how they handle the next will be telling.
2. Greater Western Sydney vs. Sydney
Round 1, Accor Stadium
Just five players in VFL/AFL history have booted more than 1000 goals, along with four in the WAFL and two in the SANFL when the competitions were at a relatively even standard.
In the opening round, the last player to boot 100 goals in a home-and-away season could become the next player to join them.
Having missed the entire 2020 season and returned to lead the Sydney Swans’ goalkicking with 51 last time around, Lance Franklin’s counter has ticked over to 995.
In the opening round he will face Greater Western Sydney, with whom he almost signed at the end of 2013 when he had just 582 goals to his name.
Last season, the No. 23 booted 12 goals in three meetings with the Giants, so it’s going to be tight.
Melbourne vs. Western Bulldogs
Round 1, MCG
A sense of destiny trailed the Dees and Dogs throughout last season, and they would meet in the Grand Final despite the latter having dropped three games at the end of the home-and-away.
Both ripped their preliminary final opponents limb-from-limb, and the first three quarters of the decider were fiercely contested, with the Dogs having led by 19 midway through the third term.
From there it was a procession; Melbourne would boot 16 of the final 17 goals to run out 74-point victors and lift their first premiership cup since 1964.
Rumours soon swirled of bust-ups in Perth nightclubs, while the right to belt out Gala’s Freed From Desire was supposedly contested more fiercely than the final term of the game.
The Dees will want to launch their premiership defence, the Dogs will want to win back some respect, and everyone else really just wants to catch a blockbuster at the ‘G.