Preview Rd 5, 2014 - Brisbane Lions v Richmond

[Fatcat08]

weevil can keep using that baby image as much as he likes - it's never going to get old. The resemblance is uncanny.

I started chuckling and then the fact I had to be quiet so I didn't wake my wife made me laugh even harder. You're a cruel man weevil

 

[Big Sauce 21]

So what's everyone thinking for crowd numbers tomorrow night

20,000 - 22,000 ?

 

[bato]

So what's everyone thinking for crowd numbers tomorrow night

20,000 - 22,000 ?

"Brisbane are expecting a crowd of around 22,000 at the Gabba tonight."

 

[Monterronaldo]

Not sure about that. I rekon they would want to be part of a successful team

Fair point. I should refine my statement by saying that this is surely a better approach than leaving younger players in the NEAFL all year. If i recall correctly Patty K was only recalled to the senior side against collingwood out of pure necessity despite racking up a fair few 30plus disposal games in the twos. I think its good that the young blokes feel that they are 1st or 2nd in line to be called up in the event of injury rather than being stuck in 4th or 5th inline

 

[a mayes ing]

Fair point. I should refine my statement by saying that this is surely a better approach than leaving younger players in the NEAFL all year. If i recall correctly Patty K was only recalled to the senior side against collingwood out of pure necessity despite racking up a fair few 30plus disposal games in the twos. I think its good that the young blokes feel that they are 1st or 2nd in line to be called up in the event of injury rather than being stuck in 4th or 5th inline

yeah agreed. although l thought patty k wasnt getting a game because they knew he was going to leave at the end of the year so they wanted to put games in the guys that was gonna stay.

 

[ZoBlitz]

But now it's fine. Weird

I didn't know ZoBlitz was coming up for a reunion. At least we can preplan and be kicked out for something worthwhile........ Public intoxication!

I am up in Brisbane although I did forget to bring my fliers.

And Tairy and I are already ahead of you about the second part.

 

[Dylan12]

To be fair to Leppa, after the last 2 games he doesn't have a heap to choose from.

Yes he does, anyone that thinks he doesn't is kidding himself.

Again Leppa is happy to let a dominant midfielder destroy us like he has all year...clearly tanking...I've never thought about the Lions, but with the team we have selected, anyone that thinks we are honestly trying to win is kidding themselves.

 

[PTizzle]

Yes he does, anyone that thinks he doesn't is kidding himself.

Again Leppa is happy to let a dominant midfielder destroy us like he has all year...clearly tanking...I've never thought about the Lions, but with the team we have selected, anyone that thinks we are honestly trying to win is kidding themselves.

Okay, he has Maguire, Polkinghorne and Raines or rookies. Is that a heap in your mind?

If he doesn't put someone on Cotch and Martin then I'll agree with the latter. I would have brought Raines in personally.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

Yes he does, anyone that thinks he doesn't is kidding himself.

Again Leppa is happy to let a dominant midfielder destroy us like he has all year...clearly tanking...I've never thought about the Lions, but with the team we have selected, anyone that thinks we are honestly trying to win is kidding themselves.

Agree. I have zero hope at all tomorrow. If it was last year i'd be up and keen ready for the match. Team is rattled by injuries but still blooding so many youngens at once aint right.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Again Leppa is happy to let a dominant midfielder destroy us like he has all year...clearly tanking...

Clearly hysterical. Were we tanking in round 1 and 2 by not playing a specialist tagger?

Rocky said tonight on 360 they've identified three Richmond players to put extra work into... presumably two of those are Cotchin and Martin.

He said the plan is sometimes to directly restrict them, and sometimes to manipulate matchups to force them to be accountable the other way. The suggestion was that we prefer the latter because we can't really afford to weaken our offensive output any further. The match review apparently indicated that our defensive running was okay but the offensive running was well below what they are looking for. A pure defensive shutdown role might come at too much of a cost.

but with the team we have selected, anyone that thinks we are honestly trying to win is kidding themselves.

Kidding myself then. Pick a team from our available players that would look likely to win at the moment. And if you suggest Goose Maguire and Andrew Raines are the difference between a smashing and a win, then I don't think it is me kidding myself.

In my book, tanking is manipulating events to turn a likely win into a likely loss. Tanking isn't leaving out a couple of senior players (who wouldnt get a game in any other team) unlikely to be in your future plans whose only contribution would be turning an 80 point loss into a 60 point loss.

We don't have anything close to the available cattle to present up for a "likely win". So yeah, I'll probably take an 80 point loss with some blooding of future players than a 60 point loss where we forgo opportunities for player development for the sake of scoreboard damage minimisation.

 

[Lionheart182]

Okay, he has Maguire, Polkinghorne and Raines or rookies. Is that a heap in your mind?

If he doesn't put someone on Cotch and Martin then I'll agree with the latter. I would have brought Raines in personally.

Harwood too and can probably throw Crisp in there too, he's had a few pre-seasons at least.

 

[James North]

I'm not sure leaving Goose, Polks, Raines or Crisp (or all of them) out means we're tanking.

I also don't think it would have much impact on the result by including those guys.

If we had all players available they probably wouldn't make the 22, so the choice we're left with is whether to play 4 second tier players, or see what the new guys are made of.

It's a tough call, but it's really not that crazy.

 

[Balony_pony16]

People will be thankful when leppa works 50 games into Taylor, robbo, aish, culter, gardiner etc... it is obvious Leppa is bloody youngster's who have the qualities he wants to build the team around. Players like Raines will likely be delisted so people need to stop whinging about his exclusion each week. We could give him 15 games this season or use those on a youngster. Yes it will be a long few years but have some faith in a rebuild we needed years back. Get behind the boys!!!

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[Big Sauce 21]

People will be thankful when leppa works 50 games into Taylor, robbo, aish, culter, gardiner etc... it is obvious Leppa is bloody youngster's who have the qualities he wants to build the team around. Players like Raines will likely be delisted so people need to stop whinging about his exclusion each week. We could give him 15 games this season or use those on a youngster. Yes it will be a long few years but have some faith in a rebuild we needed years back. Get behind the boys!!!

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God damn it I'm impatient.

 

[Hollow Knight]

God damn it I'm impatient.

Follow one of the big 4 EPL teams then. We're going to be doing it tough for a while and Leppitsch can't fasttrack a miracle on account of us being ordinary for 10 years.

 

[Dylan12]

So if we were so intent on this youth policy, what was the purpose of giving Maguire and Polkinghorne one year extensions then?

It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever considering Maguire can't get a game in the current climate.

And I'm guessing we'll reward Merrett with immediate selection next week? Makes sense.

 

[James North]

So if we were so intent on this youth policy, what was the purpose of giving Maguire and Polkinghorne one year extensions then?

It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever considering Maguire can't get a game in the current climate.

And I'm guessing we'll reward Merrett with immediate selection next week? Makes sense.

Depth (evidently very deep), otherwise they would've been given more years I'd say.

Merrett will probably be returned to his role as red-haired defender. He's a lock.

As an avid eye roller, I'd expect you to be an excellent lawn bowler or boules expert.

 

[Haso]

I would have thought that at the very least they were required to fill list spots. Can't have 9 draftees I wouldn't think.

 

[AFLQLD]

People will be thankful when leppa works 50 games into Taylor, robbo, aish, culter, gardiner etc... it is obvious Leppa is bloody youngster's who have the qualities he wants to build the team around. Players like Raines will likely be delisted so people need to stop whinging about his exclusion each week. We could give him 15 games this season or use those on a youngster. Yes it will be a long few years but have some faith in a rebuild we needed years back. Get behind the boys!!!

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I think it is natural to want quick results or to say that years out of finals is too long but this is the harsh reality for the moment. Building a team to genuinely challenge at the top is a slow process. At the same time, we can acknowledge that loyal Lions players who are not part of the future are still Lions and still part of the club. Tough decisions need to be made every season. This season more than most. Stay the course.


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[James North]

I would have thought that at the very least they were required to fill list spots. Can't have 9 draftees I wouldn't think.

You can if you start your own beer thread.

 

[Hollow Knight]

So if we were so intent on this youth policy, what was the purpose of giving Maguire and Polkinghorne one year extensions then?

It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever considering Maguire can't get a game in the current climate.

Have to use 95 percent of the cap regardless. May as well have some senior bodies around the joint to give the young fellas a chopout in the reserves. Can't just draft 15 kids in one year.

But since you asked... I might ask you a similar question... if the intention was to "tank", what was the purpose of giving Maguire and Polkinghorne one year extensions?

The "youth policy" has been thrust upon us by circumstance. Do you think Leuenberger, Merrett, Hanley, Green, Rich and Beams wouldnt be playing this week if available? But they're not, so if the equation is play guys on the cusp of delistment and lose by 60, or blood the next generation and lose by 80, I can certainly see the benefit in the latter.

You clearly aren't going to be swayed Dylan, but can I ask you to stop short of insinuating that anyone who doesn't think we are "tanking" is an idiot.

And I'm guessing we'll reward Merrett with immediate selection next week? Makes sense.

If we don't, that will be when I start wondering if we are tanking.

 

[Old Den]

It does seem like he is the early favorite for whipping boy status.


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So if we were so intent on this youth policy, what was the purpose of giving Maguire and Polkinghorne one year extensions then?

It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever considering Maguire can't get a game in the current climate.

And I'm guessing we'll reward Merrett with immediate selection next week? Makes sense.

Maguire is contracted until the end of 2014 - Merrett until the end of 2016...if you had to choose between Merrett and Maguire to play full back who would you choose especially as Maguire is playing forward currently? - makes sense to me.

There is nothing to suggest that the experienced players missing selection so far won't get a game if their form in the NEAFL demand it.

As a matter of interest...Robbo on AFL 360 last night thoroughly backed playing the youngsters in the current circumstances.

I am pleased that 5 of our first 6 picks in the latest draft are good enough to get a game in the seniors after 4 rounds...Taylor,Cutler and Robertson can be considered direct replacements for some of the GH5 while Aish and Gardiner were our first 2 regular picks.

 

[Robbo18!]

Just flew in!
Excited for tonight's game at the Gabba.
Never been before.
Little insight into hopefully what we can expect to see tonight, Nick called me to tell me he was playing and he said "Dad, I'm going in differently this week, I was nervous and second guessing myself a bit but this week I'm just going to do it"
Like some have posted, especially after Tockys comments last night, the thing I love is that it seems like the boys after 4 heavy losses aren't falling over on their own swords but digging in!!
If I can see that tonight, I'll be rapt!!
C'mon boys give ya best tonight.
Congrats to an out and out champion tonight! Browny your a once in a generation champion player of the toughest position on the ground!!

 

[Robbo18!]

Sorry Rocky not Tocky!!

 

[acuguy]

My tanking comment is based around Gardiner coming into the team after an injury interrupted pre season, a few games in the 2s and then because it doesn't look like it is right for team balance.

Hinkley's approach to the older players was simply "I am not here to end careers, I am here to extend them" What sort of culture are we building on the track when players such as Raines, Maguire and Polkinghorne know that there is a red line through their names. I mean if they can't get a game now, they won't get one all year. Easy to say just play the young blokes, I am not saying these guys are world beaters, but not sure this sort of selection attitude does anything for your club in the long term. I think many clubs go down this path and their younger players flounder due to being exposed to senior footy too early.