Whether the Brisbane Lions and Adelaide Crows live up to their pre-season billing as AFL finalists remains to be seen.
But both sides showed their shock first round losses were aberrations in a hard fought Gabba clash which Adelaide eventually won by 19 points on Saturday.
As the rain came down in front of a 21,308-strong crowd, the Crows finally broke their winning drought for the year 14.12 (96) to 10.17 (77) in an absorbing arm wrestle.
Pre-season champions Brisbane could lay claim to flop of the opening round after crashing back to earth with a 68-point loss to wooden spoon tip Western Bulldogs.
However, top four fancies Adelaide would have been a close second after a controversy-plagued Essendon belted them by 35 points.
Adelaide may have been smarting from being blown away by the Bombers but they would have been forgiven for having another defeat in the back of their minds – last year’s shock round 21 Gabba loss to the Lions.
The Crows did their best to avenge the result with a stirring fourth-quarter comeback.
The Lions looked on track to grab consecutive wins over Adelaide for the first time since 2008-09 when they jumped to a nine-point lead early in the fourth term.
However, Adelaide banged home three consecutive majors including two straight to the influential Patrick Dangerfield (two goals, 23 touches), the latter a sensational running effort from the boundary that was green lighted on review and the Lions never recovered.
Scores were locked up at 2.3 (15) to 2.3 (15) at the first break after Adelaide’s Brent Reilly was pinged for holding the ball and James Polkinghorne kicked truly from 20m.
The Crows looked set to take flight in the second, jumping to a 13-point lead when Taylor Walker dribbled through a goal from 45m.
However, the Lions reined the visitors in, restricting the halftime deficit to 7.6 (48) to 6.5 (41) after Josh Green somehow squeezed through a goal from the right pocket.
Adelaide again kicked away to a 13-point lead in the third when Jared Petrenko goaled from 25m after being taken high by Tom Rockliff.
But a Rohan Bewick snap after a Josh Jenkins fumble ensured the hosts enjoyed a 10.13 (73) to 9.11 (65) buffer at the final interval.
For Adelaide, Scott Thompson had 31 touches and Nathan van Berlo and Rory Sloane both 22.
Brisbane’s Pearce Hanley led the way for the hosts with 30 disposals while Brent Moloney had 24 and Mitch Golby 19.
