Round 1 of the 2025 AFL season is in the books. So, it's time to react ... or overreact.
Debate was sparked after Scott Pendlebury's surprise sub role, and after a large crop of first-gamers lit up the weekend, did we witness the best week for debutants ever?
So let's get to Round 1 overreactions, where we judge a few major takeaways as legitimate or irrational.
This was the best week ... ever for debutants in the AFL
If you count Opening Round, we saw 24 new faces across the first 'week' of footy. A staggering number which underlines the talent taken in last year's draft, one which continues to threaten to be a 'superdraft' when all is said and done.
Looking at Round 1 in isolation, there were stories everywhere. From Sam Lalor picking up 18 disposals, a team-high eight score involvements, and two goals, to Luke Trainor looking composed in Richmond's defence. Murphy Reid's four snags in four minutes lit up social media, Isaac Kako had Dons fans salivating, and Melbourne's handful of first-gamers didn't look out of place.
But was it the best round ever for first-gamers?
Verdict: OVERREACTION
Yes, by AFL Player Rating Points, Lalor's performance (17.30) was the fourth best for an 18-year-old on debut (a qualifier which excludes mature age recruits like Michael Barlow tallying 33 disposals) behind Josh Rachele, Ollie Wines, and Clay Smith.
Yes, Reid (13.60 Rating Points) did drag Fremantle back into the contest when he kicked four straight goals (the third fastest instance of such, no less!). And yes, Kako (14.50) looked lively for the Dons.
But when you talk about total Rating Points, according to Champion Data it was the fourth best week for debutants overall, and even lower if you average it out per debutant.
Of course, there is a caveat here. Round 1, 2012 was when GWS (the club) debuted in the AFL. And in 2011 Gold Coast played its first game.
The best round that wasn't a season opener was 15th on the list; in Round 2, 2011 there were 16 debutants for 88 Rating Points. Eagle-eyed readers will know that's the week Gold Coast actually played its first game, against Carlton, after a bye in Round 1 of that year.
Looking for a more 'normal' round? The 16th-best round was Round 6, 2018, in which eight debutants collated a cumulative 73 Rating Points.
Managing Scott Pendlebury's minutes shouldn't come at the cost of tactics, and it sends the wrong message to the team
Collingwood starting Scott Pendlebury as the substitute for its match against Port Adelaide certainly raised eyebrows. Load management? Really? After one game? The Pies do face three matches in 13 days to kickstart their 2025 campaign but that is in no way a gruelling stretch for professional athletes, especially one who prepares as meticulously as he, nor is it something we haven't seen a team handle before. Some argue it's all a bad look, going away from using the sub for tactical impact and instead electing to ease a veteran through the season.
Verdict: OVERREACTION
Ultimately, how a team, and coach, uses their starting substitute is completely up to them. And the Pies, well, they planned this well in advance, Craig McRae revealing in his post-match press conference that he and Pendlebury had discussed the idea a month ago.
The club is clearly trying to manage the 37-year-old's workload strategically, particularly considering the early-season heat and intense, high-transition game styles we tend to see, as McRae also alluded to. A slower player like Pendlebury, despite his strengths in other areas, might struggle in those conditions.
Other clubs have done this effectively in the past, too -- Chris Scott has used Patrick Dangerfield as a sub over the past few seasons, and Sam Mitchell did the same with Luke Breust last year.
Extra minutes for others isn't exactly a problem for the rest of the squad. Plus, if it keeps Pendlebury fresh for when it matters later in the year, and he's on board with it, there's no issue. As long as he can still perform to the required level, that is.
Finn Callaghan had every right to be frustrated about being taken off in a critical moment
Finn Callaghan has quickly established himself as one of the breakout stars this AFL season. After a best-on-ground performance against Collingwood in Opening Round, the powerful young midfielder backed it up with another 31 disposals and 596 metres gained in torrential conditions against Melbourne.
But late in the match, the 21-year-old seemed visibly frustrated when he was rotated on the bench, perhaps questioning the decision to be taken off the ground. We all know how important rotations are for the in-game management of a side, but it was a telling reaction from a player who knew he had more to give.
Verdict: REAL
Callaghan's reaction didn't look to be about selfishness, but about self-belief. After two rounds, the powerful on-baller has already shown he can be a game-changer, and his frustration at being taken off at a key stage of a tight game is merely a sign of his growing confidence and his will to compete and give everything for his team.
Callaghan picked up nine disposals and had three score involvements in the final stanza alone, and played a key hand in the match-winning goal when desperately pouncing on a Darcy Jones handball and keeping the footy surging forward in the middle of the MCG, proving how impactful he was when it mattered most.
Not to mention, 16 teammates had more time on ground than him, so it's understandable why he wanted to be out there. And if anything, this moment on the sidelines only reinforces just how important he already is to the Giants.