AFL opener: Dusty Martin makes his mark as Richmond and Carlton settle for draw

T ies in football are hollow affairs. They suck the air out of the stadium. They immediately have you scratching for perspective: who dodged the bullet? who pissed it away? whose two points were grounds for optimism? Invariably, they prompt a few days of very tedious content about extra time and golden points. The SEN open line (“how you doin’…that’s the way… hey I just wanted to talk about scrapping the draw…”) is ringing in my head as I type.

Last night’s season opener was no different. It started with Dustin Martin lunching on a spilt mark in the opening seconds. It ended with the Carlton and Richmond players slouching about like Brown’s cows, assuming their neutral poses. In some ways, one’s mind cast back to the early days of the pandemic, to a mind-rotting drawn game between Collingwood and Richmond. “Well that was a complete waste of a couple of hours, wasn’t it?” Nathan Buckley said to Damian Hardwick. The cardboard cut-outs in the crowd nodded in agreement.

Last night’s fixture had much more weight, and was far a better contest. But it was no epic. Football at this time of year is often completely different to the football played in June, or in August. The grounds are harder, the players are afforded a bit more freedom, and the football pings. Last night, however, felt a like a pipe opener. There were plenty of shanks, fumbles, and dropped marks. A number of players fatigued and cramped early. Even Dusty’s “don’t argues” were thwarted.

Nonetheless, both sides can take positives. In particular, George Hewett played an outstanding game for the Blues. Unfashionable and unobtrusive, he’s one of those footballers that doesn’t get anywhere near the credit he deserves. He has clean hands and a cool head – two things