Preview Brisbane Lions vs Sydney Swans, Friday June 16, 7:50pm, Gabba

[3KZ is Football]

After a bye, Gunston and Rich should have been 'fresher' then pre bye. I was at the game and it was crazy how slow these 2 looked compared to the hawks spread.

Not sure a training block and not playing games is going to help either, but they both MUST play VFL and find form at least before getting games for the Lions.

No one is bigger than the club, set the standards across the board and everyone will follow. No more pet selections each week please.

I think Fagan needs to join them on the TRAINING BLOCK. He should drop himself. Team selection processes have been a mess for quite some time. Rich and Gunston were dreadful against Adelaide, yet he picked them again and they were worse than dreadful against Hawthorn. They were so bad that apparently they told the coach we don't think we are AFL standard and don't deserve to get games? Really?

If Fagan really wants to show he has the best interests of the team at heart and players are selected on form and not "pet status" he needs to drop Berry, who is also sadly out of touch.

 

[dlanod]

Don’t agree. As long as Lester is being dropped or promoted there is something with reading. It’s going to be boring when he retires

Well I'd definitely agree there'd be something to read. I reserve judgement on anything further.

 

[Tom14]

Fletcher to debut:

 

[Nathan Barley]

Fletcher to debut:

Today is going very well so far

 

[dlanod]

Finally 'inexperience watch' is apt!

ITYM "inexerpeicme (sic) watch".

 

[lionshine]

Fletcher to debut:

Kiddy already confirmed to replace Rich as well. I wonder if Fletcher is replacing Clug because Zork didn’t get up for it or if Berry is a potential exclusion.

 

[irish]

rich and gunston out managed. both went to fagan and withdrew , some weeks of fitness building ahead , good on em shows quality and character

so who is the new kicking boy for you lot ??

 

[Tom14]

Today is going very well so far

We've clearly been stung by Mick McGuane not rating our talent under 23 in todays article!!!!

Reactive Fages caring more about his reputation!!!

 

[Nathan Barley]

Kiddy already confirmed to replace Rich as well. I wonder if Fletcher is replacing Clug because Zork didn’t get up for it or if Berry is a potential exclusion.

Hopefully Prior

 

[T Rick]

Gunston and Rich should be playing in the VFL to get back some form IMO, not having a training block. They play really well and get back into the team. Simple. This is how football is meant to work.

Will happen but not until they get over niggles is my guess - hence the managed

 

[Nathan Barley]

We've clearly been stung by Mick McGuane not rating our talent under 23 in todays article!!!!

Reactive Fages caring more about his reputation!!!

He needed a new pet now that Rich and Gunston have been put out to pasture

 

[Viceregal]

What went on behind the scenes we certainly don't know ... could be anything from:

• their wives told them they were embarressing and the other wags were laughing at them
• Daniel told his Mrs years ago 'honey if I am ever not making you proud out there just tell me and I will hang the boots up' and she did
• They finally realised that they really truly couldn't cut it and that their brains weren't covering for their bodies
• Fagan needed cover for why he went from they are essential to they be dropped
• the younger players staged a mini revolt
• the rest of the leadership group grew a backbone and told them that they weren't going to play unless they could actually play
• Clarko or someone else whom Fagan respected got in his ear and told him what he was doing wrong
• Someone gave Fagan a book on logical fallacies and gave some pointed demonstrations of some of them
• During the reveiw they all had an 'ah ha' moment and realised that it wasn't working and what do we do now
• They read BigFooty and saw the light
• Somone got 3KZ is Football 's email to Fagan
• It was the only way they could think of to present it that didn't make Fagan look like a stubborn old fool in previous selections

etc etc etc

Yes it is a bad look - not in the sense that it is the wrong decision but that it is so out of normal character that it feels wrong/spinny etc - I mean if they were really concerned about their form why this week not before etc (and those politicians who suddenly become devoted to their families etc)

 

[25 years on]

Everyone knows that wth football, a young player trains hard if he is good enough he plays seniors, eventually he gets older and loses form and doesn't get selected and retires. Their should be no difficulty it's just a fact of football life, we cocked it up last year with Robbo now we are doing it again it's these two

 

[Squizz89]

I was looking forward to team selection tonight to see the melts on this place, but it all came early this morning in what turned out to be quite a strange day all things considered. Even watching that presser you could tell Fages was eager to get the news out there, which I guess was a way for him to control the narrative the way he wanted it to be.

Having digested it now though, like I said the other day, all I was hoping was that if we were to make these changes we did it with enough time to give the group a solid bunch of games before finals (as opposed to Lyons last year), so I commend them for that. Now let’s just hope it makes a difference on the field also.

 

[Hanley]

I think this is a good call and very well handled. Interesting to read through the reactions the last few pages, some posters I seem to often agree with have taken other views. Clear to me as mentioned that Fagan has made a hard call and framed it in a direct and player-protective narrative. Also, and this seems to have not been mentioned as much, it's innovative and could even actually work. Rich and Gunston are high quality players and if the training block comes good and they perform in finals it may become a future model used across clubs. Well done Lions, and I suspect the broadly media will also applaud both the move and the handling. Finally, if above rumours are true, can't wait to see Fletcher as next cub-in-line!

 

[mattsmob]

Only just caught up on what’s happened today but regardless of how it’s come about think it’s a great decision and outcome for all involved. Will greatly improved our back movement and ability to run both ways and gives the two older guys a chance to prepare themselves for 6 week block of games at the back end of the season.

Probably the most I’ve been excited for a team selection all season as well. Will we replace Gunston with another tall or go smaller with a Lohmann type?

With Jaspa debuting and potentially Lohmann returning to the team it should be a pretty exciting game tomorrow night.

 

[Dalions]

It’s official.

Good luck to him I hope he goes well, from what I have seen of him he is a very good ball user on the outside which we desperately need. If only we used our wingers more.

Son of a Gun Jaspa Fletcher to Debut

Jaspa Fletcher will make his AFL debut against Sydney this Friday night.

www.lions.com.au

 

[Tom14]

Only just caught up on what’s happened today but regardless of how it’s come about think it’s a great decision and outcome for all involved. Will greatly improved our back movement and ability to run both ways and gives the two older guys a chance to prepare themselves for 6 week block of games at the back end of the season.

Probably the most I’ve been excited for a team selection all season as well. Will we replace Gunston with another tall or go smaller with a Lohmann type?

With Jaspa debuting and potentially Lohmann returning to the team it should be a pretty exciting game tomorrow night.

I don't think lohmann will be returning to the team.

 

[Dalions]

I don't think lohmann will be returning to the team.

I would be very surprised if he did this week.
More likely to go with Fort or Fullarton as we generally like to go with a 3 tall structure.
I would like to see a different mix up there though, to see how it works and I like the idea of the added frontal pressure with another smaller speedy type.

 

[JasRulz63]

Kiddy already confirmed to replace Rich as well. I wonder if Fletcher is replacing Clug because Zork didn’t get up for it or if Berry is a potential exclusion.

I reckon it'll Prior. Given the comments around lack of run from half back, I could see them keeping Wilmot there, and playing Fletcher on the wing.

Zorko slots back into his HFF/mid role, Robertson to stay in the midfield/wing for McCluggage.

I expect to see:
IN: Coleman, Zorko, Fletcher, Fort(/Fullarton)
OUT: Rich, McCluggage, Prior, Gunston

 

[KissKiss]

It kinda makes sense itd be Prior. But I still think he has been hard done by us. He gets thrown in and out of the team with no chance to build consistency in a role.

Plus it'd be umpteenth time we have dropped one of the young wingers despite a game plan that mostly ignores and poorly uses them. They are the biggest scapegoats of the lot.

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

If it is lack of fitness that is causing them problems rather than age/deterioration, a block of fitness work is going to be better because so much of players' weeks have a focus on recovery from the weekends game. Then I agree that they need to come back at VFL level and work themselves into the AFL team, barring any injuries etc.

We all know it's not fitness right.

 

[BangyBangy]

rich and gunston out managed. both went to fagan and withdrew , some weeks of fitness building ahead , good on em shows quality and character

so who is the new kicking boy for you lot ??

Pretty sure it's just Berry & Fagan now irish. Once we get those two out the door, the skies the limit for this club.

 

[Grasshopper17]

I would be very surprised if he did this week.
More likely to go with Fort or Fullarton as we generally like to go with a 3 tall structure.
I would like to see a different mix up there though, to see how it works and I like the idea of the added frontal pressure with another smaller speedy type.

I don't necessarily disagree, and I think against a team with an undermanned defence like Sydney it would probably work well.

My concern is what happens when we get to playing the likes of Melbourne and Collingwood. If we go in undersized it gives May/Lever/Moore licence to zone off and do what they like.

Yes I know we aren't playing Melbourne or Collingwood tomorrow night. But in my mind we need to start developing a plan which stands up in September. So whilst I agree that going a bit smaller would be quite exciting, I think we'd find once we got figured out it would hamper our ball movement between the arcs.

 

[Sherrinator]

Hopefully Prior

Prior was probably cooked from covering Rich tbh