IN THIS week's Things We Learned, we discover Carlton needs to tidy up under pressure, Sydney's tall set-up remains a work in progress plus much, much more.

Check out what we learned from round one of the 2025 season.

1) Good kicking makes all the difference

Essendon dominated the clearances on Friday night against Hawthorn (winning 50 to 31). The Bombers had 10 more inside 50s and 20 more tackles, and beat Hawthorn in uncontested and contested possessions (by more than 20 in each category). But the MCG clash saw the value of class and kicking skills. Hawthorn sliced up the Bombers with its fleet of excellent kicks coupled with its speed, while Essendon just didn't have the same type of delivery to make the most of their opportunities. James Sicily, Karl Amon and Dylan Moore were especially deadly by foot, with the Bombers having to turn to Zach Merrett to be their damaging ball-use weapon. For Essendon to win more games this year and convert its inside 50s and clearance wins into better efficiency, it needs to find and develop a wider spread of classy kicks. - Callum Twomey

2) Carlton needs to tidy up under pressure - and fast

Richmond is far from the most talented side Carlton will face this season, but in the face of youthful pressure and enthusiasm on Thursday night, the Blues wilted. There will be a number of senior players dreading their individual edits, with basic kicks flubbed, wrong decisions made at crucial moments and 1.6 kicked in the final term of the shock loss at the MCG. Disposal efficiency isn't the be-all and end-all, and messy footy can be just as effective as clean footy, but only three Blues sat above 80 per cent in that stat compared to 10 Tigers. The 'Blue-print' has now been laid out for future opponents, and unless Carlton can quickly address its "mental mastery" like Richmond (in the words of Adem Yze), it's going to cost the team dearly this year. – Sarah Black

3) There are no problems up forward for post-Hawkins Cats

With a spread of 13 individual goalkickers plus the handy inclusion of 203cm key Shannon Neale, Geelong proved that the post-Tom Hawkins forward line is just as damaging as it has been for more than a decade. A seven-goal second quarter against Fremantle on Saturday was followed by 10 goals in the last as the Cats broke the shackles. Chris Scott's side recorded 17 marks inside 50, but even more telling was the sheer pressure applied in the attacking half, with the Cats laying 23 tackles inside 50 compared to Fremantle's five. Six different Cats laid at least three tackles inside the arc, including three each from talls Neale and Jeremy Cameron. With such a cohesive unit, in which midfielders are also consistently providing support, it's going to be a tough day out for any opposition defence that has to face Geelong. - Gemma Bastiani

4) Pies champion will be carefully managed in 2025

After playing in the Opening Round loss to Greater Western Sydney, Collingwood's game's record holder Scott Pendlebury started as the sub for the first time in his 405-game career. Craig McRae revealed after the 91-point win against Port Adelaide that he wanted to start the six-time All-Australian as the sub last week, but opted against it. With six-day breaks to start the year, Pendlebury only played 28 per cent of Saturday night's game ahead of next Friday night's fixture against the Western Bulldogs. With 23 rounds to come in 2025, the five-time Copeland Trophy winner might be used differently this year to ensure he is firing when it matters most. - Josh Gabelich

5) The Dees' kids are all right

Despite eventually going down to the Giants on Sunday afternoon, the new Dees looked right at home on the big stage, with four of their six new players hitting the scoreboard. The club's first-round draft picks from last year, Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay, both got in the action and Langford, who started as the sub, came on in the fourth quarter to show a glimpse of his ability. But it was Lindsay who was the standout, with the 18-year-old slotting seamlessly into the Demons side. The No.11 pick from last year's draft looked composed beyond his years, finishing the game with 22 disposals. Mature-aged recruits Jack Henderson and Aidan Johnson, tall forward Matthew Jefferson, who won their VFL best and fairest last year, and former Lion Harry Sharp also had some bright moments in a positive sign for the future. - Phoebe McWilliams

6) Sydney's tall set-up remains a work in progress

Sydney entered the Grand Final rematch against Brisbane with as many as 15 players unavailable due to injury and suspension, but the Lions faced their own issues before and during their four-point victory and still did enough to impress. Key forward Logan McDonald is among the sidelined Swans while Hayden McLean is searching for touch after an interrupted pre-season, leaving Joel Amartey as the only remaining member of the preferred three-pronged tall attack from last year. That has forced coach Dean Cox to throw trusted defender Tom McCartin forward, with mixed results so far. McCartin started brightly against the Lions with five marks to the main break, and has finished with seven grabs and a goal in each of the opening two matches. But whether the move will be a success in the long term is very much up and in the air, and the winless start to the season - albeit against two very good sides - will only add to the time pressure to get the balance right. - Martin Pegan

7) This Crow should be in Brownlow contention

Already a star of the competition, Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson should be at the top end of the Brownlow Medal count in 2025. The skipper set up the Crows' demolition of St Kilda on Sunday and finished with 27 disposals, seven score involvements and two goals, despite being tagged by Marcus Windhager for a period. Izak Rankine is set to get more attention in the midfield and Jake Soligo looks capable of going to another level, so if Dawson can hit the scoreboard as he did on Sunday, the 27-year-old should be in the Brownlow conversation at the end of the year. – Dejan Kalinic

8) The three wise Roos are worth the investment

North Melbourne made a considered decision to bring in on-field experience in the off-season, recruiting Luke Parker (Sydney), Jack Darling (West Coast) and Caleb Daniel (Western Bulldogs). If there were any questions around the wisdom of the move, they would have been dispelled on Saturday night. As the Roos came back from a slow start, it was the three veterans that drove them on each line; Daniel played his defensive distributor role to perfection, Parker cooled the heads of a spirited midfield, while Darling used his body and smarts to help Nick Larkey find space. While the Roos didn't get the points against the Western Bulldogs, the three wise men should prove priceless in speeding up the development of Alastair Clarkson's young list. - Howard Kimber

9) This Sun is back to his All-Australian best

After winning All-Australian blazers in 2021 and 2022, Touk Miller’s subsequent two seasons have been upset by knee and wrist injuries along with some patchy form. However, with a full pre-season behind him and a return to the midfield-heavy role that made him a star of the competition, Miller was back to his best against West Coast with his combination of power running, inside ball winning and classy outside use. The 29-year-old kicked two goals from 26 touches that included 10 clearances and was a perfect complement to new skipper Noah Anderson and powerful Matt Rowell. – Michael Whiting