Bit of a symptom of the ridiculously long off-season. See it every season. Opening rounds are usually pretty lacklustre unfortunately. Problem is that by the time the players are properly match fit and the teams are in good form, then the summer temps come into effect and the game slows right down. Best football in the A-League is the last 25% of rounds and the finals series. Problem is half the clubs aren't playing for anything by then so it's not as great as it could be (ie: if there was relegation battles happening the dynamic completely changes). Summer for football is just a bad idea all round. In a winter comp we'd still have the lacklustre starts from the long off-season, but the form would be increasing just as the temperature is decreasing. That means you get good form and high pace all at once. It's why the NPL feels better than it is. The lack of experience and fully-pro players is counteracted by a higher paced game. Then you have the risk of relegation thrown into the mix and you get some great viewing even for the neutral viewer.
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