Review Round 12, 2022 - Fremantle vs. Brisbane Lions

[BRAB]

And this where I’m not sure if I’m being baited, or someone is legit agreeing with me.

I wouldn’t be trading Neale either, nor do I know the answer to the our midfield issues.

I would never bait anyone briztoon

 

[briztoon]

Briz has been pushing to reset our team for 2 years and focus all our time and effort on the draft. That’s fine.

But having had to watch an entirely lost decade where we were lucky to win 6 games a year I’m not willing to give it up yet. We can completely bottom out the 2 years before Tassie enters the comp in 2026/27, coincidentally also when we will be shut out of the Gabba and have less of a home ground advantage.

Our time to hit the draft to build our team has past. This year, if both Ashcroft and Fletcher nominate us, we’ll get a good injection of elite midfield talent.

No, if we’re going to rejig our midfield, it’s going to have to be through a trade.

We’re almost at the point where it’s go all out to build a midfield around Neale and Rayner, while we have Daniher at his peak, but possibly at the expense of drafting our future KPP’s.

 

[briztoon]

Rich did end up on him at one point but actually Zorko started on him for a few of his goals - because he was running into the square at centre bounce to try get the ball as we were chasing the score in the 4th.

Kingy is great for getting a single stat fed to him by champion data or watching one highlight and extrapolating it out to the point of hyperbole.

King showed 3 clips where Rich failed to stay with Fredericks on each occasion, which lead to goals.

King also discussed our broader problem in defence, and highlighted something Fagan said pregame that indicated Fagan voiced our current concerns about team performances and what the players needed to do, which they then failed to do.

 

[Tom14]

Our time to hit the draft to build our team has past. This year, if both Ashcroft and Fletcher nominate us, we’ll get a good injection of elite midfield talent.

No, if we’re going to rejig our midfield, it’s going to have to be through a trade.

We’re almost at the point where it’s go all out to build a midfield around Neale and Rayner, while we have Daniher at his peak, but possibly at the expense of drafting our future KPP’s.

I don’t disagree with anything youve said there but suspect we won’t have the salary cap space to really acquire anyone for a year or two. We got in early on the starce and bailey extensions but clug is going to cost a bit. If we hold onto McStay it won’t be for a pittance.

I’m a reasonable defender of dizzy compared to the alternatives but would be happy enough if someone made him a better offer than us.

 

[bungalow_bill]

Yeaaaaaaaah, a two time Brownlow Medallist versus a very good tall forward. Naaaaah

Elite tall forward

 

[tate13]

We’d win comfortably at the Gabba, but that’s part of our problem. Structurally we should be beating them anywhere.

Our midfield is getting exposed badly. Neale and Lyons make up the majority of our clearances still, which is a major concern. Too many times they were able to just walk the ball out of the centre. A few weeks in a row now we’ve had massive lapses with centre clearances and it’s cost us.

Up forward we look a bit amiss without Daniher. Our forward half pressure (granted it was a good Q1 today) isn’t there atm. The ball is coming out too easily and teams are slicing us up and transitioning with ease.

Looking ahead at the fixture I think we’re going to struggle to hold top 2 now - with 2 games vs Melb and away games vs Richmond and stk.

And even if we do, unless something drastic changes - and it quite easily could - we just don’t look up to winning at the mcg on grand final day. Or even getting there if our path doesn’t involve a Gabba prelim.

 

[Dizzle]

I loved the move where Zorko was dashing forward from defense and fill that immediate gap outside the arc in D50. It was clearly working and he was able to do the 2 step kick and take our attack forward. Just felt it was a move made too late after we fell 3 goals behind.

Was at the game, at the end we defended last quarter. Zorko lined up side by side on Frederick at the back of the square every ball up. Every bounce Zorks just ran off and left Freddie alone. Didn’t wait for the contest, just bolted.

For every time it worked (3x?) it went against us at least twice. Sure we were never going to overrun them without scoring, but we should’ve seen that our mids were hardly dominating and every time Freo got a clearance they had open men forward.

Didn’t help that Freddie had about ten shots in the warm up, all obviously unpressured, and he sprayed every damn one of them. Come the game and he couldn’t miss.

We sucked today in small ways for short periods. Couldn’t get our run going. We need to be better but I don’t think it’s panic stations.

 

[Zacs_Magic_Tooth]

It’ll get buried in the wash up but those 2 frees that went against us early in the 3rd absolutely cooked us.
The dangerous tackle at CHF and reversal on McCarthy.
Killed the intensity we came out with after half time.
You could tell Browny was filthy commentating it.
Would we have run away with it? Nah probably not, but we should of been given the opportunity to put a gap on them early.

I turned it off after this. Couldn’t put my household through it for another hour

 

[lioninthesand]

We’d win comfortably at the Gabba, but that’s part of our problem. Structurally we should be beating them anywhere.

Our midfield is getting exposed badly. Neale and Lyons make up the majority of our clearances still, which is a major concern. Too many times they were able to just walk the ball out of the centre. A few weeks in a row now we’ve had massive lapses with centre clearances and it’s cost us.

Up forward we look a bit amiss without Daniher. Our forward half pressure (granted it was a good Q1 today) isn’t there atm. The ball is coming out too easily and teams are slicing us up and transitioning with ease.

Looking ahead at the fixture I think we’re going to struggle to hold top 2 now - with 2 games vs Melb and away games vs Richmond and stk.

And even if we do, unless something drastic changes - and it quite easily could - we just don’t look up to winning at the mcg on grand final day. Or even getting there if our path doesn’t involve a Gabba prelim.

Would we win comfortably at the Gabba right now? Not so sure. I reckon Saints will do us next week, mainly because we have ‘needed the bye’ for a month now.

 

[md20]

I've had to watch it on a replay so didnt read our game day thread so not sure how much its been mentioned by you guys, and haven't been able to watch most of the last quarter. But why wasn't Berry put on Brayshaw? He was destroying us. Instead we used Robbo on him. Good way to force Robbo out of the team really. And then Brodie decides to join in later on.

We were all over them in the first and start of the second quarter but didn't capatlise. Could always see it coming from there.
We couldn't take a contested mark to save ourselves and our midfield is horrible at defending and tackling

On SM-S906E using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[harvester]

Yes, it would have been nice to win, but the players and coaching staff will have learnt a lot from that loss.
There is a few reserve players banging on the door, and players who had off nights will be keen to have another crack at Freo.
I really believe if we played them again next week in Perth, we would win

 

[CarterS]

Supposed easy draw... we have had 2 game at the Gabba in 7 weeks including 4 interstate trips, it is a bit of a surprise we didn't drop away and get flogged.

 

[iBeng]

I guess the positive is we havnt had any proper belting losses...Hawks and Geelong were close and this one threatened to blow out but we clawed back some percentage in the end...

St Kilda may well be another close loss. Maybe we need the bye more than we thought?

 

[Clarkythelion]

Close enough not to worry, it's a loss on their home turf with the long travel although they knocked Melbourne off on their road trip. We can tinker with a few things and be a little better next time we meet them. We have known for weeks now our midfield is not defensive enough at centre bound, moving Zorko back and having him charge in helped but, like the proverbial 'balloon full of water' his man simply dropped back and gave them the extra when they did get it. The 6,6, 6 rule working in action.

 

[Squizz89]

The first 9 games of the year we were averaging 70 points against. In the last 3 weeks that has blown out to 104. Some major red flags defensively there.

I don’t think the pressure defensively in the middle has gotten any worse, I just don’t think the defensive unit can hold the tide back any longer.

 

[Dalions]

We have known for weeks now our midfield is not defensive enough at centre bound,

I tend to think the opposite actually, I think we play too defensively and arent trying to hunt the ball the way we should. They always seem to play behind their man and are second to the ball as a result.
I also think that if Neale is being blocked out we have nothing else to fall back on.
The other 2 blokes in there should be doing all they can to win the ball when Neale is being blocked out rather than playing back side of their man.
They were just a bit hungrier than us last night.
They are in a similar position to where we were in 2019 where they are hungry as and just want to win everything.
I feel that our guys are still trying to save themselves for the back end of the year a bit, completely opposite to them at the moment.

 

[Nathan Barley]

I tend to think the opposite actually, I think we play too defensively and arent trying to hunt the ball the way we should. They always seem to play behind their man and are second to the ball as a result.
I also think that if Neale is being blocked out we have nothing else to fall back on.
The other 2 blokes in there should be doing all they can to win the ball when Neale is being blocked out rather than playing back side of their man.
They were just a bit hungrier than us last night.
They are in a similar position to where we were in 2019 where they are hungry as and just want to win everything.
I feel that our guys are still trying to save themselves for the back end of the year a bit, completely opposite to them at the moment.

Plus our rucking situation doesn’t help if we put all our eggs in the Lachie Neale basket

 

[beardancer]

Out Gardiner....(a bit of a rest). In Harrison Arnold. Payne in......Andrews to FF. Joe to the reserves till after the bye. Kalin Lane told to get ready.

 

[Nathan Barley]

I think in hindsight a midfield reset and/or the decision to recruit Joe would both be up for debate. If we had known injuries would finish Zorkos career early, Rayner would do his ACL, Baileys progression as a midfielder would stall, Berry would stagnate and Clug would be a bit inconsistent we might’ve done something different

 

[Dalions]

Out Gardiner....(a bit of a rest). In Harrison Arnold. Payne in......Andrews to FF. Joe to the reserves till after the bye. Kalin Lane told to get ready.

I wonder what sort of a fine we would receive if we played Harry Arnold in the Seniors?

 

[martinson]

I think in hindsight a midfield reset and/or the decision to recruit Joe would both be up for debate. If we had known injuries would finish Zorkos career early, Rayner would do his ACL, Baileys progression as a midfielder would stall, Berry would stagnate and Clug would be a bit inconsistent we might’ve done something different

That's where we're missing the drive we hoped to have.

At least as far as Rayner ,Bailey , Berry and Clug go there's still hope that they might get to where we wanted. It's just not where we need then to be at the moment to be one of the genuine flag favourites. Which is where the bookies had us pegged

 

[davemc_lions]

I wonder what sort of a fine we would receive if we played Harry Arnold in the Seniors?

he he . Although he is pretty solid down back
Although does show we lack some key position players in the 2's
Said a few times Arnold been with us a few years as we have no one on our list playing that spot.
Lane, Smith and Fullarton all ruck/forwards if we drop Fort we have 4. Add Buzza who is a top up 5 playing the same role..
Key talls who do not play ruck we have only Payne and Froggy playing tall

 

[KissKiss]

Looking back at my preview:

• I said they would trouble us with their team defence - and it looked like at times we'd get to half and have nothing to go forward to. Hopefully with Joe back we can start to improve their again. Hipwood needs break with less attention to get back to form for the back half of the year
• I was worried about their midfield and run on the outside - Again we seem to have the same problem of being too small inside and not using outside run enough. I have no idea how to resolve that in the short term. Dev was likely always going to struggle second up so would give him another week. I think this has to be an off season change to resolve.
• I was worried about their small forwards - they again got off the chain. Partially this was when we were chasing the game and trying to run off them, but the small backs do worry me. Rich was great offensively as was Zorko when back but both got exposed the other way. I also dont rate Answerth (can kind defend but is a bad kick). I think we might need to tinker back there as well
• I said we'd go down by about 2 goals - pretty much dead on

One thing worth noting is that Fremantle's Home Ground Advantage is about 12 points. So play that at home or neutral and we win or about level them. But that really shows we either need to finish top 2 or finish 5th. I have no confidence in us having to play another contender away (which sucks as a Melbourne fan as I cant really hope to see a confident win down here

 

[dlanod]

Looking back at my preview:

• I said they would trouble us with their team defence - and it looked like at times we'd get to half and have nothing to go forward to. Hopefully with Joe back we can start to improve their again. Hipwood needs break with less attention to get back to form for the back half of the year
• I was worried about their midfield and run on the outside - Again we seem to have the same problem of being too small inside and not using outside run enough. I have no idea how to resolve that in the short term. Dev was likely always going to struggle second up so would give him another week. I think this has to be an off season change to resolve.
• I was worried about their small forwards - they again got off the chain. Partially this was when we were chasing the game and trying to run off them, but the small backs do worry me. Rich was great offensively as was Zorko when back but both got exposed the other way. I also dont rate Answerth (can kind defend but is a bad kick). I think we might need to tinker back there as well
• I said we'd go down by about 2 goals - pretty much dead on

One thing worth noting is that Fremantle's Home Ground Advantage is about 12 points. So play that at home or neutral and we win or about level them. But that really shows we either need to finish top 2 or finish 5th. I have no confidence in us having to play another contender away (which sucks as a Melbourne fan as I cant really hope to see a confident win down here

Make sure you don't pull anything, patting yourself on your back so vigorously!

(Nah, all good calls.)

 

[Elixuh]

I’d be maxing out Rayners mid time at centre bounce. He has attributes that none of our mids have and gets us proactive and moving.