Review Round 6, 2020 - Brisbane Lions vs. Geelong

[Elixuh]

I thought Rayner was great in the first half. Pity the team couldn't go on with it in the second half because I think he looked set for a big game. Was moving well, reading the play well and kicking nicely.

 

[Toffee Lion]

One of our biggest weaknesses is our constant need to bomb it into the 50.

It works fine against bad teams but great teams have strong structures. Just have to think back to the GWS Semi-final when we kept bombing it in and they just kept intercepting it.

We need the forward line leading to the ball more often but also the midfield to not just blindly rush kick it into the f50.

 

[Nunez]

Its my fault McStay performed so poorly; I got too cute and picked him in our goalkicking comp.

I picked him too

But yeah, his effort was there, but there was absolutely no connection between our mids and forwards today. Finger is pointed at the mids for that as they were very, very average.

 

[luthor]

One thing that really annoyed me was our players frequently getting pushed under the contested ball in the air....with hands

I know this will sound like an umpire whinge but Geelong got away with blue murder in that area.

Rowan's uncontested mark in the square. Now how the hell did that happen?

I think Bruce drooled over his "pace" being the reason but if you look at the vision, Gardiner is absolutely shoved out and away from the drop zone with blatant hands in the back

 

[davemc_lions]

Cats played well from midway through the 2nd.

Our bad goal kicking costs us we let teams back in. Good teams only need a small look
Both our finals we did not kick straight last year and continued on this year.

 

[undefined]

If we better capitalised on our 2nd quarter domination, and didn't s**t the bed completely in the 3rd, it would have been close. Heck, probably in our favour.

Geelong showed outstanding maturity, however, coming back from a heavy 20 point deficit with their interchange halved. They clearly handled the quick turnaround & Thursday night occasion much better than us - and that's hardly surprising.

For me,

Zorko,
Berry,
Neale,
Ah Chee,
Rayner.

 

[The Zork]

Playing like rock stars in the second started it.

Berry being selfish and surely not doing the team thing and it was from that very point that the whole thing went to crap and the scoreboard shows it did.

That was a massive error from Berry.
He tried hard all night and had a crack but he got his pants pulled down through the midfield tonight. Wasn’t alone though.

 

[brutus76]

Outmuscled and outworked in the contest. Yet still had enough of the ball.

Need to learn from it and until B.INEPT is replaced as goalkicking coach the Lions won't win a final or flag. Been the Achilles heel for the last 5 years

 

[M Malice]

Zac Bailey was very quiet tonight but he wasn't alone, Charlie, Linc, Lester, Gardiner, Stef, Birch, Hippy as well.

 

[CarterS]

Did anyone notice when McStay had the ball on the wing in the first couple of mins of the 3rd quarter Bruce said "he is a great kick for goal"

 

[MSB ROYS]

Did anyone notice when McStay had the ball on the wing in the first couple of mins of the 3rd quarter Bruce said "he is a great kick for goal"

Obviously did not watch much of last week's game in preparation for tonight.

 

[Some_guy]

Disappointing result, But better now then later on in finals.

I really hope they learn to cope better in big games soon. It seems whenever they play at a big occasions like prime time or finals they crumble.

I havent watched much of Geelong recently. But boy are they annoying, constantly looking for that free. Credit to them tonight they played well, Just dont like the way they go about it.

 

[snooplions]

Did anyone notice when McStay had the ball on the wing in the first couple of mins of the 3rd quarter Bruce said "he is a great kick for goal"

Just like last week when Derm started talking about how poor Oscar is in front of goal... Um he's one of our best you peanut, dermott. You can tell which commentators do their homework before a game.

 

[The Zork]

Disappointing result, But better now then later on in finals.

I really hope they learn to cope better in big games soon. It seems whenever they play at a big occasions like prime time or finals they crumble.

I havent watched much of Geelong recently. But boy are they annoying, constantly looking for that free. Credit to them tonight they played well, Just dont like the way they go about it.

Arms are out horizontal every contest aren’t they. They have an entitled style one might say.

 

[Gadzorks]

One of our biggest weaknesses is our constant need to bomb it into the 50.

It works fine against bad teams but great teams have strong structures. Just have to think back to the GWS Semi-final when we kept bombing it in and they just kept intercepting it.

We need the forward line leading to the ball more often but also the midfield to not just blindly rush kick it into the f50.

Yes - agree totally with 2nd paragraph. We struggle against mature teams that can stay calm under pressure and negate our helter skelter go forward game plan.

We need a forward version of hodge.

Go the qld hub recruitment drive, though I have no idea who would be able to fill that role or even who’s available

 

[3KZ is Football]

Need to learn from it and until B.INEPT is replaced as goalkicking coach the Lions won't win a final or flag. Been the Achilles heel for the last 5 years

Yep. It had been glaringly obvious to anyone who understands football for YEARS, but I get the sense that Fagan is waiting for it to fix itself. Not going to happen. Really frustrated because last week appears to have been a false dawn.

 

[dlanod]

Its my fault McStay performed so poorly; I got too cute and picked him in our goalkicking comp.

Heh I had similar thoughts about the Lions - I saw my first win live in a decade last year. Obviously our opponents were due.

 

[dlanod]

Rowan's uncontested mark in the square. Now how the hell did that happen?

Birchall got caught ball watching and was standing flat footed between the goal and point posts when Rohan ran off him to take the mark.

 

[JB42]

Disappointing 3rd quarter. The boys went away from the structure and panicked and became reactive. Seeing guys taking panicky 50/50 kicks into the corridor resulting in turn overs costing goals was disappointing when we needed to arrest their momentum and control the tempo. Fagan would be disappointed with that moreso than losing the game.

 

[dlanod]

Did anyone notice when McStay had the ball on the wing in the first couple of mins of the 3rd quarter Bruce said "he is a great kick for goal"

The call of someone who just looked at this year's goal kicking stats. IIRC McStay was 6.0 before this game.

 

[bungalow_bill]

Man people love giving McStay a whack. It was no one players fault and McStay certainly worked hard in the first half.

It's really just a few who seem to take pleasure in every mistake McStay makes and even some imaginary ones

 

[notliondown]

I hope the one thing that comes out of tonight is a little realisation that we have a way to go yet.

And with that realisation I hope we reconsider playing players like Birchall. I'm just lost as to his upside, and yes I don't doubt bringing in a younger tall is going to have issues too but at least they will grow with the team. He's a fine player but he brings nothing that can't be taught to a younger player with time. He wasn't the only one found out tonight but it was get wrenching to watch him get beaten over and over - and then stand there while his man takes a mark on the goal line.

Some of our boys are still yet to learn to impact games when they are having dirty nights. You can't be a by stander, go through the motions, be second to the ball just because you're having a dirty game. There were numerous times when Rich, Cameron, Bailey, Andrews, Martin, Robinson, to name a few just looked lost because things weren't happening for them.

It's fair to say that most of our guys had those moments tonight but (it seemed to me at least) just as I was about to lose it at J.Berry, McCarthy and even Lugga for going missing they suddenly inject themselves back into the game. And it showed.

But you cannot have Hipwood, Cameron, McCarthy and McStay combining for 24 disposals and hoping to win. They have to find a way to impact. They've had enough games to know that by now. Being spoon fed by Neale, Zorko and Lyons won't happen week in week out... find a way to affect the game. Last week Charlie was all over the ground... what happened tonight?

 

[Ralphy2017]

It might be new recruit cognitive dissonance affecting me but I really am struggling to see what Birchall and Ah Chee are currently offering to justify their spot in the 22.

Correct bring in Answerth, and I am also struggling to see what Lester has done the last two games, before that he was OK to good because we have played no one, Freeo out of form WC and Adelaide. Gardner is not going to be dropped nor does he deserve to because he is being asked to be the 2nd tall and gives penalties against the bigger and stronger forward. But I know very little because I thought Payne would travel with the team. Actually thought the whole squad should have travelled as the Lions might be in Sydney for a few extra weeks.

 

[dlanod]

The other thing I noted about Geelong's game is that we've been very good at getting crumbers front and centre at the contest - this week not only weren't they not there, Geelong was there with a couple to take the ball away from the contest. Another failure of our structures.

 

[bungalow_bill]

Someone actually voted for Lester