What are the key takeaways and observations relating to your club in Round 1?
We have dissected each of the matches and offered a number of talking points for all 18 clubs.
The following will not apply to each club every week but form the basis of our views.
The Key Takeaway
The Undroppables
The Overreaction
The Positive
The Negative
What no one is talking about
What they need to tweak for next week
The Undroppables: Luke Pedlar & Max Michalanney
For a player who’d managed just five games since being drafted with a first round pick in 2020, Luke Pedlar looked as assured as anyone on Sunday afternoon.
The 20-year-old Crow rotated in attack and was hard at the footy, gathering 13 touches, six marks and a goal.
He was arguably one of Adelaide’s best given his damage with the ball in hand, while Max Michalanney was also impressive.
While the youngster was ultimately part of a defence that got overrun, Michalanney can hold his head high in doing his job.
The Key Takeaway: Rachele and Rankine dominate up forward and on ball
Adelaide had flagged across the pre-season that Josh Rachele and Izak Rankine would spend more time on ball, and the duo lived up to all the hype and more.
Rankine broke the game open in the first half and could have been the best player of the weekend if he’d kicked straight, finishing with 2.5.
Rachele too dominated and maintained the rage to finish with 18 disposals and three goals.
If you’d asked Matthew Nicks if he would have taken a combined 36 disposals and five goals from the small forwards, no doubt he would have jumped at the chance.
A revitalized on-ball unit, with Rankine and Rachele rolling through, could carry the Crows a long way in 2023.
The Overreaction: Adelaide can’t play finals in 2023
The Crows themselves had put the heat on this pre-season by declaring finals in 2023 as the “bare minimum”.
Sunday’s performance would say no they can’t, but closer inspection bears better reading for Adelaide fans.
Nicks’ men led by almost five goals at half-time, and that was after booting 8.12. The game could have been well and truly over, but inaccurate kicking and then a second-half drop off cost them the win.
The first half of the performance against GWS would suggest there’s enough there to remain excited about.
Seb Mottram
The Positive: Brisbane looked good in the second quarter!
Despite losing by 54 points, Lions supporters can leave with some hope after a dominant second quarter that saw them kick six goals.
When everything works for the Lions, you can see why many have tipped them to take out the flag, they’ve got stars littered throughout their line-up.
Conor McKenna slotted in perfectly down back. The former Don played his first AFL game since retiring in 2020 after six seasons with the Bombers to return home, where he claimed a championship in the Gaelic competition.
He adds great speed and another layer to their backline.
The Negative: Brisbane’s defence looked awful on Saturday
Todd Marshall (four goals), Charlie Dixon (three), Lachie Jones (three) and Junior Rioli (three) were all over the Lions from the outset highlighting major flaws down back.
Harris Andrews played bruise-free footy and showed no physicality, he leaks far too many goals for a former star of the competition and if the Lions are going to contend for premierships, he needs to lift.
We saw these cracks appearing last year and it seems Chris Fagan’s side hasn’t addressed this in the off-season.
Friday night's clash is massive. They’d want to respond.
What they need to tweak for next week: They need help down back
Brisbane went into the game with an undersized backline and it backfired.
Coming up against the likes of Ben Brown, Tom McDonald, Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy next week, Harris Andrews will need some help down there.
The Lions will be hoping Darcy Gardiner recovers from that ankle injury in time for Friday and they also might lean on former Saint Darragh Joyce for some more support.
Hugh Fitzpatrick
They Key Takeaway: They need more from their bottom six players
Carlton must get more out of their bottom six players, particularly forward of the ball. Zac Fisher and Jack Silvagni kicked their first two goals of the game, but were barely sighted after that.
Matt Owies and Jesse Motlop combined for four tackles, Jack Martin was barely sighted across the evening and Ed Curnow’s ball use was poor.
Draftees Ollie Hollands and Lachie Cowan were fine, but will need time to find their feet.
If Carlton wants to be taken as seriously as the top sides, they need far more output from their small and half forwards, and their bottom six players generally.
The Positive: Defensively sound
Richmond had full control of large patches of the game on Thursday night, but with the exception of a patch in the third quarter, Carlton’s backline held up and kept them out.
Jacob Weitering and Lewis Young were arguably Carlton’s two best players, while Mitch McGovern will be better for the game under his belt.
The Negative: End of game scenarios… again
Goes without saying really. Carlton had the ball in their hands with two minutes left and a lead and found a way to not-win. Again.
Mitch McGovern’s outlet kick from full back to Jesse Motlop was the right kick, but the panic and chaos movement from there surely has to be harshly critiqued internally.
If Motlop simply goes back, kicks short to Lochie O’Brien who does the same, with Harry McKay leading up the wing, could the Blues have put the game beyond reach? We’ll never know.
What they need to tweak: Ruck setup
Carlton went with just Tom De Koning on Thursday and it didn’t quite work. Toby Nankervis outplayed the young blue and Jack Silvagni gave away too many free kicks as the secondary ruck.
Marc Pittonet should come in, allow the Blues to stretch Geelong’s backline with the extra tall inside 50 – and then you can simply sub one of the rucks off at three quarter time and inject some run.
Nic Negrepontis
The Key Takeaway: Last year was no fluke
Collingwood’s 2022 season appears to be no fluke.
If there were any doubts surrounding the Magpies and their premiership credentials, they were put to bed on Friday night.
Craig McRae’s side looked imperious, particularly late, against the reigning premiers and should be treated as serious contenders in 2023.
The Undroppables: Reef McInnes
Reef McInnes had limited opportunities after starting as the sub, but made the most of them after replacing the injured Jeremy Howe in the third quarter.
He kicked two crucial goals and could have finished with three.
There’s little doubt McInnes will again be in the 23 for next weekend’s clash with Port Adelaide and perhaps could sneak into McRae’s starting 22.
The Positive: Key recruits start well
Two of Collingwood’s off-season recruits had an immediate impact.
Tom Mitchell was plugged into the midfield and added plenty, even getting amongst the goals.
Bobby Hill booted three majors and was dangerous inside forward 50.
Dan McStay was quiet but two out of three ain’t bad.
The Negative: Jeremy Howe's injury
The sickening Jeremy Howe injury was the obvious negative. You can only feel for a player when something like that happens.
The Pies will now have to shuffle their defence to atone for the loss of such an important player.
Enter trade period acquisition Billy Frampton.
What no one is talking about: Beau McCreery under the radar
Beau McCreery’s game might have flown under the radar. (Maybe not to Maggies fans).
The hard-hitting half-forward had a career-high 20 touches and kicked two goals plus eight score involvements and two goal assists.
The way he stalks his prey and then feasts on his opponents in the form of perceived pressure, a solid hit or a big tackle is a tantalising sight.
Andrew Slevison
The Key Takeaway: Defensive structure is back at Essendon
Brad Scott has continued to keep expectations firmly in check at Essendon despite the nature of their 59-point win against Hawthorn on Sunday, but what was evident was the Dons’ defensive application was a clear upgrade already on what they dished up in 2022.
Tougher tests are ahead, but it was a good start from a pure defensive.
The Overreaction: Essendon will win their next three games
With Gold Coast, St Kilda and GWS to come in the next three weeks, Essendon fans will be expecting more after their Round 1 performance. Could they do the unthinkable and wins three or even all four of their opening month of matches?
But the fact remains that they’re still missing a fair chunk of their best 22 – Peter Wright’s long-term shoulder injury the latest blow – and expectations shouldn’t rise simply on the basis of one performance against a side many are tipping to finish bottom of the ladder.
Nic Negrepontis
The Key Takeaway: The forward line lacks bite
It’s the thing everyone was concerned about coming into the season and as far as Round 1 went, it seems real.
Matt Taberner was subbed out after no impact, Nathan Fyfe was barely sighted and the small forwards weren’t bad but also can’t be expected to carry the scoring load.
Can Fremantle be a top eight team this season if they simply don’t have the firepower to kick a winning score?
Of course, it’s Round 1 and they have a full season to tweak things and work it out
The Positive: The backline did its job
I mean, Brennan Cox took 20 marks in three quarters, Luke Ryan had 37 touches and Hayden Young looks ready to take the competition by storm – it was almost the dream scenario for Fremantle fans down back.
Young had 30 disposals, 18 kicks, and went at 96 per cent disposal efficiency.
They simply need to hope other phases of the game hold up their end of the bargain.
The Overreaction: Was Luke Jackson worth the investment?
It’s going to take Luke Jackson time to adjust to playing a new role at a new club, particularly after missing a pre-season game.
The overreaction would be to suggest that, for what Fremantle paid for him, it’s hard to see Jackson’s output matching it – at least for now.
He was quiet against an undersized St Kilda sit in Round 1, finishing with 12 disposals, five marks and two behinds.
Nic Negrepontis
The Overreaction: Geelong can’t win without Tom Stewart
Had Tom Stewart been on the field, perhaps it would have been a different story on Friday night. Nevertheless, and despite past history, it’s worth giving one of the league’s best backlines a few more goes.
Esava Ratugolea impressed in his first game down back and will continue to improve, while Jake Kolodjashnij is not far away from a return.
It will be telling what Geelong limits Carlton to with a settled backline on Thursday night.
The Positive: Ollie Henry is in Geelong’s best 22
After a contrasting debut season at the elite level, no one would have been completely sure how Ollie Henry would go in his time at the Cats.
But Geelong fans will rest assured that Henry is at the very least the player they hoped for. 15 touches (10 contested), six marks and two goals (which should have been three) is a brilliant club debut for a player who’d featured in just 25 games.
There’s no reason he can’t go on with it in 2023.
What no one is talking about: Max Holmes is hungry
Max Holmes was borderline his club’s best player in the first half as Geelong worked its way on top, particularly in the opening quarter.
He finished with 17 touches, four tackles and a goal, all of which came despite Holmes rarely featuring in the centre bounce mix.
Geelong will manage the 20-year-old through the year, but with more midfield time he’ll undoubtedly continue to improve. He could become one of Geelong’s most attacking weapons in the big moments.
Seb Mottram
The Negative: Almost everything
After a pre-season of positivity, there was almost nothing to be happy about for Stuart Dew on Saturday night. There’s little overstating just how disappointing Gold Coast was.
The Suns were somehow able to win contested footy, but looked uncompetitive for vast amounts of the contest with Sydney constantly slicing through.
The way Gold Coast went forward, defended and moved the ball could all be analyzed within an inch of their lives. But given the immense weight of negatives, Dew will be hoping this performance was a one-off against a quality team.
What they need to tweak for next week: A rejigged forward line
Ben King lined up for his first game in over a year on Saturday night, also sharing the forward 50 with Levi Casboult, Mabior Chol and Jack Lukosius.
It was simply too tall a forward line. In greasy conditions, the Swans dominated the airwaves as the quartet of tall Suns took a combined seven marks.
Casboult and Chol far exceeded expectations last year after King was struck down with an ACL injury in the pre-season. But can Dew persist with the trio, as well as Lukosius, all playing (forward)?
Round 1’s evidence suggests not.
The Positive: Jarrod Witts
It’s hard to be pleased with too much after a 49-point defeat, but Jarrod Witts’ game simply has to be mentioned.
Matched up against Peter Ladhams, not a ruckman to be sneezed at, Witts dominated in the contest and around the ground.
25 disposals, 51 hitouts, 10 clearances and five marks paints the picture of a complete game to be borderline best on ground if his team wasn’t smashed on the scoreboard.
He no doubt played a role in the Suns winning clearances 46-39.
Seb Mottram
The Key Takeaway: Kingsley’s tough Giants
Adam Kingsley has established a tougher mentality within the playing group since arriving at the Giants.
They were at times criticised for being flaky in the past but the way they beat the Crows suggests all that is about to change.
The Giants had no right to get up after they trailed by 28 points at half-time in hot conditions and after losing Lachie Whitfield and Josh Kelly (both concussion) and Harry Perryman (hamstring).
It was a courageous and gritty victory to kick off the Kingsley era.
The Positive: The Green(e) show
Toby Greene’s first game as standalone captain was superb.
He helped carry the Giants over the line with 4.4 to go along with 10 score involvements and five inside 50s. He could have easily kicked 6 or 7.
Namesake Tom Green has been going about his business and is on his way to becoming one of the premier midfielders in the competition.
37 touches, 12 score involvements and eight clearances, including six centre clearances, will do those aspirations no harm at all.
The Negative: Trip to Perth not great timing
The Giants now have to travel to Perth after a tough game in trying conditions. They’ll also have to do it without Perryman, Whitfield and Kelly.
The Eagles present as a potential banana skin.
What no one is talking about: Daniels and Buckley returns
It might not have created any headlines, but the return of Brent Daniels was a major highlight for the Giants.
He didn’t play at all last year due to ongoing hamstring issues, however, he was back on Sunday. He had just nine touches but kicked two goals, could have kicked more and will be better for the run.
Similarly, defender Jack Buckley was also back after missing last year with an ACL injury.
He last played at AFL level in Round 16 of the 2021 season but slotted in nicely down back.
Andrew Slevison
The Key Takeaway: Defence will be crucial for Hawks in 2023
Hawthorn needs to commit to defensive pressure.
The way the Hawks allowed the Essendon midfield to waltz through them was at times alarming. It’s all well and good to play free-flowing and fast footy but you must somewhat prioritise defence.
Sam Mitchell should be telling his players to bring their mouth guards to training this week.
The Undroppable: The Super Sub
Conor Nash started as the sub before having an impact when replacing Jacob Koschitzke.
He picked up 12 disposals and had three clearances, showing plenty of intent around the ball.
Expect him to be in the starting 22 next week.
The Overreaction: A wooden spoon is on the cards?
There will be chat about Hawthorn and the wooden spoon.
Is that warranted?
If Mitchell can implement a more robust plan around the contest, then surely they’ll be more competitive moving forward.
But if they are again cast aside in similar fashion then that sort of chatter could well be on the money.
The Positive: The standout young Hawk
Cameron Mackenzie was a major positive for the Hawks.
The No.7 draft pick looked comfortable at the level in his AFL debut with clever decision making and quality skills the standout attributes of his game.
He finished with 18 disposals, 17 of which came prior to three-quarter time before he faded out.
Mackenzie looks a serious player of the future.
The Negative: Hawks may have gone too young
Has Hawthorn gone too young and stripped it back too much?
When Peter Wright was ruled out, some were thinking the Hawks could even beat the Dons. That result was still a possibility in the second quarter before they were blown away in the third term.
It was a winnable fixture that quickly became anything but.
What they need to tweak for next week: A tougher performance
The Hawks simply need to be harder to play against. They cannot be as easy to get through as they were on Sunday.
Mitchell’s side just has to apply more pressure in Round 2 which they get the chance to do against the Swans at the SCG.
Andrew Slevison
The Key Takeaway: The structures held up without Steven May
In 2022, Melbourne fell apart without Steven May and could not work out how to organise themselves in his absence.
Coming up against the tallest forward line in the AFL, there were questions as to how the Demons would fare, but the Bulldogs’ bombs into their forward 50 actually favoured the Dees.
Jake Lever was close to best on ground, Max Gawn dominated behind the ball, Adam Tomlinson slotted in seamlessly and the Demons controlled the game from start to finish.
What no one is talking about: Kysaiah Pickett’s performance
He will miss the next two weeks suspended and is lucky to only be sidelined for the fortnight.
Putting that aside, Pickett’s performance through the midfield and pushing forward could be the x-factor that takes the Demons to a second flag in three years.
His work on-ball and around the ground gives Melbourne a point of difference and some speed alongside the big bulls, but it also doesn’t take away from his scoreboard impact given he kicked 4.1.
The Positive: The Dees are the early pace setters again
For the third straight season, Melbourne has come out of the blocks looking like the best team in the AFL.
They look sharp in all facets of the ground and the new elements with Brodie Grundy and Lachie Hunter have slotted in seamlessly.
Brisbane at the Gabba off a six-day break looms as an early test of just how good they are.
Nic Negrepontis
The Positive: How much more can be said about Harry Sheezel?
Harry Sheezel looks like the next big thing and maybe the most exciting player to debut in the blue and white hoops since Daniel Wells.
His 34 disposals across half back despite his limited experience in the position showcased his natural footy talent and looms as just the tip of the iceberg for him.
How he develops across his career and where he is deployed will be fascinating to watch, but he is, for now, the clear Rising Star favourite.
The Negative: Tristan Xerri goes down
Tristan Xerri received the backing of Clarkson as the club’s number one ruckman and looked ready to grab it with both hands.
Unfortunately his ankle injury will likely see him miss a block of time, with Todd Goldstein set to come back in and take back control in the ruck.
It’s disappointing news for a player ready to break out.
The Undroppables: Will Phillips holds his spot
Eyebrows were raised when Will Phillips was named the sub for North Melbourne after a strong pre-season.
However, he took his opportunity with both hands once Xerri came off, amassing 17 disposals, four clearances and three inside 50s.
After a 2022 season derailed by glandular fever, Phillips is ready to prove numerous doubters wrong this year.
Nic Negrepontis
The Key Takeaway: Port Adelaide’s attack looks like a completely different beast
After the disappointment that was 2022, Ken Hinkley made it clear that the Power would be going back to the drawing board, completely re-structuring their scoring approach.
Clearly it worked, with Port Adelaide dishing out a 54-point belting to a popular premiership fancy.
The Power played with a sense of dare that was completely absent last season, showing a willingness to take the game on and take chances through the middle of the ground.
The connection between the mids and forwards looked near seamless, leading to a performance that simply blew the Lions out of the water.
The Overreaction: Jason Horne-Francis has arrived
The Hornet was absolutely flying in his first game rocking the Port colours, dominating the Lions in finest performance of his career.
After showing bits and pieces throughout his first season, the top prospect was able to put everything together, tearing the contest apart with 25 touches and a goal.
If this is the kind of performance we can come to expect from Horne-Francis, it’s safe to say that the AFL has seen its newest star officially burst onto the scene.
The Positive: Port's forwards sharing the love
The overall Power attack was lethal against the Lions, however it didn’t come from just one source.
Todd Marshall led the way with four majors, while Charlie Dixon, Lachie Jones and Junior Rioli weren’t far behind, each kicking three.
What they need to tweak for next week
The younger midfield in the second half changed the entire game for the Power, could they wheel it out for the entire game?
Jack Makeham
The Key Takeaway: Richmond inefficiency
Richmond conjured enough chances but lacked some cohesion between their midfield and forward lines.
They had 21 more inside 50s and took more territory from Carlton but were unable to score freely.
Iron out those kinks in the coming weeks and things might look a bit nicer on the scoreboard.
The Positive: Tireless Taranto debut
Tim Taranto looked right at home in Richmond colours.
He worked tirelessly on debut for the Tigers, amassing a game-high 32 disposals, as well as an equal team-high five clearances, a team-high three centre clearances and eight tackles (including three tackles inside 50).
Taranto added grunt to the on-ball brigade and worked well alongside Dion Prestia. His ball use could do with some tidying but that will come in due course.
Fellow Tiger debutant Jacob Hopper took a little bit longer to get going and wasn’t quite as prolific as Taranto but will no doubt improve.
Daniel Rioli must also be mentioned for his rebounding performance across half-back.
The Negative: Bad kicking is bad football
Some Richmond players missed set shot chances which might have cost them the game in the end.
Shai Bolton’s snap from directly in front was a coach-killer while Ben Miller and Jack Ross failed to score from kickable positions. Tom Lynch and Jack Graham also missed gettable chances.
Tigers fans will be hoping those don’t prove costly later in the season when it comes down to points and percentage.
What they need to tweak for next week
The Tigers simply must improve their forward 50 entries against Adelaide on Saturday.
If they don’t clean things up going forward, then it could be a repeat of last year’s trip to the Adelaide Oval when they lost to the Crows by 19 points despite having more inside 50s.
Andrew Slevison
What we learnt: St Kilda will not be easy beats this year
St Kilda’s win over Fremantle on Sunday afternoon was no doubt the performance of the round.
Heading into the clash missing a host of key players, Ross Lyon’s side showed grit and class, running away winners against a side many expect to be pushing for top four this year.
St Kilda’s list is no where near the best in the competition, they lack star power in the midfield and class on the outside, but boy do they crack in.
Despite the scoreline, the Saints continued to attack through the corridor which is a breath of fresh air for their loyal supporters and no doubt their forwards.
You could tell the Dockers came in and expected to just win this clash but it’s not going to be as easy as that against the Saints this year.
They’ll cause some headaches this season.
The Positives: Mattaes Phillipou is going to be a very good player
St Kilda’s drafting the past decade has copped some flack, and rightfully so, but taking Mattaes Phillipou with pick 10 in last years draft already looks a smart call.
The kid's got some swagger, he knows he’s good, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
The South Australian has the ability to play down forward and in the midfield which is such a valuable asset for coaches.
The Negatives: The Saints still turn the ball over too much
With a gameplan that is built around taking it on through the corridor, the Saints can’t afford to chop it up coming out of defence.
Apart from Jack Sinclair, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Callum Wilkie the Saints have too many poor kickers in their backline.
The Undroppables: Ryan Byrnes will play against the Dogs on Saturday
Ryan Byrnes had his best game for the club. Used as a small forward in the past, Byrnes provided a spark in a midfield that is desperate for speed.
The 24-year-old collected 27 disposals going at 81% efficiency, he’s a lock next week.
Hugh Fitzpatrick
The Key Takeaway: The return of Sydney's trademark tackling pressure
The Sydney Swans pressure was back in full force on Saturday night at Heritage Bank Stadium. After an embarrassing end to their 2022 season, the Swans laid 84 tackles which was 20 tackles above their season average for last season.
They strangled the Gold Coast Suns who were never allowed to settle and in the blink of an eye, the Swans had established a 33-point lead late in the first quarter and never looked like surrendering their advantage.
The Overreaction: Chad for the Charlie
Chad Warner is in the conversation to win the Brownlow Medal. The 21-year-old was arguably best on ground as he had a game-high 30 disposals, eight tackles, three clearances and 713 total metres. The only blight on an otherwise perfect game was an inaccurate 0.3 but there is no denying that Warner has elevated himself as one of the best midfielders in the competition.
The Positive: Swans spread the success
The Swans had 12 individual goal kickers from their 16 goals against the Suns with Tom Papley, Logan McDonald, Lance Franklin and Harry Cunningham all booting two majors.
The Negative: Buddy's bump results in ban
Lance Franklin’s bump on Suns defender Sam Collins has landed the superstar a one-match ban. Franklin clipped Collins’ jaw early in the fourth quarter and despite the defender playing out the remainder of the contest, the Match Review Officer found it to be careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.
Franklin will now miss Sydney’s first match at the SCG against his former club Hawthorn.
Charles Goodsir
The Key Takeaway: Eagles need to revive their effort
For the vast majority of the contest against North Melbourne, West Coast looked sluggish and disinterested, primarily on the defensive end.
Once the young Kangaroos found a rhythm midway through the first quarter, the next hour looked more like a training drill than a Round 1 clash.
While the Eagles eventually came alive in the final term, clawing their way back to give North a fright, it was simply too late.
If West Coast are to move away from wooden spoon contention this season, Adam Simpson will need to light a fire in this squad and motivate them to give effort for an entire match, not just a quarter.
The Undroppables
Reuben Ginbey was excellent in his AFL debut, immediately securing his spot in the Eagles’ best 22 with 15 disposals and 12 tackles, providing some strong pressure for a West Coast unit that lacked it for the majority.
Noah Long and Campbell Chesser also made their debuts on the weekend, however neither made much of an impact against North Melbourne and could miss out come selection.
The Overreaction: 2023 doesn’t look much better than last year
With some of the names on this squad, general expectations for a healthy West Coast were for the squad to be more competitive than last year’s horror season.
Yet if the poor showing on Saturday is going to be the standard for the Eagles in 2023, this season could be déjà vu of 2022.
What they need to tweak for next week
The Eagles host GWS at Optus Stadium next week, will they be able to use the home crowd to bring more effort in the game?
Jack Makeham
The Key Takeaway: Tall Dogs are still finding their feet
One of the biggest talking points over the off-season was the massive changes the Bulldogs underwent, strengthening their previously dire key position depth while losing some of the potency of their vaunted midfield.
While expectations were high for the Dogs coming into the season, there was a concern that it may take some time for this new-look squad to truly click.
This came to fruition when facing off against the powerhouse that is Melbourne, with the Bulldogs looking disjointed and ineffective, particularly when going forward.
Aaron Naughton and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan shot a combined 2.5, while new recruit Rory Lobb failed to hit the scoreboard.
There is simply too much talent in this squad for them to struggle for too long, however it may take a few rounds for the Dogs to properly kick into gear.
The Undroppables
Oskar Baker was a bit of an unexpected inclusion into the Bulldogs’ Round 1 side, being picked up in the supplemental selection period but raising his stock after a stellar pre-season.
The former Demon put together a solid performance in his debut, collecting 13 touches and kicking a goal against his old club.
The Positive: The first half
For the first two quarters of the matchup with the Demons, the Bulldogs were looking dangerous, leading for much of the second term.
While Melbourne eventually overran the Dogs, there was a lot to like for a large chunk of the clash.
Considering the Bulldogs were taking it to the premiership favourites even while dealing with their attacking woes, the squad looks to be a real threat once they kick into gear.
The Negative: Bulldogs’ inefficient attack
The Bulldogs need more from their forwards.
For a side with premiership hopes, a combined 2.5 from Naughton, Ugle-Hagan and Lobb is not enough to get the job done.
This point will likely be a frequent topic over the next week, standing out as the key issue for the Bulldogs so far. There will be at least one change after Lobb was sent for surgery on Monday.
Jack Makeham