Review Preliminary Final, 2023 - Brisbane Lions vs. Carlton

[Nunez]

Anyone have the expected score for this game?

 

[Elixuh]

Anyone have the expected score for this game?

 

[Nunez]

Bless you sir.

 

[Elixuh]

Bless you sir.

Dont say I never do nuthun for you

 

[Nunez]

Dont say I never do nuthun for you

You're the Gunton to my Fagan

 

[bungalow_bill]

Things like that should just be a goal.

I mean touched one of his hairs ?? Really.

These touch overturns are a bit rough when the video set up is not totally definitive. They're paying off a change in the spin of the ball or a pinky slightly tilted. Time to overhaul it.

I can only assume they thought it probably touched his head? Surely. If not what's next? someone exhaled towards the ball?

 

[bungalow_bill]

One of the best nights ever. Response after quarter time was incredible. Kiddy Coleman was the best player on the ground tonight in a *ing prelim, what a player. Future all australian.

One of the impressive things about Coleman is how calm he seems to be. Never seems flustered. Just calm and focused.

 

[Dalions]

Great goal by Lester but where was the high free kick for McCluggage.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Haven't had the chance to read all the comments in here but wanted to get my 2c down before they become even less relevant than they probably already are! So apologies if I am going over ground already covered.

I think as ugly as it was you could barely ask for a better preparation.

Firstly that was probably the most hostile crowd I've ever experienced at the Gabba. Absolutely dwarfed the Richmond finals I thought. So a great heads up for what the players will most likely experience next Saturday.

Next up was the wind. Despite the prevailing southerly, it was swirling inside the stadium. In the first quarter we saw nearly all Carlton's attack come via the right hand flank, and later Zorko commented how Carlton's first quarter was wind assisted. Meanwhile, also first quarter, at the other end of the ground we had Joe launching a 70m bomb from in front of us that sailed through comfortably for a behind. So the wind was favouring both ends from the respective right hand flanks. Given the warm forecast for Melbourne we can expect a similarly strong northerly on Saturday, so conditions at the Gabba on Saturday were ideal preparation in that sense.

Then Carlton really hit us between the eyes in the first quarter. Felt like it was more them being great than us being terrible. Yes we were panicking a lot but that was down to their pressure and then inferred pressure. Collingwood have made a habit of doing exactly that early in finals so again, great preparation. To respond the way we did, in-game, without having to wait until quarter time, was outstanding.

Then, once we hit the lead, we missed so many chances to bury the game and so many of our guys forward of centre seemed down. Charlie missed chances he'd normally take, Joe kicked an important two but thought he got well beaten by Weitering. Bailey got a bit of the ball but didn't really do much, and I thought Rayner had little impact for large parts of the game. Great upside potential there.

And then because we hadn't made the most of all our chances, the game was still in the balance in the last quarter, and Carlton came at us. Thought our response was really mature, right down to McCarthy marking Dizzy's kick on the goal line and then taking (more than) his allotted time. We controlled possession, were moving for each other, finding gaps in their defence, and we held up well defensively when we had to.

I discussed past Preliminary Finals here, and I liken our win to Hawthorn's over Port in 2014, although the finish wasn't quite as close. Got stood up at the start, then rolled over the top of them before having to withstand a final challenge at the end.

None of this gives us any guarantees as to what will happen on Saturday, but basically all facets of our play were tested. So I think we're about as well prepared for a Grand Final as we could possibly be.

 

[twhowler]

Bless you sir.

Other thing to note is that if the third and fourth quarters went 5 seconds longer we would have kicked 2 more goals (charlie and bailey)

 

[Tom14]

Other thing to note is that if the third and fourth quarters went 5 seconds longer we would have kicked 2 more goals (charlie and bailey)

From where I was sitting I think bailey missed at the end, but wasn't a real shot given the siren was gone and he was kicking it in celebration of course.

 

[p4p1]

I know Curnow is seen as the messiah to the Carlton faithful and fair enough he’s a good player, but 25 of his 80 regular season goals came against WCE & North. One has to remember a washed Gunston kicked 6 against one of these mobs.

As I said he is a good player, but as this finals series has shown, he can certainly be beaten.

38 free kicks as a key forward as well. I’m not saying all free kicks weren’t earned but it’s a pretty handy free kick count to help you have some shots on goal.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Best part about that was watching the Carlton flogs up and about in the first quarter.

Giving those same flogs who they support a 5 goal head start and peeling them back, knowing they all paid a fortune for the experience. Enjoy the flight back guys.

Special mention to the 2 in front.

Did anybody else hear Jono Brown's story about his daughter? She is a Carlton supporter (bad parenting evidently) and apparently at quarter time she asked Browny if she could have his ticket to the Grand Final. "Because obviously you won't be needing it".

 

[Grasshopper17]

Someone bookmark this post: Rayner is going to well and truly explode in the GF. Has been the master of the 'almost' this year, but cometh the hour, cometh the man. He is ready.

Oh Nunez