ANALYSIS: On a disappointing day for footy, Sam Docherty and Carlton provide some much-needed light
Basically from the moment the final siren sounded on Wednesday night's season opener, the details of which were almost instantly, the worst aspects of the game were beamed loud and clear across the country.
It was just about the worst start to a season imaginable for the AFL. Instead of spruiking their "festival of footy" in Melbourne and relishing in the return of the men's game, they were forced once again to stare cultural failings in the eye. Docherty's goal came late in the second quarter, in the middle of a Carlton fightback. Fans of both sides, all 72,179 of them, applauded Docherty as if he was family while his Blues brothers swarmed from all corners of the MCG to embrace him.
Docherty was a key part of that, as was the repurposed Mitch McGovern and ever-reliable Jacob Weitering, but crucially this defensive success was predicated on system and structure, rather than individual excellence.Patrick Cripps was fantastic for the Blues. For the many thousands of Blues fans in the ground, the usual caveats designed to play down round-one victories went out the window. There was genuine emotion in the stands, the sort normally reserved for wins in finals.