AFL Opening Round: Five key takeaways as Sydney Swans start season with win over Melbourne Demons

The Swans have made a flying start to the season, banishing the Demons by 22 points as Brodie Grundy made the perfect start to life in Sydney.

Here are our five key takeways.

1. Could anyone tell it was game one?

If fans needed a reminder that it was opening night, they quickly had it spelled out for them in the first quarter. There were clangers galore. In the opening 15 minutes, Melbourne utility and West Aussie Trent Rivers kicked the ball into the back of a teammate’s - who was standing five metres away - head, Brodie Grundy missed a handball by five metres, and Josh Schache let a handball fly by him because he wasn’t looking at Christian Petracca. Add to the that the Dees registered one goal and six behinds for the season’s opening term, and it was a tough watch.

2. Revenge is best served early

It was the big man rumble that everyone wanted to see as Brodie Grundy debuted for the Swans against the club that left him languishing in the VFL. And the new Swan did his best to show the Demons what they were missing out on. Max Gawn held the advantage in the ruck contest for much of the game with plus eight but didn’t run away with it as Grundy kept the Swans midfielders in the match. Around the ground though, the contest swayed drastically in Grundy’s favour. Grundy had nine clearances and 254 metres gained compared to two clearances and 22 metres gained for Gawn. In the end that around-the-ground battle proved the difference.

3. Tactics, tactics, tactics

It took Melbourne an awfully long time to figure out their handball game was getting them into trouble. At one point during the second quarter, the Demons had almost doubled the Swan’s handball count and were still struggling to find run. The Swans were disciplined in limiting the space on the already small SCG, and Melbourne kept themselves under pressure with handballs instead of trusting their forward line with kicks. In the end, the dew and humidity forced their hand as they moved to a more direct approach, doubling their goals from the first quarter in the first half of the third term. The Dees then hit the front, briefly. They will be hoping it’s a lesson they can take through the season.

4. On the Fritsch

Melbourne was left rueing their call to go with just one tall forward. Bayley Fritsch carried the responsibility well, slotting four of Melbourne’s nine majors. However, Jack Viney was the only other Dee to kick multiple goals. Ben Brown is unavailable, but they left Tom McDonald on the table. It allowed Sydney’s defenders to set up a stingy zone and not worry about the attackers. And the Swans don’t have the tallest of defences.

5. The apprenticeship hangover

2024 needs to be a mammoth year for West Aussie Logan McDonald as he comes out of contract at the Swans, but his efforts on Thursday night were a long way short of the grade. After learning the ropes from superstar Buddy Franklin, he has been handed the keys to the forward line as the prime target and played most of the game against Melbourne as the deepest attacking player. But he had no impact. He even had just one touch for the first half. When he came up the ground, he fumbled and looked off the pace. He kicked a goal late to go with eight disposals. During the week, Kane Cornes labelled him as the man Fremantle must have in their forward line next season, but he has plenty to prove before the Dockers go all in on him.