THERE is always a massive build up to round one, and a massive fallout afterwards. 

But the reactions – or, more accurately, overreactions – to this year's season-opener seemed to reach a new level of hysteria. 

Following a remarkable round in which there were six upsets, some of the responses might prove centimetre-perfect but many others are likely to slew off the side of the boot. 

If you doubt us, compare last year's round one results to the eventual ladder.

First impressions are important but sometimes they are a veneer. After all, we're talking about a sample size of just one.

So on the eve of round two it's worth remembering that, in sport at least, things are rarely as good or bad as they seem. 

Here are some notable overreactions to emerge from round one. 

Sack 'Woosha' 

Following Essendon's second successive busy recruiting campaign, Bomber fans dared to dream that they would finally break their 15-year drought without a finals victory (the longest current drought). 

Some now believe it's a pipedream after the Dons continued their poor pre-season form to be smashed by Greater Western Sydney at Giants Stadium. 

The most extreme call from incensed Bomber fans was for Worsfold to be sacked, which seems more than a little premature. 

Some experts even accused the Bombers of surrendering, which would horrify Worsfold, a fierce competitor who'd rather fly the flag than put up a white one. 

It makes us wonder what the reaction will be if the Dons go down to struggling St Kilda on Saturday. 

Rance-less Richmond can't win the flag

When a team loses arguably the best defender in the competition – indeed, the best defender of his generation – it will naturally dent its hopes of claiming the silverware. 

But we're not talking about any old team here. This is Richmond, which has won 28 of its past 34 games, including the 2017 premiership, with a military-style defensive system.

Sure, it'll be a case of replacing a general with a foot soldier, but the battle-hardened Tigers won't exactly be toothless without Rance.

A return clash with preliminary final nemesis Collingwood, and Pies giant Mason Cox, on Thursday will be illuminating.

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It was Port's best win since 2013

Port Adelaide's upset 26-point win over flag fancy Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday was a superb performance, but we reckon Power coach Ken Hinkley laid it on a bit thick when he declared post-match: "There is absolutely no doubt in my mind, this is the best win I've been involved with at Port Adelaide, including finals." 

We can understand Hinkley being swept up in the emotion of a round one boilover, particularly after blooding four debutants and with enormous pressure on him to return the Power to the finals, but it seems he's suffering amnesia. 

What about when he guided Port to victory over Collingwood at the MCG in a 2013 elimination final in his first season in charge? Or the come-from-behind win over Fremantle in Perth in a cut-throat semi-final the next season?

Come on, Kenny. 

The Saints' passionate rendition of their song

We realise St Kilda is going through a tough time but when we heard they'd celebrated their nail-biting win over Gold Coast by singing the club's theme song with such gusto that it surprised their coach Alan Richardson, we thought it was a little over the top.

When The Saints Go Marching In is a great tune that deserves to be given full voice, but the fact was the injury-hit Saints had only beaten the consensus tip for the wooden spoon, and were lucky to fall in by a point.

Rather than singing, they should have been sighing … with relief.

Then again, this was the club that belted out its song after winning a pre-season game.

A win over Essendon on Saturday would be more befitting of a raucous singalong. 

And if this footy thing doesn't work out, maybe they can start a boy band. 

OK, maybe we're guilty of overreacting to their overreaction.

Goodbye dour Dockers, hello attacking Ross

Listening to Fremantle skipper Nat Fyfe explain how the Dockers had transformed into a more offensive team, it prompted us to consider the refreshing possibility that Freo coach Ross Lyon had given the old heave ho to his ultra-defensive approach.

Fremantle had just hammered North Melbourne at home after tallying 21.15 (141) – the second-highest score by Lyon's Dockers in five-and-a-half years – but the thought of Lyon flipping his coaching methods from dour defence to all-out attack lasted all of about three seconds before realism kicked in. 

There's more chance of Aaron Sandilands returning as a pacy rover than 'Ross the Boss' releasing the hand-brake. 

So how long before our we-told-you-so moment? A month? A game? A quarter?

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The Crows are no good… again

After a disastrous season in which they endured a hamstring epidemic and lingering issues associated with a failed pre-season camp, the 2017 runners-up were widely tipped to return to the upper rungs this season.

But a round one bath from Hawthorn, worsened by the loss of Tom Doedee to a season-ending knee injury, has many people giving the Crows the khyber already – an outrageous overreaction given the talent and experience on Adelaide's list. 

For what it's worth, we're not piking on Don Pyke's team just yet.

The Giants lost nothing last trade period

During the off-season Greater Western Sydney held a clearance sale, trading out gun midfielders Dylan Shiel (to Essendon) and Tom Scully (Hawthorn) and big man Rory Lobb (Fremantle) to free up some salary cap space. 

This exodus was tipped to cut the Giants down to size, but their crushing win over Essendon at home – when they were also without several key players including Josh Kelly and co-captain Callan Ward – has forced a rapid rethink.

But even a one-eyed Giants fan could see they'd be an even tougher proposition if they still had Shiel, Lobb and a fit Scully.

They'd be far more concerned if they lost Kelly and Stephen Coniglio at the end of this season. Then Giants Stadium might well become the "graveyard" Giant-turned-Bomber Devon Smith jokingly suggested it was.

The Dees are Gawn

After making a preliminary final last year, the Demons hosted Port Adelaide at the MCG on Saturday in a game they were expected to win well, but they failed badly.

So badly, in fact, that even the much-maligned Jack Watts showed more intensity than most of his former teammates.

The most publicly pitchforked Demon was gun ruckman Max Gawn, who was again physically targeted by a ruck combination that included Scott Lycett. 

Big Max had a fair excuse, though, given he was hospitalised before the game with a skin infection that probably affected his energy levels.

Other Demons will also be better for the run.

The defeat was disappointing but hardly melt-your-membership-card-in-the-microwave material.

Demon fans, you shouldn't plan to spend the winter on the snowfields just yet.

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The Hawks and Cats are back

After Hawthorn stunned the Crows at Adelaide Oval, Hawks mastercoach Alastair Clarkson summed up the general rush for judgement in the footy world. 

"We perhaps came into this game as a pretty significant underdog. You win the game and everyone thinks Hawthorn is on the march again," Clarkson said post-match. 

Many experts dismissed the Hawks' claims this year after they lost the game's most prolific ball-winner, reigning Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell, to a season-ending knee injury, and very few teams in history have been able to cover such players. 

Another regular finallist that many had tipped to fall was Geelong, which surprised with a narrow win over Collingwood despite blooding four debutants. 

The Cats have star power and some handy recruits, but we're not sure they'll get the cream. 

The Dogs are back to their premiership style 

The Western Bulldogs won the 2016 flag with a game plan based around intensity around the ball, feverish pressure and lightning handball exchanges, so comparisons were probably always going to be made when they displayed those traits in their win over their 2016 Grand Final opponent Sydney. 

The signs were promising given they had just 11 premiership players in their line-up and they were without Norm Smith medallist Jason Johannisen, Dale Morris and Tom Boyd, but they also just got over the line against the sluggish Swans after being 40 points up.

We realise some Dogs fans will be foaming at the mouth with excitement, but this thought should be kept on a short leash. 

The Eagles and Pies were just flashes in the pan

For just the eighth time in League history, and the first time in seven years, both grand finallists suffered round one losses. 

In this case neither reigning premier West Coast nor runner-up Collingwood were particularly impressive – the understrength Eagles copping a hiding after quarter-time from last year's 15th-placed team Brisbane, while Collingwood lost narrowly with untidy skills.

A gentle reminder: the Woods were 0-2 last year, while the Eagles were 0-1 after a comprehensive loss to Sydney in their first game at Optus Stadium.