AFL
2 days ago
Cornes and King’s on all 18 club’s Round 2 performance
By SEN
SEN Breakfast's Kane Cornes and David King have provided their first thoughts on each club who played in Round 2.
It is a snapshot reaction to what happened over the course of the weekend.
(They did not discuss Hawthorn and Carlton as they assessed that game on Friday's edition of Fireball).
Footscray
Cornes: Footscray marked 100 years with a heartbreaker, left howling at the ordinary umpiring like a dog locked outside in the rain. But, is this what it felt like in 1990 when a 19-year-old Wayne Carey burst onto the scene at North Melbourne? Sam Darcy is that guy and the Dogs need only to focus on building the team around him.
Collingwood
King: It’s coughing and spluttering but when they burst off half-back by hand, they can play. Does it beat the best? Who knows.
Watch the extended YouTube video below:
Essendon
Cornes: Kingy called them 'Ease-endon', which was phrasing it very kindly. They conceded 129 marks, 20 of those were inside Adelaide's forward 50 and the Crows had 12 individual goal kickers. Essendon had 41 less disposals yet were out-tackled by 12. At 0-2, this Thursday night against Port Adelaide already feels like a season defining match. Lose that and its bombs away on 2025.
Adelaide
King: They’re a contender. Only good teams do what they’ve done over the past fortnight. 2025 is all about damage and they’re exceptional. Yes, the big three in the forward half work well together.
Port Adelaide
Cornes: Strolled through this one like a Saturday afternoon walk in the park for Kenny and Carry. Captain Connor Rozee's speed and power is back, but we learned nothing against a side still mentally stuck in the MCG change rooms from Round 1 — where they were too busy soaking up Gatorade showers and sooking about someone who questioned the coach's aura.
King: No one mauls a brumby like Port Adelaide.
Richmond
King: Outgunned, out-hunted and got smacked. A week is a long time in footy.
St Kilda
Cornes: St Kilda delivered a classic Ross Lyon masterclass - tough, disciplined and relentless. They out-hunted, out-tackled, and out-possessed Chris Scott's Cats, defending like their lives depended on it - even as they lost the inside-50 count 23-32 after half-time. Ross, forget the youth excuses — just demand this level of effort every week and it will be a fun year.
Geelong
King: The Tom Stewart injury changed the game, possibly, but the coaches box won this one, hence Chris Scott’s anger. Deny Geelong intercept game and reap the rewards. Oh, and that Jack Macrae can play.
Brisbane
Cornes: Did what they needed to do after conceding the first five against the Eagles. But I'm on premiership hangover watch - where was Cam Rayner yesterday, and the week before that? 8 touches, 0 score involvements after 13 touches and 0.2. Won a premiership, signed until 2031...
West Coast
King: Great signs - fast start - just needed 23 focused players, not 22.
North Melbourne
Cornes: Melbourne spent the pre-season preaching about rekindled love and connection, but North Melbourne just handed them a brutal breakup - an eight-goal-to-one final quarter that left the Demons dumped, heartbroken, and wondering whether they'll ever find love again.
Melbourne
King: The era is over. They’ve lost the invincible appearance, that genuine fear factor. Let’s see just how long the love lasts now. Christian Petracca on watch with only five score involvements.
Fremantle
Cornes: Justin deliberately played a vanilla brand of football to hide his revolutionary game style against the Indigenous All-Stars in pre-season - he didn't realise that there are no secrets. The Dockers are averaging 67 points in the first two weeks of the season, only West Coast have kicked fewer. He's vanilla, they are vanilla and time is running out to show us something.
Sydney
King: Have full-back, will travel. Dean Cox's first win - well done. Maybe Tom McCartin is a full-back... Isaac Heeney on watch a la C.Petracca.
