It's been a long time between drinks, and at times looked like it might not happen, but.... footy is finally back!
Here are nine things we are looking forward to in Round 2....ย
Jack Higgins Returns
Footy is returning on Thursday night as traditional rivals Collingwood host reigning premiers Richmond at the MCG.ย
This blockbuster always gets the blood pumping no matter who you support. However, there is extra reason to watch it because of one man. And no I am not talking about Dustin Martin, Scott Pendlebury or Brodie Grundy.ย
I am talking about Jack Higgins, who is expected to make a miraculous return to the football field after recovering from two bouts of brain surgery. Good luck Jack!
Are the Hawks or Cats legit flag contenders?
It may only be Round 2 and finals is well off the radar, however, these two clubs are always in the discussion of playing finals and going deep into them no matter how their on-field form is.
In 2019, it was Geelong who made it to the preliminary finals, as the Hawks missed out on September action altogether.
In 2018, both sides scrapped into the finals however, both teams had underwhelming campaigns as Geelong lost their elimination final against Melbourne while the Hawks went out in straight sets losing to Richmond and Melbourne.ย
Friday night may give us a good indication of who is just slightly closer to being a legit flag contender.ย
How will the Dockers respond to a young Lion outfit?
The Dockers narrowly went down to Essendon by a goal in Round 1, so the question is - how can they bounce back after a gut-wrenching defeat and given the long layoff in between Rounds 1 and 2?
They face a Lions side who went down to the Hawks by 27 points, who will be keen recapture their 2019 form that saw them shoot into the top four.ย
On the outside looking in, this should be a real cracker between two teams desperate for victory.
Fairytale for Harley Bennell as he gets given the green lightย ย
Melbourne recruit Harley Bennell will make his red and blue debut against Carlton on the weekend and more importantly will play his first game of AFL football since 2017.ย
It has been well known that Bennell has had a troubled past with injuries and could only master two games with Fremantle before the Demons took a punt on the former number 2 draft pick.
Bennell's journey has all been worthwhile as he gets the chance to finally play AFL again in what will be a special moment for all footy fans.ย
Hub life begins for Eaglesย
For the first time in a long time, the Eagles will not have a home game every two weeks as they settle to life on the Gold Coast as per AFL requirements.
Incidentally, the Eagles first opponent on the Gold Coast is the Suns, who they will also share facilities with throughout the whole month while West Coast are up there.ย
With no games at Optus Stadium for at least a month, the question is how well can the Eagles adapt from playing on a natural ground for the time being.ย
Can Adelaide put a turbulent shutdown period behind them?
It has been a troublesome shutdown period for the Crows with one bad thing happening after another.ย
Maybe the most concerning was former Crows legend Andrew McLeod, who played 340 games for the club, publicly saying he doesn't feel welcome back at West Lakes.
The shutdown has really put pressure on the club and rookie coach Matthew Nicks, who would no doubt now want their footy to do the talking.ย
Can North Melbourne make a statement of intent?
North Melbourne are currently just outside of the eight sitting in ninth position. While it may only be Round 2, North Melbourne have a huge opportunity to go 2-0 in a shortened season.ย
North head to Giants Stadium as they take on last year's runners up GWS in front of 350 fans. However, this could be a good as any chance to make a huge statement if they can get the win.ย
It won't be easy though, as the Giants are coming off a 32-point win over Geelong as they ran riot kicking 11.3 (105) to the Cats 11.7 (73) behind four goal hauls from both Toby Greene and Harry Perryman.
Essendon gains leadership but will that be enough?
The good news for the Essonon faithful is that captain Dyson Heppell is set to make a return after recovering from his foot problems that restricted him in back end of last season. However, will his leadership qualities be enough for the Bombers to snag a win against Sydney?ย
Sydney is missing star forwardย Buddy Franklin, but the Bombers could also be light on the attacking stocks as Joe Daniher and Orazio Fantasia are both injured.ย
Sunday night footyย
After a six-year hiatus, Sunday night footy is back on the AFL agenda from Rounds 2-5 as the return of the time slot sees St Kilda taking on the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium at 6.05pm.
When the AFL last had Sunday night footy in 2014, only 41,000 showed up to the MCG. But with fans unable to attend games, the league has tried to reinvent the end-of-week night fixture.ย
