While the opening week of the 2019 AFL Finals might not have made for edge-of-your-seat viewing, it did at least provide a clearer picture insofar as how this year’s premiership might pan out.

Not since 2004 has there been three games with 40+ point blowouts, while the collective lack of close games made for just the fourth time in 26 years where Week One results have been so skewed.

It’s curtains for Essendon and the Western Bulldogs this season, while Brisbane will need to dust themselves off after the Tigers travelled to their Gabba fortress and served up a lesson in Finals football brutality.

The Giants will be there waiting for them this weekend, while the other Semi Final will pit a severely out-of-form Geelong up against the Eagles this Friday night at the MCG.

Collingwood and Richmond will have the weekend off as they prepare for their respective second, and third, consecutive Preliminary Finals.

RICHMOND

Stats Insider Premiership Projection: 33.7%

The Tigers entered the AFL Finals as the league’s most in-form and dangerous team, however, an away trip to the Lions presented a tricky first-up assignment.

It was a test Richmond passed with flying colours to confirm their status as Premiership favourites.

The Tigers kicked 15 goals to four after quarter-time, in a performance punctuated by ruthless efficiency.

While Richmond lost the disposal count by 39, ceded inside 50's by 10, and actually produced less scoring shots on the night, Richmond was able to score a goal for every three inside 50s which was easily the week’s best mark.  

The Tigers also prospered off the back of its trademark tenacity, winning the tackle count by 22, while also producing 18 tackles inside 50 - the week’s best return.

COLLINGWOOD

Stats Insider Premiership Projection: 25.7%

Understandably, the Brisbane Lion’s resurrection has dominated so many 2019 headlines, with Chris Fagan playing a starring role in the fairytale.

However, perhaps lost amidst the Brisbane hysteria has been the phenomenal job Nathan Buckley has done with the Pies this year.

Collingwood has dealt with one of the league’s deepest injury (and suspension) lists all season, which at times has threatened to completely derail their premiership aspirations.

After they were demolished by Richmond in Round 19, the Pies surrendered their place in the top four for the first time since round five, while their premiership hopes seemed out of reach.

Instead, the Pies rallied to win their last four home & away games and secured a Top 4 berth at the expense of West Coast. Over their last five wins they've held their opponents to an average of just 54.25 points despite missing the likes of Jordan De Goey, Darcy Moore, Mason Cox, Dayne Beams and Jaidyn Stephenson.

And it was once again the Magpies defence which propelled their Qualifying Final defeat of Geelong, limiting the Cats to a season low 51 points, while out-tackling them 97-75. Their intense pressure also led to the Cats operating at just 65.5% disposal efficiency.

Collingwood’s toughness around the ball was complimented by excellent work on the outside, which contributed to a massive +76 uncontested possession edge.

Most importantly for Collingwood, their path to a second straight Grand Final has opened up rather generously with all of Richmond, West Coast and Geelong now stacked in the other side of the bracket.

It took a long time for Buckley to gain the trust not just of Collingwood, but the broader football world. Now that he has it, he really must be regarded as one of the sport's most astute minds. 

Collingwood fans would, of course, prefer a premiership to truly complete the circle.

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BRISBANE LIONS

Stats Insider Premiership Projection: 17.1%

Brisbane’s 2019 has been the stuff of storybooks. After collecting the 2017 wooden spoon and existing in an environment where it seemed all of their best players wanted out, it’s almost inconceivable that within two years the Lions would be hosting a home Qualifying Final after banking their first return to the Finals in ten years.

And for one quarter, at least, against the Tigers on Saturday night, the Lions' fairytale looked set to continue with their ferocity and speed resulting in a 12-point quarter-time lead, while having an extra seven scoring shots.

The Lions, of course, succumbed to Richmond’s intensity, with Brisbane given a front-row seat to the kind of relentless application September calls for, and which Richmond have become experts at.

Many metrics indicated a closer match where Brisbane were concerned, however their final score of 8.17 from a 64-54 inside 50 edge illustrated a damning inability to convert their opportunities.

The Lions have a week to rebound, hosting the Giants this Saturday night at the Gabba.

Win, and they’ll be in their first Preliminary Final since 2004. Lose, and it’ll be a bitterly disappointing straight sets exit for a team good enough to win 16 games, and who lost out on the minor premiership by percentage only.

GEELONG

Stats Insider Premiership Projection: 12.9%

When it comes to post-2011 Finals, Geelong is living something of 'Groundhog Day' existence where their repeated September failures are concerned.

Friday’s loss to the Magpies means that Geelong have now lost ten of their last 13 Finals since claiming the 2011 flag, with their losses all taking on an eerily similar theme.

In Geelong’s last eight September appearances they’ve cobbled together just eight first-quarter goals.

For context’s sake, West Coast has scored 25 first-quarter goals over their last eight Finals first quarters - while the Tigers have kicked 17.

Time and time again the Cats find themselves on the back foot which may well be a preparation issue and one which Chris Scott's coaching team should absolutely be criticised for.

Another area the Cats are continually faulting is in regards to tackle differential with the Cats seemingly not bringing the requisite intensity to their September assignments. 

Hardest to accept for Cats fans, however, is that this was a season which held such promise. Geelong led the competition for 20 of the 23 rounds and claimed their seventh Top 4 berth of the decade.

Geelong made a number of changes in the wake of last year's humiliating Elimination Final exit at the hands of Melbourne, but Friday night's performance suggests they still have quite a ways to go.

WEST COAST

Stats Insider Premiership Projection: 5.8%

The Eagles got the easy part out of the way with a predictably comfortable 55-point win over the Bombers, whose seasons' without a Finals win now stretches to 16.

For the Eagles, their path to a famous back-to-back premiership will now see them have to make three consecutive trips to the MCG, starting this Friday night against Geelong, followed by a possible Preliminary Final against Richmond. 

The Eagles used their Nic Natanui wildcard against Essendon to full effect, with the brilliant ruckman collecting 14 disposals and four tackles, to complement his 24 hit-outs.

Natanui is, of course, the last person the Cats would want to face this Friday night owing to their own calamitous ruck situation which saw the club pull Rhys Stanley at the last minute against Collingwood, which resulted in a Brodie Grundy masterclass with the All-Australian ruckman humiliating Geelong with 47 hit-outs and 21 disposals.

The Eagles' 116 points scored against the Bombers made for a Week One high, while they were the only team to win each and every one of their quarters.

While the Eagles haven’t beaten Geelong in Victoria in over 13 years, they’ll feel confident of their chances against a Geelong team who is struggling mightily at the moment.

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GWS GIANTS

Stats Insider Premiership Projection: 4.8%

While it won't make up for the Giants' 2016 Preliminary Final loss to the Bulldogs, their victory over the in-form Dogs on Saturday not only kept the Giants season alive, but it made for the fourth-straight season they’ve won in September - a feat not a single other team in the competition can claim to have done.

The Giants victory over the Bulldogs made for perhaps the most rounded display of the week, with their 68-point triumph the biggest first-week margin since West Coast’s 96-point annihilation of North Melbourne in 2012.

And the Giants' victory really could have been even more pronounced, with a preposterous 76-37 inside 50 differential, meaning the Giants left quite a bit of meat on the bone.

While the Giants trip to Brisbane presents as a difficult task, it’s one which a suddenly re-energised GWS will welcome.

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