by Peter Argent
Starting with what has become a traditional clash between Richmond and Carlton on Thursday night, March 16, the first round of the 2023 AFL campaign has block-buster matches across the entire weekend, and two Broken Hill players will be prominent.
High profile Silver City footballers Isaac Cumming and Taylor Walker face off in the first round, as the Greater Western Sydney host the Adelaide Crows in the early Sunday afternoon game at Giants Stadium, starting at 1.40pm Australian Central Daylight Time (ACDT).
Walker, an Adelaide supporter since he was a kid, has been on the Crows list since he was a bargain basement pick-up at Number 75 as a NSW Scholarship player in the 2007 national AFL draft.
He had a full season in the SANFL with Norwood in 2008 and started his AFL journey in 2009.
Having played 238 games and kicked 538 goals, he’s entered a staggering fifteenth season playing at the top level.
Fellow North Broken Hill talent Cumming, now 24, is entering his seventh season on the Giants’ list, having cemented his place in the starting XXIII over past two seasons. He had a year in the NEAFL with the Giants in 2017, before playing two, five and three games across the next three years.
In 2021 Cumming played 24 matches and followed that up with 21 last winter, having now participated in 55 AFL games.
“My body is good and I’m looking forward to the real season starting,” Isaac Cumming said in a one-on-one chat with the Barrier Truth.
“At this stage my role will be the same as it has been over the past couple of seasons, mainly across half-back.
“I’m looking forward to building on the past two years and adding a few strings to my bow.
“My main aim from a personal perspective is improve on last year and grow as a leader, helping team mates around me.
“We’ve shown that publicised ‘Orange Tsunami’ brand in the trials and are looking to deliver more this weekend. To this point I’ve played three games against Tex [Taylor Walker] and his mates and I’m keen to add to the bragging rights, currently being two-one up. …And yes there has been a bit of banter via texts between us earlier today!”
Other marquee games across the first weekend include the Friday night MCG match between reigning premiers Geelong and Collingwood.
At the same venue on Saturday evening there’s a big clash between 2021 AFL Grand Final combatants, the Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs, who famously played their season decider at Optus Stadium in Perth.
Port Adelaide, who have an imposing first five weeks of the year, take on Brisbane at Adelaide Oval in the 4.05pm ACDT timeslot, while expected cellar dwellers, North Melbourne and West Coast Eagles face off at Marvel Stadium at 1.15pm on Saturday.
The other Sunday games this weekend are Hawthorn verses Essendon at the MCG (2.50pm) and St Kilda verses Fremantle at Marvel Stadium (4.10pm).
Peter Argent’s Predictions for 2023
Who will finish in the AFL’s Top Eight?
Brisbane Lions
Melbourne
Sydney
Geelong
Richmond
Fremantle
Carlton
Gold Coast Suns
Top end powerhouses like the Cats, Lions, Demons, the Swans and the Tigers will be around at the pointy end of the year, while my slider is Collingwood, after an amazing 2022 campaign when they won a number of games by very slender margins.
My bolters are Gold Coast under Stuart Dew to participate in their first major round in the club’s history, and Carlton, after the frustration of missing out on major round participation in the last round of the ‘22 regular season.
My Grand Finalists are the Brisbane Lions and Melbourne.
Who will be the AFL’s Bottom Four?
North Melbourne
West Coast Eagles
Hawthorn
Essendon
Sadly, for Kangaroos and Eagles fans, these clubs look like a lock for the bottom two places, while Hawthorn, under Sam Mitchell are certainly going through a rebuilding phase.
Essendon with Brad Scott at the helm now, have plenty of work to do as well.
Who will win the 2023 Brownlow Medal?
I’m backing the Kid from Kybybolite, Brisbane Lions’ midfielder Lachlan Neale to win his second Brownlow Medal, while I’m also expecting Melbourne Clayton Oliver, Angus Brayshaw from Fremantle, along with Marcus Bontempelli and Touk Miller from the Western Bulldogs and Gold Coast respectively to have big seasons and be pressing.
Who will win the 2023 Coleman Medal?
In a back-to-back Coleman Medal win I’m predicting Blues high marking forward Charlie Curnow secures his second successive Coleman Medal as the AFL’s leading goal kicker.
With a 23 round season, there is a chance he could break the 100-goal barrier for the year for the first time since Lance Franklin back in 2008.
Who will win the 2023 Ron Evans Medal as the AFL Rising Star?
Will Ashcroft, the second generation Lions, who was captured as a father-son selection is the chief candidate to win this accolade. His biggest challenger will be another father-son candidate, Sam Darcy.
