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After what felt like one of the longest OAFL off-seasons in history, Round 1 of the OAFL season did not disappoint the players and fans of the best Australian football in Canada. It seemed every match up that the league scheduled was a massive encounter of traditional rivals. Here are the results from Rnd 1.

Division 2 Results: 

The Blues Div 2s opened their 2010 campaign with a solid win over the EtoBroadview Hawks in stunning fashion. With the Blues list as deep as it's ever been, competition will be red hot as these players battle to make the grade to be named in the Div 1s. The Blues had 5 different goal scorers showing the spread of talent that they are currently enjoying at this early stage of the competition. This is a fantastic sign for the future of the Blues and will certainly be something the club strives to continue to work on. Having a strong Div 2 side means that the Div 1 side is also healthy.

The Etobicoke Kangaroos had the misfortune of being scheduled to meet the reigning Div 2 Premiers in their opening round fixture, and the difference between these two sides was glaringly obvious. The Quebec Saints were easily head and shoulders over the rest of the Div 2 competition in 2009. It appears that their hunger remains despite having taken out the first Mike Pyke Trophy last year. In the Roos defense they were missing a lot of their Seniors, meaning some Div 2 players were required to play in the 1s leaving a depleted Reserves squad to face a much stronger opponent. The Saints are arguably on the cusp if not already of being a Div 1 calibre side.

Division 1 Results:

Blues V Hawks: After watching the Blues Div2s account for the Hawks reserves the Blues 1s were eager to come out and show their wares as well. With the wind and rain lashing, and a quality side in the ever-consistent Hawks outfit it was always going to be a slog. But the hard work put in over the off season in recruitment and pre-season training paid off for the Blues - who after an early arm wrestle took control of the game and never looked back. Late goals at the end of the game after some undiscplined acts cost the Blues a greater winning margin and will surely be something that Coach Jaye Macumber addresses at this week's training sessions before they face the Wildcats.

Dingos V Wildcats: The Wildcats look to have picked up where they left off in 2009 kicking off their season with an easy win over the Toronto Dingos in trying conditions. Hamilton were one of the big improvers in 2009 and it was going to be interesting to see how they backed that season up in 2010. This win against another form side of the OAFL will ensure that the Wildcats are not underestimated in 2010. The Dingos meanwhile will be disappointed with this result and will surely come out next week breathing fire against an unfortunate High Park Demons.   

Eagles V Roos: In what was built up to be Match of the Round, turned out to be a very one-sided affair, with the 2009 Premiers - Toronto Eagles gave the Roos a repeat of the touch up dished out in the 09 Grand Final. It was shocking to see the Roos go down the way they did. After going through the 2009 season undefeated before hitting a stone wall in the Eagles at the GF - the Roos will clearly be disappointed at this result. Again as previously reported the Roos were heavily depleted with several key players unavailable for selection. So it will be interesting to see how a full strength Roos outfit will shape up as the season progresses. But rest assured, the Roos are a far better team than what the scoreline suggests and will continue to be one of the clubs challenging for a top 6 finish.

Gargoyles V Swans: The Guelph football club is one of the proudest clubs in the OAFL with players who are always willing to lay it all on the line for their jumper. After a disappointing 2009 campaign it's of no surprise that 2010 started with a bang for these boys. And the first order of business was to rectify a wrong from 2009. The Swans tasted their first ever OAFL victory last year against the Gargoyles and this would not have gone down well at Guelph HQ. The Goyles at home are formidable and the scoreline in this game shows that.

Rebels V Demons: Both these sides struggled in 2009, with the Demons doing it a little tougher than the Rebels. But there were certainly encouraging signs. Firstly the Demons score of 4-6-30 is a huge positive given this side in 2009 struggled to even field enough players  of 16 for the league minimum for a game before it is ruled a forfeit. Furthermore, the conditions were not exactly conducive to high scores - with windy and cold conditions coupled with the wet and greasy ball. League President Martin Walter has taken it upon himself to help this OAFL Foundation club get back off the canvas and it seems he has the club moving in the right direction. The Rebels meanwhile showed that they're not a side to take lightly with the biggest score for Round 1 (11-9-75).

The OAFL would have been pleased with the quality of football shown by its clubs in the opening round as all the teams looked to shake off their winter rust - 2010 shapes up to be a brilliant season of footy!