RICHO’S TOP 10: AFL Opening Round has failed with Perth and Adelaide fans robbed of football

1. We often talk about a player in this column as a fine wine that gets better with age.

I think this is the second time Jack Gunston has come up. At 34, he has never played better. He has now kicked 81 goals in his last 24 games. It’s not ridiculous to say he’s the most consistent forward in the game at the moment. His leading patterns and forward craft are also almost the best in the comp. If you’re a young forward I would be watching Jack’s tape every week. A star.

2. After a couple of blowouts in the first few weeks we have a cracker this Friday night.

The Crows and the Dogs should be a close one between two teams that could finish top four this year. The Dogs have already accounted for the reigning premiers and another finalist from 2025 in the Giants. Something they could not do last year was beat top eight teams, going 2-9 against them. This a great sign from the Dogs. Their strength is in the midfield with the Bont and Ed Richards unstoppable so far. Marcus Bontempelli has gone to another level if that was possible. Why? Because he’s hitting the scoreboard more with six goals in two games. Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy are getting elite service and have 14 goals between them in two games. The Crows have started the year with a hard- fought road win at the ’G against the Pies. Their forward line will like their chances against a Dogs back line that can be beaten one on one. Break even in midfield and 2-0 is likely for Adelaide.

3. It’s been a soft launch to 2026 with Opening Round. I don’t like it at all.

Why? Because as we head into the third week of the season we have not even had a game in two major AFL cities in Perth and Adelaide. We now also have four teams having byes. Who wants a bye after two games? No one. I know fixturing is hard and you can’t please all the fans and clubs but in 2026 round one must feature all teams and cities. Start with a bang. It doesn’t mean you can’t showcase games in Sydney and Brisbane. Opening Round simply hasn’t worked.

4. Sports science has gone mad.

The fiasco of Nasiah Wanganeen- Milera sitting on the bench for six minutes in the last quarter might have lost St Kilda the game against Melbourne. Nasiah had just taken a contested mark and kicked a goal. His young opponent Koltyn Tholstrup would have been very nervous playing deep back. Nas didn’t need a break as he had been playing deep forward. He didn’t want to come off either. He knew he could be the matchwinner again. The situation of games must overrule sports science and rotations every single time. Particularly if it is involving one of the biggest stars in the game.

5. Is there a more daunting prospect in world sport than teeing off at the par 3 17th hole at The Players Championship golf tournament?

The famous island green. It’s just great theatre. Ten per cent of shots end up in the drink and that’s the pros. Imagine your weekend hacker trying to hit that green. Wind swirling, tiny green. An Aussie in Aaron Baddeley has the record since 2003 of hitting it in the water the most with 14. Can you believe that Bob Tway had 12 shots at that hole in 2003. Put it in the drink three times. Imagine the little man in his head talking to him as he’s teeing the ball up. I know how it feels — he talked to me every time I had a shot at goal lol.

6. Brisbane won the flag from 0-2 in 2024, so it’s not panic stations yet.

They have been decimated early this season by injury and suspensions. They overcame injuries in 2025 as well to win the flag so they know they can recover. But if they lose their next game against the Saints to be 0-3 the numbers say it’s getting hard to win a three-peat. In the AFL era only Brisbane themselves have <FZ,1,0,48>won a GF from 0-3. Only 10 teams in total have made finals from this position. Time to get moving. They know this better than any team.

7. Scott Pendlebury is free to play this week and so he should be.

A scrupulously fair player over 427 games, his clean slate should always have been taken into consideration after this went through the MRO matrix. The matrix gave him a week. That was just box ticking. It was then downgraded at the tribunal to a fine meaning he was still guilty. After a close look at the incident with Josh Worrell I thought contact was unavoid- able and he was trying to slow down. He was not trying to hurt Worrell. He had no intent. His record should be clean. There was also a similar bump in opening round between Mac Andrew and Tom Atkins. No charge. Scott should finish his career with a clean record and I’m sure that means something to him.

8. What a weekend it is in Hobart for the Tassie Devils.

They are playing their first game in the VFL against Coburg. More than 12,000 people are expected at the famous North Hobart oval. This is sensational and a long time coming. The other thing I’ve heard from a few people is that it might be hard to attract a big marquee signing if the Devils are not playing in the new stadium until their third year in the AFL. I disagree. It’s about the whole package they can offer. Lifestyle, state of the art training facility, the financial remuneration and the $140 million redevelopment of UTAS Stadium in Launceston. The list goes on. If you are person that enjoys a more laid-back lifestyle you will love Tassie. Much like the Cats offer with the surf coast. Tassie will land a big fish. I have zero doubts.

9. Few knockers coming at Richmond’s Tom Lynch after his 2.7 against the Blues.

I take the glass half full approach here. Nine scoring shots is the second most shots he has had at goal in his career. That’s great for Tom as after two injury-interrupted seasons he looks to be moving really well and injury free. He has also been a reliable kick for most of his career. We all have an off night. He’s so important for the Tigers still to help fast- track the development of Jonty Faull and Harry Armstrong.

10. The AFL would be rapt.

The rule changes are having the desired effect. Plenty of goals and fast ball movement. Momentum has never been so hard to stop. Teams going on five and six-goal runs. All well and good. But for sides at the lower rungs trying to develop a team defence and system it means some big defeats are going to be coming. It’s never been harder to get yourself out of the doom cycle of losing. I hope I’m wrong for the sake of West Coast, Richmond and Essendon.