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The much awaited restart to the AFL season kicked off last night with Collingwood v Richmond at the MCG.
It was interesting to watch with the addition of crowd noise that Channel 7 have dubbed into the broadcast to make it more like the real spectacle. Cardboard cut outs of fans and banners were erected in the stands at the MCG. I wonder how it felt for the players without the fans in attendance.
The game was a scrappy, low scoring match, and ended in a draw; 5/6/36 each. This is the first time since 1917 that these two teams have played a draw. Even allowing for the shortened play of 16 minutes each quarter, this was a low score.
Collingwood played well at the start, and were probably the better team, but Richmond pegged them back. It was fitting in a way that it ended in a draw, being the first game back. It was great to see young Jack Higgins playing after more than a year out of action. He had two bouts of major brain surgery for bleeds in his brain that were from genetic causes (not from football). What a great recovery.
I hope all the AFL players stay safe and well and can play through the season.
Some venues will allow limited numbers of fans to attend matches from this weekend, with Victoria to follow suit if we keep on recording small numbers of cases. Premier, Daniel Andrews is waiting a few weeks in case there is a coronavirus flare up after last weekend’s Black Lives Matter demonstrations. One man who attended the Melbourne rally has tested positive.