As one of the most popular sports in Australia, the new season of Australian Rules Football is keenly awaited.
And what better way than to start the season off with a game between the finalists in 2021. So on Wednesday, March 16th the Melbourne Demons will be squaring off against the Western Bulldogs. It will be an interesting game, to say the least, as in their last meeting at the Grand Final in September 2021 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne soundly beat the Bulldogs by 74 points. This was obviously a great result for the Demons, as they had not won a premiership since 1964 and Christian Petracca picked up the Norm Smith Medal for Best on Ground.
This match also promises to be interesting because the Western Bulldogs have had a relatively similar history to the Demons, with only two premierships, the first in 1954 and the latest one in 2016. The 1954 win is especially notable, as the Bulldogs played against Melbourne and won by 51 points.
The AFL betting odds will be interesting this year as Melbourne will want to retain their dominance, while the Bulldogs will want to prove themselves to be formidable opponents and what better than a win for them against the reigning Premiers on the very first game of the season. There is no doubt that both teams have made changes to their lineups and playing strategy as they both, like all teams in the league, know that the game evolves and teams must adapt accordingly.
Luke Beveridge, the current coach of the Western Bulldogs, played for both teams during the 1990s so he should have key inside knowledge of what to expect with the Melbourne Demons going forward. There’s no doubt that Beveridge and his team have studied the 2021 Grand Final in great detail during the off-season to find areas where they can improve for the upcoming season.
On the other hand, Simon Goodwin, lead coach for the Melbourne Demons since 2017, will be looking to continue his success and hopefully tally up another Premiership for the team in 2022. There’s no doubt for Goodwin that defeating the Bulldogs would be a pleasing way to start the season.
Melbourne players such as Norm Smith medalist Chris Petracca and 2021 AFL Rising Star winner Luke Jackson will want to continue their success with the team, while Bulldogs Captain Marcus Bontempelli will want to lead his team to greater heights this year and make up for their loss in 2021.
It’s a rare event to have the two previous premiership teams face off in the first game of the new season, and it may be a telling sign of things to come for both teams, based on the outcome. Most people will probably back the Demons, based on their previous win over the Bulldogs, but there will also be others who will have faith that the Bulldogs will fight hard to win and prove a point after their last disappointing game.
Whatever the outcome, it is an exciting way to start off the season and even non-supporters of both teams will be interested to see how this match plays out. The game will be played at the MCG in Melbourne, so there will be a sense of familiarity for both players and spectators alike.
