News Practice Game v Suns - Feb 23

BangyBangy

BangyBangyMightyLoins
Oct 16, 2013
4,709
11,492
Melbourne
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
No one ever steps on a field and gives less than 95%. Going half arsed against opposition going full tilt almost is a sure fire way to get collision injuries.

On Pixel 2 XL using BigFooty.com mobile app

I never suggested we were going in half arsed. Simply pointed out that the game might have had a little more meaning for the suns given what the club has gone through over the last year or so. In a close & competitive league the margin between the ladder leaders & the cellar dwellers is narrowing, on game day it can be the six inches between the ears.
 

Dylan12

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 7, 2007
22,114
23,297
Melbourne
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Chelsea, Boston Red Sox
AFL 2019: What we learned from practice matches, intra-clubs and AFLX ahead of JLT Community Series
GOLD COAST SUNS v BRISBANE

All eyes were on Gold Coast’s top two picks, Jack Lukosius and Izak Rankine and they didn’t disappoint, putting their hands up for a first round debut. Peter Wright took some strong marks in attack as he looks to fill the void left by the departed Tom Lynch, while academy product Jack Bowes looks set to take the next step in 2019 after putting in a strong showing against the Lions on Saturday.

Charlie Cameron missed the second half of his first season at the Gabba, but he looked back to somewhere near his best on Saturday. Archie Smith continues to fight for the No. 1 ruck spot with long-term No. 1 Stefan Martin. Chris Fagan has experimented with gun defender Harris Andrews in attack all summer and that continued again against the Suns for the first three quarters before he returned to his natural habitat. Lachie Neale and Jarryd Lyons made low key starts to their careers in Brisbane.
 
Jan 9, 2009
15,031
16,472
Queensland
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
I saw the first three quarters. Archie Smith, Zac Bailey and Mitch Hinge impressed me the most. Hinge has a lovely kick on him and he isn't afraid to pull the trigger on a risky kick up the middle to break the game open and he executed it a couple of times as well. I think we'll see him in the seniors this year.
 

dizzysquizz

Senior List
May 16, 2016
223
297
brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
I saw 5 / 6ths of match, a couple of random thoughts/observations.

Archie did majority of Ruck duties
Harris looked much better in defence, BUT ball use going forward was ordinary at best.
Hipwood still gets out muscled marking contests way to easy.
Lester played defence, actually looked half decent, pulled the trigger with a beautiful ball into the corridor to hit up N Robbo.
Ballendeen, skinner both played defence
M Robbo just throws ball onto the boot, is he a lock for rd 1 ????
M Hinge looks promising did some good things, good size.
McCarthy, verry quiet played mostly foward, Lewy was giving a really stern talking to on sidelines for good couple minutes

Izak Rankine ...wowee,
Suns contested marking was really impressive.
 

marooned

Club Legend
Aug 19, 2016
1,060
1,596
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
So was Archie dominant in the rock? Was he any good?
Yes he dominated in the ruck with him winning the tap outs.Around the ground he didnt stand out as much.Played alot better than Nicholls.One of our better players
 

Milux

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 29, 2013
8,865
12,814
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Yes he dominated in the ruck with him winning the tap outs.Around the ground he didnt stand out as much.Played alot better than Nicholls.One of our better players
Stefs been good for us and is great around the ground but I think our midfield has lacked a tap ruck.
 

jackess

Cancelled
30k Posts 10k Posts
Aug 10, 2005
46,545
42,486
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
OMc taking the centre bounces and Stef taking the ruck around the ground seemed to work well last season.
 
Surely this is just a ploy to put some doubt in the minds of opposition coaches when planning each week. I can't see us doing any more than swinging him forward every now and then if the game situation requires it.
This is my sense as well. He may start him there some times depending on matchups, but I don't see it as a permanent or even a majority of the time thing.
 

jackess

Cancelled
30k Posts 10k Posts
Aug 10, 2005
46,545
42,486
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Which game was it last year when Stef won about a dozen frees?

He intimidates inexperienced rucks.
 

Skoob

Brownlow Medallist
Jul 6, 2010
13,912
21,163
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Didn't follow this thread or game.
I assume from tid bits, plenty of players got a go, including a lot of guys not best 22, or not ready. Some coming back from injury, and some playing out of position.
I suspect plenty only got a game, so they know what they have to work on, how far they're off, and what it's like to play AFL players rather than NEAFL opponents.

What does matter, is the general skills. Cobwebs excuse only so much, and ball handling should be fundamental. The rest we won't see until our best team takes the field for real.

Also, I say "best 22" but we really don't have a best 22 still. As in previous years, we have maybe a best 12 or so, then competition for the rest, mostly interchangeable.

Worrying about the likes of Smith, Cox, Fullarton, Ballenden or how Bastinac is going is like worrying about how many Brownlow votes they'll get. Makes no difference to the senior team's fortunes this year.
 
I went along but was managing a 3 year old so only saw bits and pieces. As a general feel I didn't think we got beaten in the contest too badly, but we certainly didn't take our chances, which is what the suns seemed to do every time they went forward. Felt like the ball was constantly just going past us or dropping the wrong side of a contest all of the time for some reason. whether that was bad luck or bad play i didn't watch in enough detail to tell. We really lacked some overlap run out of d50 and kept going wide with kicks (which Fagan blew up about multiple times). FWIW i thought the game was actually a godsend, really highlighted a few things that the boys need to work on and will certainly give fages some ammunition to ask for a heck of a lot more from the guys.

However the most frustrating thing was the suns lack of organisation for the event. Clearly they massively underestimated the amount of people interested which was pretty crap considering they promoted it as a suns family day. They probably would have been fine if it was just suns supporters but there was a much larger Lions contingent than suns at the ground (or at least felt like it given the noise comparison when goals were scored). Lions_Insider some feedback would be that if we're going to promote an event then the suns need to have more than one outlet open to get food and drinks in the whole ground. Trying to get a bottle of water was almost impossible and required a 35 minute wait in line at one point.
 
Oct 16, 2011
1,563
5,177
Melbourne
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Melbourne Stars
Thanks for the updates everyone. Sounds like it was the kick in the bum/ reality check that we all needed. Players and supporters included. Would rather try and iron out a few creases now than wait for round 1. It would have been great to belt the suns, but I think we can take away a lot more from a loss like this.

Certainty not the end of the world by any stretch and I’m still very positive about the upcoming season. Let’s wait until we put close to our best 22 on the park.

FWIW I see us finishing in front of GC, Carlton, StKilda, Doggies, Freo and possibly Port. Finishing 12th or above would be an ok outcome for mine. Hoping in 2020 to have a real serious crack for the 8.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
However the most frustrating thing was the suns lack of organisation for the event. Clearly they massively underestimated the amount of people interested which was pretty crap considering they promoted it as a suns family day. They probably would have been fine if it was just suns supporters but there was a much larger Lions contingent than suns at the ground (or at least felt like it given the noise comparison when goals were scored). Lions_Insider some feedback would be that if we're going to promote an event then the suns need to have more than one outlet open to get food and drinks in the whole ground. Trying to get a bottle of water was almost impossible and required a 35 minute wait in line at one point.
Good to see they haven't learnt anything since the 2013 pool pre-season games when they also only had one outlet open and my mate was gone for about 40+ minutes just trying to get some food.
 

jackess

Cancelled
30k Posts 10k Posts
Aug 10, 2005
46,545
42,486
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Weird kicking action, maybe!
But a Beautiful kick!

I also assume it was Madden who's kick went off the side of the boot at right angles early in the video which led to a good contested mark.
 
Back