FOOTBALL

AFL EXPORTS

BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

 

MANY Latrobe Valley exports hit the track for Opening Round of the 2026 AFL season.

As is every year, players, coaches and spectators all set their expectations high for what is expected to be another tight season.

 

Sydney 20.12 (132) def Carlton 10.9 (69)

THOSE expectations were loud for each of Carlton and Sydney when they faced off in the league season opener on Thursday night at the SCG.

Despite the spectacle of Charlie Curnow coming up against his old team, the Swans stormed past the Blues by 63 points.

Scoring was hard to come by through the first two quarters, as Carlton sat ahead by 10 points at the main break.

The Blues appeared to be trending toward a surprise victory, after leading by four goals, the Swans booted 18 of the next 20, blowing the game out of the water.

On debut for Carlton, after a sudden trade away from Gold Coast during the offseason, Morwell’s Ben Ainsworth showcased two goals and 14 disposals for the navy blue.

 

Gold Coast 19.11 (125) def Geelong 10.9 (69)

WHAT a start to the new year.

Moe’s Bailey Humphrey couldn’t be stopped in the first quarter against Geelong, booting three of the first four goals for Gold Coast.

The Suns made light work of a fairly depleted Cats outfit, winning by 56 points at People First Stadium, Gold Coast on Friday night.

While much attention went to the Suns’ star recruit, Christian Petracca, Humphrey was given the freedom and space at centre half forward to get off to the best of start in his fourth season.

The former Moe, Newborough and Trafalgar junior was delivered the ball inside 50 within the first 30 seconds of the 2026 campaign, tallying his first major almost instantly.

He then snapped truly from the boundary a few minutes later and was found again midway through the first quarter, subsequently sending through his third goal early on.

Humphrey’s fourth and final goal for the game came as the second half opened, and the scary combination of he and Petracca was realised when the two linked up via hands before Humphrey snapped another.

Despite all the noise surrounding his desired departure in the offseason, ironically to Melbourne, Humphrey could be in for his best season yet and fits extremely well in a side eyeing a deep finals berth.

Humphrey finished with 15 touches and four goals on the night.

 

Collingwood 11.12 (78) def St Kilda 9.12 (66)

ALL sorts of noise surrounded St Kilda heading into 2026, for good reason too considering their recruits.

The Saints proved that they still have some way to go to become one of the best, succumbing to Collingwood on Sunday night at the MCG by 12 points.

As the only game across the weekend to feature a much more defensively focussed and tame strategy, the Magpies overcame a halftime deficit to steer forth an impressive victory.

While Traralgon’s Tim Membrey was kept quiet with just eight touches for Collingwood, former Moe junior and Fish Creek’s Sam Flanders on debut for St Kilda, collected 28 disposals and seven marks.

Morwell’s Changkuoth Jiath will prepare for his debut for Melbourne this Sunday against St Kilda in Round 1.

Churchill prodigy Calsher Dear was also overlooked for Hawthorn in their loss to GWS on Saturday afternoon, with his next opportunity coming Friday night against Essendon at the MCG.

 

BEFORE Opening Round started, all AFL and VFL clubs got match sim and practice matches in before the real season began.

Out with the Demons, former Gippsland Power boys coach Rhett McLennan has gotten a few games under his belt with Casey (Melbourne affiliate) alongside some Latrobe Valley exports.

Recent draftee Tom Matthews raised eyebrows in a one-point loss against North Melbourne, leaping for some high-flying marks and booting two goals.

The former Moe and Trafalgar junior was then named in Melbourne’s side for its AFL preseason hit-out against Richmond however, didn’t get on the ground.

Matthews and Morwell’s Ricky Mentha are expected to be key players for Casey’s VFL campaign this season, with both gaining opportunities in the midfield and down forward.

Tew Jiath featured in both hit-outs for Collingwood in the preseason, and after an injury-battered 2025, could see AFL exposure this season after just one senior game since being drafted in 2023.

Heyfield’s Asher Eastham wasn’t selected for his AFL debut in Opening Round for Gold Coast however, he did get a call-up during the Suns’ preseason game against St Kilda.

Eastham also featured in Gold Coast’s curtain raiser on Friday night when the VFL side took on Southport.

The VFL season starts Friday, March 20.