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Footy's back! Round one of season 2002 has seen Essendon shoot straight to the top of the ladder. Favoured sides Carlton, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs all suffered losses. There were surprises with both Adelaide sides: the Crows upstaged the Bulldogs at Colonial Stadium, while the Kangaroos pulled off the shock of the round with a gutsy Football Park victory over Port Adelaide.
The much-discussed return of Tony Lockett was something of an anti-climax, with the big Sydney spearhead kicking just one goal before suffering a corked thigh. However the other big Sydney forward, Barry Hall, looked comfortable in red and white. In a good round for full-forwards, Essendon's Matty Lloyd, Richmond's Matty Richardson and West Coast's Troy Wilson all bagged six goals, while Scott Cummings and David Neitz managed five apiece.
Essendon has started season 2002 on a winning note with a convincing 50-point victory over Geelong at the MCG. Skipper James Hird, Jason Johnson and Joe Misiti were superb, while Matty Lloyd kicked six goals. The Bombers led by 31 points at half-time and blew the game apart with six goals to one in the third term. Geelong narrowed the margin in the last quarter, but couldn't stop Essendon running away with the four points.
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