The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Chad Warner, AFL Opening Round and injuries on Anna Hay’s agenda

After an Opening Round that left plenty to be desired for hungry footy fans, 7Sport reporter Anna Hay selects her good, bad and ugly moments. THE GOOD: Chad Warner The Swans superstar’s football future has been a hot topic for months, with Sydney, the Eagles and Dockers all fighting for his signature. But even with all the outside noise and external pressure, the 23-year-old still came out and starred in his team’s Opening Round clash with Hawthorn on Friday night. Warner kicked the first goal of the 2025 season and was a ball magnet. He was here, there, and everywhere. Anyone who thought the constant contract chatter would see a drop in his form was sent a crystal-clear message. Warner has the X-factor and is the ultimate professional. It’s no wonder the million-dollar offers are coming thick and fast. THE BAD: Opening Round I said it last year and my opinion hasn’t changed — if anything I’ve only doubled down on my stance. It’s time to scrap the AFL’s Opening Round. The AFL tried and tested it, and it was a flop. It appears even Mother Nature agrees with me. Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred threw the start of the season into chaos, with both Queensland games — Brisbane versus Geelong and Gold Coast against Essendon — to be postponed until later in the season. It meant the formerly Round Zero kicked off with only two games and although they were great matches, it just felt like another pre-season hit-out that left plenty to be desired. Here in WA, we were left twiddling our thumbs. The Dockers took to the high seas to complete a sailing team-building activity on Friday, while the Eagles remained toiling away in the nest behind closed doors. Fremantle chief executive Simon Garlick admitted he’s also not a fan: “I wouldn’t say I’m an advocate, I understand it.” I appreciate the idea of trying to grow the code in New South Wales and Queensland, but the arrow has missed the dart board completely. It leaves footy’s heartlands without a heartbeat. THE UGLY: Injuries What do Marcus Bontempelli, Jesse Hogan, Tom Green, Adam Treloar, Jordan De Goey, Elliot Yeo, and Errol Gulden have in common - other than being absolute stars? They’re all not playing at the start of the season. After months of watching Sam Konstas highlights on repeat, everyone was hanging out for footy. But on the eve of round one, it’s clear we will be deprived of some of the biggest names in the competition. It has to be asked why. Is the pre-season too short? Are players getting too much time off? Is there not enough focus on conditioning? Injuries happen, they’re inevitable. But this is unprecedented. It takes away a bit of the shine from what should be one of the best times of the year. Let’s hope they get their bodies right and have an injury-free remainder of 2025.