Rhys Stanley, Jack Watts and Cam McCarthy all had tales of football redemption to tell in round one.
There is more at stake in the first round of an AFL season than just four premiership points. For teams and maybe more importantly players, round one offers the chance for a new beginning.
Past indiscretions are seemingly forgiven and forgotten by devoted fans who hope that the new season will be the one where the side they follow and the players they idolise will exceed expectations and soar to new heights.
It’s that unbridled optimism that offers every player in the AFL, no matter how many times their cards have been marked, the opportunity for redemption.
We all know how rare it is for a certain feline predator to change their spots, but did the first round of the new season see any leopards trade polka dots for say, herringbone, or perhaps plaid?
Taking note of another hackneyed old saying, which reminds us that one swallow does not a summer make (though one Swallow did almost the end of the road for Alan Richardson make), three of the game’s most-kicked kicking posts took the opportunity to make best use of “Redemption Round” to play near career-best games.
The first of the much-maligned to seek and find redemption in round one was Geelong follower Rhys Stanley, whose career has stopped, started and spluttered along like an orange Datsun 120Y with four on the floor and a pimply L-plater in the driver’s seat.
His victory over established star Brodie Grundy went a long way to securing Geelong’s surprise win over Collingwood, was close to the former South Australian’s best game the for Cats, and certainly eclipsed anything he had ever produced for the Saints.
The next of our born-again stars was Jack Watts, who choked up like a first-time Oscar recipient in his post-match interview with Cam Mooney.
Putting aside his cringeworthy ‘my life’s been hell’ speech, because snorting whatever off a girl’s boobs on your European holiday is actually not hell, Watts played a blinder across the half-back line and may have finally found his best on-field self.
The final player to take a mulligan on a flagging career left it to the last minute. Not only did Cam McCarthy’s rebirth happen in the ultimate match of the round, but his place in the side was not secured till the proverbial one minute to midnight.
McCarthy replaced an injured Brennan Cox, who replaced Jesse Hogan. Like the lion who swallowed the dog, who swallowed the cat, who swallowed the mouse, who swallowed the spider, who swallowed the fly, McCarthy fed on the opposition and bagged five in his best performance for the violet crumbles.
So redemption did three boo boys playing for their second AFL clubs seek and redemption did Stanley, Watts and McCarthy receive.
But before our newly-crowned heroes finally take that ever elusive restful night’s sleep, a word of warning. Just as fans can be forgiving, betray their trust with a dip in form, unavailability or even a single on-field clanger, and you will be angrily returned to a footballing purgatory for underachievers with your papers once again stamped “never again”.
