So many predictions are in ashes from the AFL opening round — in particular the league’s wish for an ‘enhanced’ game

New rules, new expectations for three teams and doomsday predictions for others. How did it all play out in the AFL’s opening round — with surprises and shock.

Tom Doedee walks off after suffering a year-ending ACL injury. Picture SARAH REED

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Well, that did not go as predicted … did it?

Question is, who with the AFL bubble is most surprised — or most shocked — by what happened in the opening round at the weekend?

The three teams from the bottom 10 expected to make the strongest challenge for a return to AFL finals in September — Adelaide, Essendon and North Melbourne — are in the bottom four.

It was not the start the Crows expected as they opened the AFL season at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. But Adelaide was not alone in failing to meet expectation in a surprising opening round. Picture: Sarah Reed

The Crows have much to explain for that home performance at Adelaide Oval that makes much of the 2018 collapse from pacesetter to pretender seem more than just fitness programs and Collective Mind.

The Bombers were simply so insipid that even club chief executive Xavier Campbell could not be moved to react — as he has in the past — with a message to the fans on social media.

And North Melbourne … no wonder it cannot land a truly big fish in the trade market. You can’t trust the Shiboners any more.

The two teams with the greatest question marks on their merit for the race to the top eight — Greater Western Sydney and Fremantle — are leading the competition.

The Giants might just have that one last roll of the dice before the squad becomes worked over by free agency. And the Dockers put away on off-field circus created by Jesse Hogan by making a mess of the Kangaroos on the park in Perth.

Cam McCarthy celebrates one of his five goals in the Dockers’ drubbing of North Melbourne. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

And then there is the AFL’s football department. Steve Hocking did not get the “enhanced” game his think tanks were aiming for with the nine rule changes.

Indeed, congestion — the great curse of the AFL game — still exists. The players are so fit — and clearly have been prepared in the off-season to run more and more — that they can still press up the game in half the field.

This was so evident in Port Adelaide’s press against Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday, particularly in the last term when the Demons could not break the Power’s defensive systems.

West Coast premiership coach Adam Simpson notes there are just 20 seconds to take advantage of the 6-6-6 starting positions. And if a team does not get an advantage in that time, the opposition has time to work zones rather than the one-on-one match-ups the AFL wanted to revive.

Brisbane Lions players celebrate knocking off the reigning premier Eagles in Round 1. Picture: AAP Image/Darren England

Hawthorn did it magnificently against the Crows at Adelaide Oval. So did Fremantle against North Melbourne.

It is a small sample, just nine games. But the AFL’s vision of an open game leading to more scoring — a theme that seemed to hold up in the loose pre-season — has not unfolded now that sheep stations are on the line.

The average score from the opening round was 78 points — five less than last season. This was the lowest average score in VFL-AFL football since the mid-1960s.

And only three teams — Brisbane (102), GWS (112) and Fremantle (141) — broke the watershed 100-point barrier.

The other interesting note from the opening round was the form of last year’s preliminary finalists. West Coast, Collingwood and Melbourne lost. Richmond had the luxury of playing Carlton.

It says something of the limited preparation — by extended holidays for players — afforded to the pacesetters. A bit more might be noted of this soon.

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