The Opening Round of the 2024 AFL season saw Carlton stage an incredible comeback, the Premiers humbled, and a new Swan star against his old club.
Blues set tone for big year ahead
In an opening round of AFL action packed with storylines, it’s hard to go past Carlton’s incredible comeback against Brisbane as the best of the lot. Down by 46 points midway through the second term, the Blues ($3.60 outsiders) stormed home against last season’s grand finalists ($1.28) to record a famous win. It wasn’t even just the fact they edged over the line, but the manner in which they did so. The subject of intense scrutiny over his goal kicking in recent weeks, 2021 Coleman Medalist Harry McKay delivered the knockout blow, marking strongly and kicking true inside the final 90 seconds to seal the club’s first four points of the campaign.
It was unsurprisingly McKay (three goals, $4.25 pre-match to kick 3+ with Palmerbet) and Charlie Curnow (four goals, $3.15) who got things done in the Carlton forward line. Not all wins are created equal, and this one will mean more than your average four points for Carlton fans. It also sees them in from $9.00, into $8.00 AFL premiership chances.
MCKAY SET SHOT GOAL CARLTON IN FRONT #AFLLionsBlues pic.twitter.com/H67ESpIsjc
— 7AFL (@7AFL) March 8, 2024
Premiers humbled
There was a whole lot of spice heading into Collingwood’s match against GWS in Opening Round, in what was a rematch of their famous preliminary final last season. After an impressive pre-season the Giants went in $1.67 favourites over reigning AFL premiers Collingwood ($2.23), and when Pies tall Mason Cox — who had criticised the Giants’ home ground in the lead-up — ran through the GWS ruck warmup, it was on. What transpired, though, was a fairly comprehensive win for the hosts, who kicked six unanswered goals either side of half-time to get up by a comfortable 32 points. The Giants comfortably covered the pre-game line of -6.5, while the total score (196) also easily surpassed the pre-game line of 166.5.
It was two surprise packets who did the most damage for the Giants on the scoreboard, too. Callum Brown bagged five majors in what was a breakout performance (the emerging forward was $23 pre-match to kick 4+) while small forward Brent Daniels kicked four ($19 to kick 4+).
“Mason likes to say things that get a bit of a headline, he likes the limelight, but what he did before the game I thought was really bizarre.”
Brent Daniels wasn’t impressed by Mason Cox’s ‘carry on’ with Shane Mumford, saying it wasn’t ‘a good look’. #9AFLSFS | CH9 & 9Now pic.twitter.com/pqkaYbOJm1
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) March 10, 2024
New Swans, new roles in promising signs at Sydney
No club had a bigger off-season than the Swans, who brought in a host of names to revamp their playing list in a bid to get back to the Top 4. But when the inside grunt of new man Taylor Adams, and three-time best and fairest Luke Parker injured themselves a week out from AFL Opening Round — alongside the long-term injury of club skipper Callum Mills — the Swans looked all of a sudden gettable. And the markets reflected it, as Melbourne came in prior to the first bounce as both clubs were at $1.90.
But as it turned out, they needn’t have worried. New ruckman Brody Grundy was phenomenal in his first game in red and white, and was best afield (only just) ahead of Isaac Heeney in a new midfield role. Heeney was $5.50 pre-match to have 25+ disposals, and finished with 26 at the SCG as the Bloods ran out 22-point winners ($2.40 1-39). Bayley Fritsch (four goals, $5.25 pre-game to kick 4+) was the standout for the Dees. But the Swans were the story, and with Grundy singlehandedly able to transform their contested footy, they’ve already shortened from $10 AFL premiership chances into $9.
“His work around the footy was enormous.”
Brodie Grundy has received praise from both his former and current coach.https://t.co/h2oBgdpe0G
— AFL (@AFL) March 7, 2024