Sack Woosha? Tigers can't win the flag? R1 overreactions

THERE is always a massive build up to round one, and a massive fallout afterwards.

But the reactions – or, more accurately, overreactions – to this year's season-opener seemed to reach a new level of hysteria.

Following a remarkable round in which there were six upsets, some of the responses might prove centimetre-perfect but many others are likely to slew off the side of the boot.

If you doubt us, compare last year's round one results to the eventual ladder.

First impressions are important but sometimes they are a veneer. After all, we're talking about a sample size of just one.

So on the eve of round two it's worth remembering that, in sport at least, things are rarely as good or bad as they seem.

Here are some notable overreactions to emerge from round one.

Sack 'Woosha'
Following Essendon's second successive busy recruiting campaign, Bomber fans dared to dream that they would finally break their 15-year drought without a finals victory (the longest current drought).

Some now believe it's a pipedream after the Dons continued their poor pre-season form to be smashed by Greater Western Sydney at Giants Stadium.

The most extreme call from incensed Bomber fans was for Worsfold to be sacked, which seems more than a little premature.

Some experts even accused the Bombers of surrendering, which would horrify Worsfold, a fierce competitor who'd rather fly the flag than put up a white one.

It makes us wonder what the reaction will be if the Dons go down to struggling St Kilda on Saturday.

Rance-less Richmond can't win the flag
When a team loses arguably the best defender in the competition – indeed, the best defender of his generation – it will naturally dent its hopes of claiming the silverware.

But we're not talking about any old team here. This is Richmond, which has won 28 of its past 34 games, including the 2017 premiership, with a military-style defensive system.

Sure, it'll be a case of replacing a general with a foot soldier, but the battle-hardened Tigers won't exactly be toothless without Rance.

A return clash with preliminary final nemesis Collingwood, and Pies giant Mason Cox, on Thursday will be illuminating.

It was Port's best win since 2013
Port Adelaide's upset 26-point win over flag fancy Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday was a superb performance, but we reckon Power coach Ken Hinkley laid it on a bit thick when he declared post-match: "There is absolutely no doubt in my mind, this is the best win I've been involved with at Port Adelaide, including finals."

We can understand Hinkley being swept up in the emotion of a round one boilover, particularly after blooding four debutants and with enormous pressure on him to return the Power to the finals, but it seems he's suffering amnesia.

What about when he guided Port to victory over Collingwood at the MCG in a 2013 elimination final in his first season in charge? Or the come-from-behind win over West Coast in Perth in a cut-throat semi-final the next season?

Come on, Kenny.

The Saints' passionate rendition of their song
We realise St Kilda is going through a tough time but when we heard they'd celebrated their nail-biting win over Gold Coast by singing the club's theme song with such gusto that it surprised their coach Alan Richardson, we thought it was a little over the top.

When The Saints Go Marching In is a great tune that deserves to be given full voice, but the fact was the injury-hit Saints had only beaten the consensus tip for the wooden spoon, and were lucky to fall in by a point.

Rather than singing, they should have been sighing … with relief.

Then again, this was the club that belted out its song after winning a pre-season game.

A win over Essendon on Saturday would be more befitting of a raucous singalong.

And if this footy thing doesn't work out, maybe they can start a boy band.

OK, maybe we're guilty of overreacting to their overreaction.

Goodbye dour Dockers, hello attacking Ross
Listening to Fremantle skipper Nat Fyfe explain how the Dockers had transformed into a more offensive team, it prompted us to consider the refreshing possibility that Freo coach Ross Lyon had given the old heave ho to his ultra-defensive approach.

Fremantle had just hammered North Melbourne at home after tallying 21.15 (141) – the second-highest score by Lyon's Dockers in five-and-a-half years – but the thought of Lyon flipping his coaching methods from dour defence to all-out attack lasted all of about three seconds before realism kicked in.

There's more chance of Aaron Sandilands returning as a pacy rover than 'Ross the Boss' releasing the hand-brake.

So how long before our we-told-you-so moment? A month? A game? A quarter?