JasRulz63
12 Jun 2008, 18:22
http://mm.afl.com.au/Portals/0/images/AFL/Brisbane/Lionsmdssrep246.jpg
Overall mark: B+
Win-loss: 7-4 LWLWLWLWWWW
Ladder position: Eighth
Leading possession winner: Simon Black - 281
Leading goalkicker: Daniel Bradshaw - 43
Season so far
The Lions’ NAB Cup odyssey lasted just one round (a Carrara exit at the hand of Essendon) but the pre-season hinted that Leigh Matthews’ side would be more than competitive in 2008. After being winless but competitive through the first three rounds of the summer, the Lions tuned up for the season proper with a 10-point win over the Swans.
Although the Lions failed to put together consecutive wins through the first six rounds, the opening month-and-a-half of the home-and-away campaign said a lot about the team’s capabilities. Only a slow start prevented a round-one away win over West Coast, while stirring comebacks resulted in wins over Collingwood and Port Adelaide. Competitive losses to the then-unbeaten Geelong and Hawthorn were full of merit.
Since the Hall of Fame Tribute Match bye the Lions are unbeaten, having taking care of Carlton, St Kilda, the Kangaroos and Fremantle. Star forward Jonathan Brown is hitting stride following a slow start (by his own lofty standards) and gun midfielder Simon Black can’t be far off Brownlow Medal pace.
Best win
As far as excitement goes, nothing can surpass the round-four away victory over Port Adelaide. Like a racehorse that sits last at the 400m but wins running away, the Lions overwhelmed their hosts with a quite astonishing finishing burst.
The Power moved the ball like the Harlem Globetrotters in first half and led by as much as 47 points late in the third quarter. But the Lions, led by Daniel Bradshaw (five goals) and Jonathan Brown (four), booted 11 of the last 12 goals to emerge 20 point winners.
Truly a victory to savour.
B&F leader
Daniel Bradshaw has been brilliant on his return from a knee reconstruction and Luke Power has been characteristically consistently good, but Simon Black has been exceptional through the season’s first 11 rounds.
The 2002 Brownlow medallist missed round seven with a groin problem but otherwise has contributed week-in, week-out and averages 28 possessions per game – many of them hard-won at the base of packs. Black is ranked top-10 in the league for possessions and, not surprisingly, he ranks highly in the Brownlow betting market. Could well add a fourth club champion award to his jam-packed trophy cabinet.
Surprise packet
When Joel Macdonald went down with a season-ending knee injury early in 2006, his career appeared to be at a cross-roads. The former rookie hadn’t yet nailed down a permanent spot in the Lions’ 22 and had been used as a bit-part man covering a variety of positions.
However, from the moment he resumed last year, Macdonald has looked the model of the modern half-back-flanker. Agile, aware, capable of playing bigger than his height and with improved disposal skills, Macdonald is a key part of a much underrated defensive unit. Averages more than 22 disposals-per-game.
Missing in action
Through no fault of their own, Nigel Lappin and Matthew Leuenberger haven’t featured as much as would have been expected going into the season. Veteran midfielder Lappin has been sidelined since round five due to achilles soreness but could resume in a fortnight.
Up-and-coming ruckman Leuenberger, meanwhile, started the season well but was restricted by hamstring in the lead-up to the round -eight clash with Carlton. Despite strong efforts in the reserves, he didn’t return to the seniors until last weekend, with the Lions going smaller and using fellow young West Australian Mitch Clark as a mobile ruck/key position utility.
Coach's award (one-percenter player)
Lions fans aside, the general footballing public probably wouldn’t know a lot about defender Joel Patfull. The same, it seems fair to suggest, could not be said for opposition forwards and their coaches.
Another fine example of the Lions’ fruitful recruiting of mature age “newcomers”, Patfull finished 10th in last year’s club champion award and has been even better this year. Capable of playing bigger than his height, but is particularly good at shutting down dangerous mid-sized forwards – notably Melbourne’s Russell Robertson and North Melbourne’s Corey Jones. The former Port Adelaide rookie also makes the right decisions with the ball in his hands.
Second-half story lines
Are the Lions the real deal? Performances over the last six weeks would suggest they are, but the next fortnight will give an eve better guide to how far this team can go. The Lions travel to Melbourne to play the Western Bulldogs and Jason Akermanis in round 12, then host Adelaide at the Gabba the next week.
Can Nigel Lappin return from his achilles problem to add another weapon to the Lions’ midfield arsenal? And how serious is the mini-epidemic of hamstring tightness that has struck in the past fortnight. Key defensive playmakers Josh Drummond , Jason Roe and Ash McGrath missed the round 11 clash with Fremantle, while Bradshaw failed to complete the match and could miss several weeks.
Will Black become a dual Brownlow medallist?
The run home:
Round 12 – Western Bulldogs at the MCG
Round 13 – Adelaide at the Gabba
Round 14 – Melbourne at the MCG
Round 15 – Essendon at Telstra Dome
Round 16 – West Coast the Gabba
Round 17 – Richmond at Telstra Dome
Round 18 – Kangaroos at Carrara
Round 19 – Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium
Round 20 – Western Bulldogs at the Gabba
Round 21 – Carlton at the Gabba
Round 22 – Sydney Swans at the SCG
http://www.afl.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=61326
Overall mark: B+
Win-loss: 7-4 LWLWLWLWWWW
Ladder position: Eighth
Leading possession winner: Simon Black - 281
Leading goalkicker: Daniel Bradshaw - 43
Season so far
The Lions’ NAB Cup odyssey lasted just one round (a Carrara exit at the hand of Essendon) but the pre-season hinted that Leigh Matthews’ side would be more than competitive in 2008. After being winless but competitive through the first three rounds of the summer, the Lions tuned up for the season proper with a 10-point win over the Swans.
Although the Lions failed to put together consecutive wins through the first six rounds, the opening month-and-a-half of the home-and-away campaign said a lot about the team’s capabilities. Only a slow start prevented a round-one away win over West Coast, while stirring comebacks resulted in wins over Collingwood and Port Adelaide. Competitive losses to the then-unbeaten Geelong and Hawthorn were full of merit.
Since the Hall of Fame Tribute Match bye the Lions are unbeaten, having taking care of Carlton, St Kilda, the Kangaroos and Fremantle. Star forward Jonathan Brown is hitting stride following a slow start (by his own lofty standards) and gun midfielder Simon Black can’t be far off Brownlow Medal pace.
Best win
As far as excitement goes, nothing can surpass the round-four away victory over Port Adelaide. Like a racehorse that sits last at the 400m but wins running away, the Lions overwhelmed their hosts with a quite astonishing finishing burst.
The Power moved the ball like the Harlem Globetrotters in first half and led by as much as 47 points late in the third quarter. But the Lions, led by Daniel Bradshaw (five goals) and Jonathan Brown (four), booted 11 of the last 12 goals to emerge 20 point winners.
Truly a victory to savour.
B&F leader
Daniel Bradshaw has been brilliant on his return from a knee reconstruction and Luke Power has been characteristically consistently good, but Simon Black has been exceptional through the season’s first 11 rounds.
The 2002 Brownlow medallist missed round seven with a groin problem but otherwise has contributed week-in, week-out and averages 28 possessions per game – many of them hard-won at the base of packs. Black is ranked top-10 in the league for possessions and, not surprisingly, he ranks highly in the Brownlow betting market. Could well add a fourth club champion award to his jam-packed trophy cabinet.
Surprise packet
When Joel Macdonald went down with a season-ending knee injury early in 2006, his career appeared to be at a cross-roads. The former rookie hadn’t yet nailed down a permanent spot in the Lions’ 22 and had been used as a bit-part man covering a variety of positions.
However, from the moment he resumed last year, Macdonald has looked the model of the modern half-back-flanker. Agile, aware, capable of playing bigger than his height and with improved disposal skills, Macdonald is a key part of a much underrated defensive unit. Averages more than 22 disposals-per-game.
Missing in action
Through no fault of their own, Nigel Lappin and Matthew Leuenberger haven’t featured as much as would have been expected going into the season. Veteran midfielder Lappin has been sidelined since round five due to achilles soreness but could resume in a fortnight.
Up-and-coming ruckman Leuenberger, meanwhile, started the season well but was restricted by hamstring in the lead-up to the round -eight clash with Carlton. Despite strong efforts in the reserves, he didn’t return to the seniors until last weekend, with the Lions going smaller and using fellow young West Australian Mitch Clark as a mobile ruck/key position utility.
Coach's award (one-percenter player)
Lions fans aside, the general footballing public probably wouldn’t know a lot about defender Joel Patfull. The same, it seems fair to suggest, could not be said for opposition forwards and their coaches.
Another fine example of the Lions’ fruitful recruiting of mature age “newcomers”, Patfull finished 10th in last year’s club champion award and has been even better this year. Capable of playing bigger than his height, but is particularly good at shutting down dangerous mid-sized forwards – notably Melbourne’s Russell Robertson and North Melbourne’s Corey Jones. The former Port Adelaide rookie also makes the right decisions with the ball in his hands.
Second-half story lines
Are the Lions the real deal? Performances over the last six weeks would suggest they are, but the next fortnight will give an eve better guide to how far this team can go. The Lions travel to Melbourne to play the Western Bulldogs and Jason Akermanis in round 12, then host Adelaide at the Gabba the next week.
Can Nigel Lappin return from his achilles problem to add another weapon to the Lions’ midfield arsenal? And how serious is the mini-epidemic of hamstring tightness that has struck in the past fortnight. Key defensive playmakers Josh Drummond , Jason Roe and Ash McGrath missed the round 11 clash with Fremantle, while Bradshaw failed to complete the match and could miss several weeks.
Will Black become a dual Brownlow medallist?
The run home:
Round 12 – Western Bulldogs at the MCG
Round 13 – Adelaide at the Gabba
Round 14 – Melbourne at the MCG
Round 15 – Essendon at Telstra Dome
Round 16 – West Coast the Gabba
Round 17 – Richmond at Telstra Dome
Round 18 – Kangaroos at Carrara
Round 19 – Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium
Round 20 – Western Bulldogs at the Gabba
Round 21 – Carlton at the Gabba
Round 22 – Sydney Swans at the SCG
http://www.afl.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=61326