You could say the same about the NRL, where despite the biggest club being outside of Sydney the bigger focus from the TV networks are often on the big Sydney rivalries…plus the bulk of the money comes from companies (media or otherwise) that have a substantial presence in Victoria. The bulk of the fanbase and the biggest memberships (Eagles and Crows could have more but they are capped due to stadium constraints) are Victorian based clubs, this competition is an evolution of a Victorian league (let’s not forget that the Crows would never have been formed if Port didn’t make the first move to join the newly rebranded league in 1990). Sure they may call it Australia’s Game to appeal to marketers but in reality the elite competition is still very much oriented to the Victorian teams, even though those outside Victoria do have greater advantages (12 games in their home state, better slice of a smaller corporate pie given the big companies are East Coast centric, the academies to access the best younger players in the smaller markets etc).
Adelaide is the first ever AFLW premiers, beating Brisbane Lions 35-29 in front of more than 15,000 fans at Metricon Stadium. I wonder if any AFL sponsor will offer a bonus for the Crows winning both women’s and men’s title this year, and similar for the competing AFLW teams in future years?
Great win to Port Adelaide and Essendon yesterday. Both underdogs. I tipped Essendon but did not expect to see Port Adelaide beat Sydney at the SCG.
Apparently for the first time since Round 4, 2014 all of the favourites lost on Saturday.
Round One isnt an indicator but I feel it might be an exciting and close year.
Glad to see my Bombers have bounced back after all what has happened. I know it’s early, but I think we’ll see them in finals this year. Having the year off has helped, but it’s a long year and we’ll see what happens
Hope for your sake, they can emulate my Sharkies in the NRL who went through the whole ASADA thing in 2014 and finished last that season to being 2016 premiers!
Great news for the AFL with a full round attendance of 400,401, a new all-time record, smashing the previous mark of 371, 212 set in R15, 2013.
I am so ecstatic still 
Go my Bombers!
Wish I could have been there in the MCC on Saturday night, but was busy.
What an opening round!
Turdall did you fix the tipping access for me?
The what now
Melbourne Cricket Club
Ah. Thought it may have been Masterchef Central.
My thoughts on a top 8 this year, after round 1.
GWS
Western Bulldogs
Adelaide
Geelong
Sydney
Port Adelaide
Essendon
West Coast
I agree with most of your predictions there.
Unfortunately, it looks like my Hawks will probably be slipping out of the 8 this year for the first time since 2009. But how can I complain, 4 premierships in the last 9 years isn’t bad… It’s time for clubs other than us, Sydney and the Cats to win the flag.
That’s one area where the draft and cap haven’t really worked for the AFL.
The same 3 clubs have won 8 of the last 10 premierships.
Whereas in the NRL, which doesn’t have a draft, 7 different teams have won the Grand Final in that time, and that includes the 2 that the Storm were stripped of.
Biggest problem with the draft is that it’s been compromised ever since the Suns and Giants have entered the competition. For a number of years around their start up period they’ve had all manner of concession picks, then the order has basically altered on the night with the whole semi complicated bidding system for Academy Picks (still waiting for one to really become a major star rather than a potential star or below), and Father-Son selections. Thus the teams that struggle towards the bottom of the ladder may not get the players they want because someone launched a bid for a player to make the Northern Clubs pay overs for their “developed” talent.
Plus there’s also much less yearly change to teams and rosters between the codes. Many successful clubs in AFL land will probably only have the mandatory 3 players that have gone from the club, which apart from the odd retirement or the occasional disgruntled fringe player taking big money from a battler who are blind to how poor they actually are, are usually players who have battled to win a spot yet still get the consolation of a “Supplementary” list place (It’s not a Rookie List any more IMO, not since they let mature aged players with tons of top level experience on them). NRL teams by contrast often have a key element of their team change from year to year (even Melbourne have lost players considered by many to be supporting cast depart when they are as important as the Big 3). Plus the successful NRL clubs often have to deal with their best players playing anywhere up to 7 additional games for state and country per year which can take a long term toll.
Absolutely humiliating loss for the Hawks tonight. I’m actually tipping us to be placed somewhere in the bottom of the ladder. Kinda like what happened to Brisbane in 2005.
Really missing Mitchell and Lewis!!!
Yeah Hawthorn are going to have a dark year and they can’t even claim the number 1 draft pick.
Yeah, our off season decision making has been mocked heavily on social media!
St Kilda would be loving it though… Looks like dark times ahead for the next couple of seasons at least.
Also interesting to note that the bottom 3 teams were all in the top 8 last season.
I have been a Hawthorn fan since 1991 and from my memory the Hawks have never been on the bottom of the ladder during the past 25 years.
Edit: I was wrong on this one. Herald Sun says today the last time Hawthorn was on bottom of the ladder was round 1, 2007.