AFL 2021 season kicks off in stunning fashion, promising a season of change

Firstly: wow.

The AFL season has kicked off with two stunning matches.

Richmond’s defeat of Carlton on Thursday night was attacking end-to-end football.

The Western Bulldogs’ low-scoring win over Collingwood last night was no less enthralling if a more rugged and contested affair, but still with a premium on attacking play as the ball pinged from one arc to the other.

The skills were sometimes sublime and sometimes wanting, but that is always going to be the case in round one when players are still getting up to full match fitness.

It is early days, but already it appears that the ultra-defensive play of previous years has been replaced by more open, running football and less rugby-like mauls.

One obvious reason is the new stand the…