1. Selected Bomber left in the hangar
There was confusion at the start of the game when Ben Howlett was spotted on the ground for the opening bounce. Howlett had earlier been listed as Essendon's substitute. But Kyle Hardingham experienced some calf tightness and was a late, late withdrawal, replaced in the green vest by Henry Slattery. It caught the press contingent by surprise and could draw a "please explain" from the AFL.

2. Historic moment long time in the making
GWS kept its home fans waiting for 46 minutes before kicking its first goal at the team's new home ground Skoda Stadium, located in Sydney's Olympic Park. It was well worth the wait, however, as Adam Treloar forced at turnover on the wing at the 18-minute mark of the second term, which led to the ball falling to Dylan Shiel, who had a bounce and slammed it through from point blank range.

3. Bombers claim top spot as Hird masters Sheedy
The victory improves the Bombers' win-loss record to 8-1 and moves them to the top of the ladder, albeit with West Coast (7-1) still to play on Sunday. The result also puts Essendon a game ahead of Collingwood (7-2) and Adelaide, who are both at 7-2, two games clear of the Sydney Swans (6-3) and three games clear of the Hawks.

4. Stats that matter
While the final margin may have shown Essendon running out comfortable winners, a glance at the stats sheet showed GWS was competitive in a number of categories. They trailed the Bombers 58-50 for inside 50s, 43-33 in clearances and 152-142 for contested possessions. However, it is hard to win a game of footy when you given your opponent 80 more possessions (420-340) and 21 more tackles (78-57).

5. The crowd
It was opening night at the League's newest stadium - the 42nd in AFL/VFL history - and a modest 11,887 were on hand on a clear, cool evening to witness the occasion.