And that doesn't mean it had flair.
Quite the opposite: it was full of old-fashioned defenders more suited to being heard on transistors than enjoyed on high-definition television.
Although the names remained the same for the Magpies in round two, the song changed.
That was because the Sydney Swans allowed Collingwood defender Nick Maxwell to play as a spare in defence for most of the game.
That, as it turned out, was not smart. It gave the Magpies control and created chaos for the Swans' forwards.
Maxwell did not do anything spectacular but he had a profound effect on the game.
He took five intercept marks, gained five handball receives, launched five scores – four from the midfield – and kicked at 77 per cent efficiency.
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Free of the worry of picking someone up, Maxwell also ran interference when the ball was in the air. This helped Jack Frost – in just his fourth senior game – win, or at least neutralise, aerial battles with Lance Franklin.
When Maxwell won the ball through good positioning and reading the play he had time and space to make the right decision, which he inevitably did.
And, most importantly, the freedom allowed Maxwell to concentrate on organising the defence with military precision.
Maxwell's guidance lifted Ben Sinclair, Alan Toovey, Clinton Young and Frost's performance in the defensive 50.
Perhaps the Swans were happy with the ball in Maxwell's hands, but his influence goes beyond what outsiders see, so it's wise to keep the former skipper's hands full.
And psychologically Collingwood would have been happy to be restricting the Swans - shootouts are for spaghetti westerns, not AFL games.
Unfortunately for the Swans, the inexperienced Sam Reid had nowhere near the same impact as Maxwell.
He took two intercept marks and gathered two handball receives and, given his inexperience in the role, was being directed more than he was directing.
Although the outcome didn't favour Swans coach John Longmire this time, it didn't mean his initial thinking was wrong.
Working out whether or not to leave a spare player in defence often becomes a battle of nerves between coaches.
On this occasion Buckley won the battle because Maxwell showed his ability to influence a game even as he enters the twilight of his career.
And that gave Buckley the confidence to press on with an extra player behind the ball whenever the Swans tried to match up the spare as the game progressed.
Having a defender who can control that space and put the ball inside 50 with precision is vital. The Magpies know they will be much improved if Alex Fasolo can fill that role or Paul Seedsman and Marley Williams return.
At the moment, the good teams have exciting attacking defenders who can switch play or return serve quickly and accurately.
Essendon's Michael Hibberd did that job well on Friday night against Hawthorn.
The 24-year-old had 11 disposals in the third quarter, creating run and putting pressure on the tall Hawthorn forward line as Essendon kicked six unanswered goals.
During the game he launched three scores, made four intercept possessions, had 10 handball receives and kicked at 93 per cent efficiency.
Dyson Heppell supported him well and the Bombers began to gain drive.
In the first half Hawthorn's Matt Suckling, who used his scything left foot to kick two goals and gain 424 metres, was instrumental in the Hawks' lead.
He only kicked at 67 per cent efficiency, but Suckling never dies wondering. His ability late in the game to kick a ball at right angles to find a teammate in space was sublime. His partner-in-crime, Grant Birchall, uses a more bullocking – but no less effective – style to turn defence into attack.
Hibberd summed up how he plays the difficult dual role when he spoke to AFL.com.au.
"I'm a defender so my first instinct is to defend my man and then help out the other guys when I can. Whether that's to get back and try get a spoil or go third man up against a big forward or get first to a ground ball … they're the first things I think of.
"And then when we win the ball, being an attacking defender I want to be used in attack and to get up the ground and try to get the ball."
In a game where tempo matters more than it used to, such players can manage the game's flow and turn fortunes.
Because, perversely a team is vulnerable when deep in attack, and when the opposition makes them pay it hurts more than ever.
Fourteen of the 18 winners in the first two rounds have beaten or equalled their opposition in launching scores from defence.
That makes measuring the impact of natural attacking defenders such as Hibberd and Suckling or spare defenders such as Maxwell and Reid increasingly important.
They might never come close to each other on the ground but their battle is one that can determine results.
Attacking defenders – team by team
Adelaide: Brent Reilly
Brisbane Lions: Ryan Harwood
Carlton: Chris Yarran/Andrew Walker
Collingwood: Paul Seedsman/Ben Sinclair
Essendon: Michael Hibberd/Dyson Heppell
Fremantle: Paul Duffield/Lee Spurr
Geelong: Corey Enright/Andrew Mackie
Gold Coast: Trent McKenzie
GWS: Heath Shaw
Hawthorn: Matt Suckling/Grant Birchall
Melbourne: Dean Terlich
North Melbourne: Shaun Atley/Aaron Mullett
Port Adelaide: Jasper Pittard
Richmond: Brett Deledio/Dustin Martin
St Kilda: Sam Gilbert
Sydney Swans: Rhyce Shaw/Nick Malceski
West Coast Eagles: Shannon Hurn/Elliot Yeo
Western Bulldogs: Robert Murphy/Shaun Higgins
Stats supplied by Champion Data
