Unofficial Preview Changes? & discussion, Semi-Final v Giants, Saturday September 14th, 7.25pm @ Gabba.

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Hey guys,

I come in peace. Bad luck on Saturday night. I hope you guys smash GWS now that Lids is out.

Interested in your thoughts as I follow the Lions progress and am a massive Fagan fan.

You backline is very good.
Your midfield is very good.
You have some good forwards but I reckon you need a big strong KF, someone like Bruce from Saints? Is there anyone in the 2's who could play that role to good effect and get the ball to the ground?
 

Dylan12

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Fagan knows more about football and what it takes to make a successful footballer/team than me and he certainly has a hell of a lot more inside information about what is happening re his players attitude, development, abilities, potential, willingness to play team roles and commitment to their own and team improvement.

And he knows a hell of a lot more about footy and all of those things than me too.

That doesn't mean that I don't think a lot of coaches have blinkers on to certain things only to proved wrong later on.
 

Dylan12

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I really wonder what Bastinac has to do to get a game. Fagan said in his presser after the Richmond Game that he would be looking at the NEAFL game, well I wonder what he made of what he saw?
Another concern I have with Fagan's messaging to the playing group is that if you do find yourself on the outer, you may as well just leave and not bother fighting for your spot.

I'm not sure that's the sort of culture you'd ever want to harness.

We'd better be very careful that all of Cutler, Bastinac, Walker, Taylor, Lester, Robertson, Keays and Mathieson don't just leave at the end of this season. Cop a couple of injuries next year and then we're relying on the likes of Joyce, Eli Smith, Allison, Ballenden, McFadyen etc. and our age profile / mature bodies is back to 2016-2018 levels.
 

Johnny Bananas

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You have some good forwards but I reckon you need a big strong KF, someone like Bruce from Saints? Is there anyone in the 2's who could play that role to good effect and get the ball to the ground?
Not really. Skinner, Ballenden or Fullerton could perhaps develop into that sort of player, but they haven't shown it yet. And Skinner is getting to the age where he'll have to show something soon or face delisting. In any case I wouldn't be blooding a rookie now.
 
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And he knows a hell of a lot more about footy and all of those things than me too.

That doesn't mean that I don't think a lot of coaches have blinkers on to certain things only to proved wrong later on.
Good coaches get things wrong often enough . History is littered with disastrous decisions by Hafey ,Barass, Blight ,Walls ,Parkin , it goes on and on . The key is they get more right than wrong . It's a random game and you're dealing with lots of different personalities at different levels of development , you can't possibly get it right all the time , I think people who jump all over you just because you might suggest your coaches made a wrong move have no intimate understanding of the game .

Interestingly a Blues friend of mine who is reasonably well connected was blowing up about the umpiring this morning suggesting that the AFL was desperate for 2 MCG prelims. Now I'm not into conspiracy theories but it was just insightful to get an independent view from someone fairly smart who suggested the umpiring at crucial points was red hot. You can fall into the trap of getting a persecution complex but no doubt Fages will be taking some of the footage to the AFL
 

jackess

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Wouldn't Daly be the one changing things up on GameDay?
 

NonPhixion

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can 1 of your players please KTFO of Greene if he plays. Honestly that trashbag makes me sick. Who is a good candidate for this? McStay? surely Robbo gets stuck into him
 
Another concern I have with Fagan's messaging to the playing group is that if you do find yourself on the outer, you may as well just leave and not bother fighting for your spot.

I'm not sure that's the sort of culture you'd ever want to harness.

We'd better be very careful that all of Cutler, Bastinac, Walker, Taylor, Lester, Robertson, Keays and Mathieson don't just leave at the end of this season. Cop a couple of injuries next year and then we're relying on the likes of Joyce, Eli Smith, Allison, Ballenden, McFadyen etc. and our age profile / mature bodies is back to 2016-2018 levels.

Christensen and Answerth both came in through the reserves and cemented a spot.

Guys like Taylor, Walker and Lester came in through the reserves and failed to cement a spot so they went back.

Guys like Bailey and Adams arguably got rushed in but have shown enough form over more than just the last couple of weeks (given only bad clubs tend to do knee jerk changes) to warrant remaining in.
 

Dylan12

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can 1 of your players please KTFO of Greene if he plays. Honestly that trashbag makes me sick. Who is a good candidate for this? McStay? surely Robbo gets stuck into him
What, so one of our keys players in turn would be suspended for the Collingwood game by whacking Greene?

Odd request.
 

NonPhixion

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What, so one of our keys players in turn would be suspended for the Collingwood game by whacking Greene?

Odd request.
nah, probably better if its legal/disguised anyway. just want to see him get cleaned up thats all
 
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can 1 of your players please KTFO of Greene if he plays. Honestly that trashbag makes me sick. Who is a good candidate for this? McStay? surely Robbo gets stuck into him
I've had a bulldog supporter mate request exactly the same thing :) Unfortunately Robbo will miss.
 
Another concern I have with Fagan's messaging to the playing group is that if you do find yourself on the outer, you may as well just leave and not bother fighting for your spot.

I'm not sure that's the sort of culture you'd ever want to harness.

We'd better be very careful that all of Cutler, Bastinac, Walker, Taylor, Lester, Robertson, Keays and Mathieson don't just leave at the end of this season. Cop a couple of injuries next year and then we're relying on the likes of Joyce, Eli Smith, Allison, Ballenden, McFadyen etc. and our age profile / mature bodies is back to 2016-2018 levels.
You would imagine that Gold Coast will be hovering. Ryan Bastinac is 28 years old and in great form. You imagine that he would get picked up by a club for next to nothing. Cutler, Walker, Mathieson and Keays would also be walk up starts at mid-table club. Lester is an interesting one. He has just turned 27 and would be a good prospect at a club looking for an experienced player and mentor. The thinking may be that Lester steps into the Hodge role, but who knows. Personally I don’t want to see any of these players leaving and I hope the club is doing what they can to retain them. I am less certain about the merits of Robertson and Taylor on our list, but that might just be my prejudice.

I take your point Dylan12, if these players depart, there is going to be a lot of experience walking out the door, as well as ready made on field replacements should we have a bad run with injuries.

At some point in time outstanding form in the Reserves needs to be rewarded. We need to build an “aspirational culture” among our players and not one where players feel they are a walk up start for a Senior game because the coach likes them.
 

Dylan12

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BRISBANE
The Lions will make at least one change for this weekend’s knockout semi-final against GWS at the Gabba, with hugely popular veteran Mitch Robinson succumbing to a hamstring injury. Robinson’s absence will be felt immensely, with the reinvented winger playing every match this season. But his misfortune gives another player a chance to step up and shine.

Cedric Cox, who was dropped for the final, would be in the box seat to replace Robinson.

But if coach Chris Fagan wanted to replace a senior head with a senior head he could turn to Ryan Bastinac, who racked up 39 disposals and 9 marks in the NEAFL on Sunday. Rhys Mathieson (one goal from 27 disposals) and Lewis Taylor (two goals from 25 disposals) will also be strongly considered.

Despite a number of players having their colours lowered against Richmond on Saturday night, Fagan ruled out against mass changes. “We’ll keep steering the ship in a pretty steady way,” Fagan said. “These boys are playing in big games for the first time. “Sometimes you’ve just got to stick with them and let them work their way through it, so I wouldn’t make any big predictions on that one.”
 
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You would imagine that Gold Coast will be hovering. Ryan Bastinac is 28 years old and in great form. You imagine that he would get picked up by a club for next to nothing. Cutler, Walker, Mathieson and Keays would also be walk up starts at mid-table club. Lester is an interesting one. He has just turned 27 and would be a good prospect at a club looking for an experienced player and mentor. The thinking may be that Lester steps into the Hodge role, but who knows. Personally I don’t want to see any of these players leaving and I hope the club is doing what they can to retain them. I am less certain about the merits of Robertson and Taylor on our list, but that might just be my prejudice.

I take your point Dylan12, if these players depart, there is going to be a lot of experience walking out the door, as well as ready made on field replacements should we have a bad run with injuries.

At some point in time outstanding form in the Reserves needs to be rewarded. We need to build an “aspirational culture” among our players and not one where players feel they are a walk up start for a Senior game because the coach likes them.
It's an interesting point as to whether you stick with a guy who is out of form because you really believe he's your best LT prospect ,or you give him a little spell in the 2's to regain form and pick someone whom you mightn't regard as strongly but just and adopt a culture of the best in form you have at the time getting selected.

Fagan is a coach who sticks with the former option. At least everyone knows where they stand.
 
A lot of common sense in the Herald Sun today (at least in the sporting pages).
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jackess

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How on earth is a solid key forward in Himmelberg kicking 4 against us a good job by Lester?

It isn’t a coincidence that he was dropped soon after.
 
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This game is a die trying game - we must be absolutely spent at the end of the game.
Richmond flagged their approach well before the game and it was written up in the media. While we were talking about whether to play Adams or Gardiner on Riewoldt, it was reported pre-game that whoever Adams played on would be the main avenue of attack for Richmond. Richmond was keen to keep Andrews out of the game as much as possible, so whoever he played on was going to be relegated to a secondary role, trying to keep Harris out of the contest. So we line up Gardiner on Riewoldt and Andrews on Lynch and Adams on Martin. Hardwick then moves Dusty into the forward line and the rest is history. It was a great piece of coaching by Hardwick and as I said, it was flagged in the media.

If we have the good fortune to play Richmond again, we need to be aware of the fact that they have identified Adams as the weak link in defence and they are going to exploit him. Counter measures need to be developed.

Pretty sure hodge can make whatever changes he wants during the game and I trust him to know what is needed.
 

bungalow_bill

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How on earth is a solid key forward in Himmelberg kicking 4 against us a good job by Lester?

It isn’t a coincidence that he was dropped soon after.

I'm just glad whoever wrote that article isn't in charge at the Lions. Adams had a couple of not so great games V Richmond but he's still a far better option than Lester

Do agree that Bastinac is a good option to replace Robinson
 
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