rfctigerarmy
12 Oct 2003, 17:30
2003 Report Card: Brisbane Lions
10:21:14 AM Sun 12 October, 2003
Jordan Chong
afl.com.au
2003 record: 17 wins, eight losses, one draw. Position: first
2002 record 20 wins, five losses. First
What went right:
The Lions overcame tremendous adversity throughout the season to finish with a third-straight premiership. Quite apart from the talent and coaching prowess at their disposal, the team displayed a stirring never-say-die attitude that overpowered Collingwood in the grand final. Moreover, the football department and medical staff went to extraordinary lengths to ensure their champion players got out onto the field able to play. Skipper Michael Voss was unstoppable early in the season and inspirational late, especially with his ability to get on the field and dominate the in the club’s semi-final win over Adelaide. Jason Akermanis produced a brilliant display in the grand final after relatively quiet efforts in the previous two.
What went wrong:
Injuries to key players resulted in a mid-season patch where the team struggled to string wins together. Brisbane raced out of the blocks early in the season with eight wins from the first 10 matches but found trouble between rounds 11-17 with five losses. Two of those came at Telstra Dome, against St Kilda and Essendon respectively. The Lions’ record at the venue in 2003 was one win – in round 22 against wooden-spooners the Western Bulldogs - a draw and two losses. Upon reflection it was but a minor hiccup to the 2003 premiership.
Who stepped up:
Luke Power was one to make great strides in 2003. A talented player used mainly at half-forward and half-back prior to this season, Power spent considerable more time in the middle in 2003 and showed his ball-winning capabilities. The 23-year old played all 26 games during the season, with 20-plus possession games becoming the norm. He is part of an elite group with three premiership medallions.
Missing in Action:
Tim Notting secured premiership medallions in 2001 and 2002 but missed out this year, squeezed out of the side following the preliminary final win over Sydney. Notting played the first seven games of 2003 but was an omission from rounds eight to 15. First-year Lion Blake Caracella was another who was in and out of the side early on in the season after struggling to come to terms with a different playing style under coach Leigh Matthews. But he played the last 11 games of the year, including all four finals.
Rising Star:
Richard Hadley won himself a premiership medallion in just his fourth game of AFL football. The youngster made his debut in round three of the 2001 season but had to wait until the club’s semi-final against Adelaide for his second. Hadley kicked his career-first goal in the second quarter of the grand final. Meanwhile, Jarred Brennan made an eye-catching debut in the round four clash with Collingwood at the Gabba, coming into the side as a late replacement. The 18-year old continued to impress, playing eight matches before ending his season prematurely after tearing a groin muscle in the reserves.
Best win: Grand Final v Collingwood at MCG
The match was Brisbane’s second-consecutive away match and the fourth time away from the Gabba in the previous five weeks. Moreover, numerous members of the team were coming into the match with significant injuries – Jonathan Brown (hand), Chris Johnson (shoulder), Clark Keating (shoulder), Nigel Lappin (ribs), Justin Leppitsch (shoulder), Alastair Lynch (quadriceps), Michael Voss (knee) and Darryl White (ribs). Added to that, Jared Brennan (groin), Beau McDonald (knee), Brad Scott (ankle) and Chris Scott (groin) weren’t able to take the field. Collingwood had also beaten the Lions in the qualifying final. But a devastating second-quarter burst, stellar midfield performances from Jason Akermanis and Simon Black and two on-fire key forwards in Brown and Lynch ensured the Lions made it three straight.
Worst loss: Round 12 v West Coast at Gabba
The Lions suffered their worst defeat in two years on a sunny Sunday afternoon in June. It was one of the club’s poorest performances under coach Leigh Matthews, West Coast kicking goals almost at will in the first half to lead by 48 points at the long break. There was an all-too-brief rally in the third term, but the Eagles still emerged 69-point winners. It was a totally out-of-character effort, considering Brisbane’s next-biggest defeat was a 19-point loss to Sydney in round seven. Alastair Lynch toiled manfully for the home side with eight goals, while West Coast’s Chris Judd booted five – all in the first half.
Shopping List:
The Lions have a wonderful record of keeping the players it regards as ‘required’. Everyone on the list, it seems, wants to play for Leigh Matthews. But with a few retirements looming, Brisbane will be keen to secure a few youngsters now to replace the likes of Alastair Lynch, Martin Pike and Darryl White when they decide to call it quits.
What the coach says:
“I must say this particular group of players surprise me regularly. I had this foreboding that we were limping into this grand final a bit. But to come in and have the kind of win we did – well they are a very special group (of players). The group has changed a little bit over the three years but the majority of them have been there three times – they are very special players. We didn’t have as a good a home-and-away series this year - we won 14 and a half games and finished third whereas the two previous years we won 17 and finished second, So not finishing second meant we had to travel three times over a month and to find a way to beat good opposition so it was definitely a harder sequence of matches.”
What we say:
Brisbane has performed something not achieved in almost 50 years – finish three consecutive seasons with the premiership cup. The club is simply a juggernaut in the competition that, ominously for the other 15, shows no signs of waning.
Suggested membership motto for 2004:
Be four-warned in 2004, Brisbane’s best is yet to come.
10:21:14 AM Sun 12 October, 2003
Jordan Chong
afl.com.au
2003 record: 17 wins, eight losses, one draw. Position: first
2002 record 20 wins, five losses. First
What went right:
The Lions overcame tremendous adversity throughout the season to finish with a third-straight premiership. Quite apart from the talent and coaching prowess at their disposal, the team displayed a stirring never-say-die attitude that overpowered Collingwood in the grand final. Moreover, the football department and medical staff went to extraordinary lengths to ensure their champion players got out onto the field able to play. Skipper Michael Voss was unstoppable early in the season and inspirational late, especially with his ability to get on the field and dominate the in the club’s semi-final win over Adelaide. Jason Akermanis produced a brilliant display in the grand final after relatively quiet efforts in the previous two.
What went wrong:
Injuries to key players resulted in a mid-season patch where the team struggled to string wins together. Brisbane raced out of the blocks early in the season with eight wins from the first 10 matches but found trouble between rounds 11-17 with five losses. Two of those came at Telstra Dome, against St Kilda and Essendon respectively. The Lions’ record at the venue in 2003 was one win – in round 22 against wooden-spooners the Western Bulldogs - a draw and two losses. Upon reflection it was but a minor hiccup to the 2003 premiership.
Who stepped up:
Luke Power was one to make great strides in 2003. A talented player used mainly at half-forward and half-back prior to this season, Power spent considerable more time in the middle in 2003 and showed his ball-winning capabilities. The 23-year old played all 26 games during the season, with 20-plus possession games becoming the norm. He is part of an elite group with three premiership medallions.
Missing in Action:
Tim Notting secured premiership medallions in 2001 and 2002 but missed out this year, squeezed out of the side following the preliminary final win over Sydney. Notting played the first seven games of 2003 but was an omission from rounds eight to 15. First-year Lion Blake Caracella was another who was in and out of the side early on in the season after struggling to come to terms with a different playing style under coach Leigh Matthews. But he played the last 11 games of the year, including all four finals.
Rising Star:
Richard Hadley won himself a premiership medallion in just his fourth game of AFL football. The youngster made his debut in round three of the 2001 season but had to wait until the club’s semi-final against Adelaide for his second. Hadley kicked his career-first goal in the second quarter of the grand final. Meanwhile, Jarred Brennan made an eye-catching debut in the round four clash with Collingwood at the Gabba, coming into the side as a late replacement. The 18-year old continued to impress, playing eight matches before ending his season prematurely after tearing a groin muscle in the reserves.
Best win: Grand Final v Collingwood at MCG
The match was Brisbane’s second-consecutive away match and the fourth time away from the Gabba in the previous five weeks. Moreover, numerous members of the team were coming into the match with significant injuries – Jonathan Brown (hand), Chris Johnson (shoulder), Clark Keating (shoulder), Nigel Lappin (ribs), Justin Leppitsch (shoulder), Alastair Lynch (quadriceps), Michael Voss (knee) and Darryl White (ribs). Added to that, Jared Brennan (groin), Beau McDonald (knee), Brad Scott (ankle) and Chris Scott (groin) weren’t able to take the field. Collingwood had also beaten the Lions in the qualifying final. But a devastating second-quarter burst, stellar midfield performances from Jason Akermanis and Simon Black and two on-fire key forwards in Brown and Lynch ensured the Lions made it three straight.
Worst loss: Round 12 v West Coast at Gabba
The Lions suffered their worst defeat in two years on a sunny Sunday afternoon in June. It was one of the club’s poorest performances under coach Leigh Matthews, West Coast kicking goals almost at will in the first half to lead by 48 points at the long break. There was an all-too-brief rally in the third term, but the Eagles still emerged 69-point winners. It was a totally out-of-character effort, considering Brisbane’s next-biggest defeat was a 19-point loss to Sydney in round seven. Alastair Lynch toiled manfully for the home side with eight goals, while West Coast’s Chris Judd booted five – all in the first half.
Shopping List:
The Lions have a wonderful record of keeping the players it regards as ‘required’. Everyone on the list, it seems, wants to play for Leigh Matthews. But with a few retirements looming, Brisbane will be keen to secure a few youngsters now to replace the likes of Alastair Lynch, Martin Pike and Darryl White when they decide to call it quits.
What the coach says:
“I must say this particular group of players surprise me regularly. I had this foreboding that we were limping into this grand final a bit. But to come in and have the kind of win we did – well they are a very special group (of players). The group has changed a little bit over the three years but the majority of them have been there three times – they are very special players. We didn’t have as a good a home-and-away series this year - we won 14 and a half games and finished third whereas the two previous years we won 17 and finished second, So not finishing second meant we had to travel three times over a month and to find a way to beat good opposition so it was definitely a harder sequence of matches.”
What we say:
Brisbane has performed something not achieved in almost 50 years – finish three consecutive seasons with the premiership cup. The club is simply a juggernaut in the competition that, ominously for the other 15, shows no signs of waning.
Suggested membership motto for 2004:
Be four-warned in 2004, Brisbane’s best is yet to come.