What was instructive for Collingwood was the impact made by John Noble when he came on the ground as the sub. He played like a player with a chip on his shoulder; with the heightened energy of someone who had a point to prove, perhaps angry that he missed out on playing in last year’s grand final. He, thus, played like all of his GWS opponents.

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Without turning into a pop psychologist – and maybe it is an over-reach – but it did appear to reflect the different levels of energy and desire between the groups.

Carlton were similar to GWS in that regard. They played in a different headspace to a year ago.

Carlton’s last five wins now have been by one point in opening round, two points over Melbourne in last year’s semi-final, six points over Sydney in the elimination final, four points over Gold Coast in round 23 and a four-point triumph, again over Melbourne, in round 22.

That is Collingwood territory for finding ways to win close games.

Yes, they lost a couple of other games last year in that period, but teams that win close games, teams that come from so far behind – like the Blues did in Brisbane with injuries to key players – are teams that have found an unwavering self-belief.

That is not to say they will not be beaten again, they will. But Carlton now has the mentality of a team that expects to win. Carlton, for a long time, did not know how to win. They do now.

More persuasively, the Blues know they are never really out of any contest, even if they fall a long way behind.

That kind of self-belief comes from wins like Friday night’s; against one the very best teams, on a ground no one else has been able to win at, and without two of their best players (Jacob Weitering and Sam Walsh) and after a luckless player (Sam Docherty) has succumbed to yet another knee injury.

That type of belief could become as important in the thinking of their opposition as it does for the Blues. No team will feel safe against Carlton this year, even if they break open a big early lead.

One of the reasons that self-belief will skyrocket is that they have won close games and come from behind before, including the win over Melbourne in last year’s semi. More significantly, they also know they have assets other teams can’t match – Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay. Curnow turned the game on Friday night. McKay won it.

Teams that truly have the self-belief they can win a match from anywhere have game breakers. The teams that inspire the most fear in the opposition protecting a lead have game breakers. Carlton has game breakers.

Open, shut case

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Opening round is still round one. Call it that. Is opening round a good idea? The crowds were good, more people watched the game in the northern states and it made money, so there’s three ticks.

It was allegedly time to capitalise on the NRL opening their season in Las Vegas and not gifting the rugby code a full weekend of matches to themselves in NSW and Queensland this weekend.

Opening the season with four games in the two northern states against big marquee clubs was smart. Does it have to be the week earlier than usual? Yes, if you don’t want to give the NRL a free kick to start the season. But it should be a full extra round, just like Gather Round, and not half a round, which then causes byes to be staggered into the schedule, adding a further layer of distortion and unfairness to an already compromised fixture.

Crossing the line

Nathan Broad saw an opponent coming and stepped over the line. You could as reasonably understand the umpire paying the free kick for deliberately rushing a behind as letting it go.

Broad clearly felt he was safe to step over the line because he was close to goal and under pressure. He felt the rules allowed it, and reasoned umpires in previous years had policed it that way.

But equally, it was easy to understand why the free kick was paid.

Malcolm Rosas was beyond the goal square when Broad took possession. Broad had turned upfield, saw the player coming, assessed options and stepped backwards, Joel Bowden-like, over the line. It looked like the exact type of moment the AFL brought the rule in for. It was rare but not unreasonable.

What felt unreasonable was the 50-metre penalty paid against Dylan Grimes, who might have assumed the umpire would apply the same commonsense approach he had used with Grimes a minute earlier. Grimes was told to stand up when he went to ground after Tom Berry bumped into him late in a marking contest.

Turnovers hurt Tigers

The early question for Richmond and Adem Yze out of their loss to Gold Coast centres on the fact they have a group of players recruited to play Damien Hardwick’s style of game, who are now being asked to play Adem Yze’s game.

The game styles are different.

Yze’s game lends more to Melbourne’s style than Richmond’s.

His style demands better care when using the ball than Hardwick’s did. Hardwick wanted territory and winning the contest, so skill errors were less consequential to him. Now they are trying to play with more care for the ball.

Richmond’s foot skills, even of some of the better players, will be of concern to Yze.

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It is a one-game sample, and the Tigers were without three of their best players, but they were badly beaten around the ball by an outstanding Gold Coast.

What’s more, they wasted any chance they had when they did get the ball by committing horrible turnovers.

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