Review Round 1, 2024 - Fremantle vs. Brisbane Lions

[martinson]

Off season training program has not worked.
We look way underdone.
And most worrying, they have lost all fight for the contest.
Only one team wanted the ball this week.

All that talk about improving every year to where we are now ready to take the next step is a Psychological Fail for whoever dreamed it up.

 

[davemc_lions]

1) An issue, we keep hoping its Rayner
2) Zac Bailey and Dev are both very quick, but neither seem capable of being high production regular mids.
3) Zac Bailey, Prior, Sharp, Dev? All bloody quick. Ah Chee, Linc etc, aren't slow either
4) Doedee

We aren't going to be able to recruit anyone else for this year, or cover all of those in this off season. The guys are here already, just have to find a way to get them playing at a higher level.

Was saying all another team needs to beat us.
Ashcroft and Doedee coming in will help.
We always get smashed in the midfield as it is pretty one paced

Everyone waiting for Rayner to break out.. He might just be what he is a good player who has great games.

 

[Ceebee]

We had around 7 I'd give a pass mark to.

I will have another think then ,

 

[Elixuh]

This is such a nitpick but Rayner and clug aren't even the hosts of kick ons anymore.

I'm not sure that Cal Ah Chee and anthony corrie as co-hosts provide the same sort of whipping boy as the previous hosts were.

Using a podcast as the reason for our downfall is still commendable though.

 

[Pride of lions]

We seem to have the same problems when we play badly, don’t persist with our pressure and become reactive and just bomb the ball without any composure. Pretty concerning from a team of this experience.
Individually some players just can’t seem to reach the level we hoped for:
Rayner and Bailey have the skills but seem lazy and pick and choose when to go which is unforgivable after 120 games.
Oscar is starting to struggle with the one ruck system,can’t do it without proper backup. Either need two rucks or give Fort a go on his own. Keep Joe out of the ruck and play him at CHF where he can get up the ground where he is very good.
Dev just doesn’t have the composure or skills to make it unfortunately. Lohmann looks the same but needs more games to really be sure.
Berry is way out of sorts, looks to be on a downward slide already.
Need to play Charlie up the ground too and give him a bit more freedom to use his pace.
Unfortunately we don’t appear to have any young players coming through who could step into the side and make a difference.
Could be a tough year ahead.

 

[iBeng]

The AFL app lists Berry as a Defender, is that a typo? Is it meant to say passenger? Did he do any defending at all this game?

 

[Nathan Barley]

Hard not to feel that we're dropping back to mid table (7th to 10th) given the massive gap between our performance qthis season so far and the better teams.

Can still see us getting on a run in the second half of the season but it does not look like we have the tools or the fire to match certain teams

And just not seeing the development in a bunch of our team

 

[Balony_pony16]

Saints 2.0 imo… our list is exhausted and needs a refresh. Great we were in the window the past 5 years but it wasn’t to be. Any club after a 5 year run (flag or no flag) needs a refresh

 

[martinson]

Hard not to feel that we're dropping back to mid table (7th to 10th) given the massive gap between our performance qthis season so far and the better teams.

Can still see us getting on a run in the second half of the season but it does not look like we have the tools or the fire to match certain teams

And just not seeing the development in a bunch of our team

Yep. Don't want to overreact so early in the year but doubt we've played 2 in a row as bad as this for extended periods of the game for a while.

We also look under prepared. Fine when we're fresh but as soon as the heat of the game steps up we're cooked.

McKenna just wasn't right from the get go either . Maybe why we named Answerth.

 

[scoman]

Saints 2.0 imo… our list is exhausted and needs a refresh. Great we were in the window the past 5 years but it wasn’t to be. Any club after a 5 year run (flag or no flag) needs a refresh

Might be the case, but you move the coach on while/ before you go down that path.

 

[Elixuh]

Joe and Charlie are 30 this year.
Neale is 31.
Linc who is currently our best performing player is 31 this year.

You don't refresh when that caliber of player is towards the end but still playing great footy. In the time you take to refresh those players are then over the hill and the run back up is that much harder.

We need to push for a flag this year. We are 0-2.

 

[Schache_off]

A good midfield group has probably covered up how bad big O really is. I thought the criticism was a touch harsh last year at times but gee he doesn't seem to offer much. Today a number of taps were just nowhere near our players, that torp, can't cover his man in defence and not a good target up forward.

Rayner, Lyons and Cameron...


There's 2 things which Fagan said we needed to improve on, 1) our handball game 2) how we use our wings.
At one point in the 3rd quarter we had a 2:1 kick to handball ratio. If we'd been working on our handball game, there's very little evidence that we have so far.
Our wings seem to be getting less involved in the play so far as well.

 

[Morbidly_Obese]

Either Fagon goes or I will quit bigfooty FOREVER!

 

[DreadBat5701894]

Either Fagon goes or I will quit bigfooty FOREVER!

He better stay then

 

[scoman]

I'm not sure how you can continually tap it to an opposition player as a ruck, especially at a centre bounce. Isn't there a plan for every one. Now I know my experience in the ruck is at a level or two down, but we had a simple plan every time. Left hip, behind, forward, big fist etc.... If the oppo ruck was a bit tall it was a case of trying to minimise his taps, everyone man up and be ready to scrap in tight.

 

[TS13]

I hope everyone takes a moment to consider this before posting - we don’t lose, we learn.

Are WE the new Bazball?!

 

[braddsey]

I’ll go glass half full (just for contrast).
We only lost to Carlton by a point last week. It could have gone either way in the end.
Freo came out with a point to prove after re-signing the coach.
We have a couple of weeks to regroup for a home game against Collingwood who we’ll be playing on the back of 3 x 6-day breaks.
We follow up the Collingwood game against North Melbourne at a neutral venue.

At round-4 we’ll have stabilised at 2-2, and things will start to click for the boys. No worse than 2023.

 

[Sproj]

There are valiant losses and there are concerning losses, this one and last work together are EXTREMELY worrying. There doesn't look to be much fight, the players look tired and because the guys who are normally really good are injured or struggling, it is really shining a light on just how many passengers there are in this team.

There will be a bit of an injection from the two gun kids next season but this one is looking pear shaped already. We could very well go 1-4 or 0-5 and that is just about a death knell then.

We don't even look competitive at the moment but at the same time, I don't think our draw has done us any favours with such a long trip in round 2 on the back of a disrupted / shortened preseason.

On top of that, the injuries are mounting too, so at 0-2, we are also looking like going a stretch without all of Neale, WAshcroft, Doedee, McKenna, Coleman and Gardiner. Add to that all of Berry, McInerney, Rayner, Cameron, Robertson and other either being hopelessly out of sorts / long time passengers, this could be all over very early.

The only real hope is that the cavalry is coming and the performances will of course improve as the team gets going but at what point does this occur and is it likely to be too late anyway?

Haven't felt this worried in a long time, even when we started 1-2 or something two or three years ago. Actually even then, we spluttered our way to finals and then went out pretty meekly. I just don't see this season going all that way and if it goes the way it is pointing, it might end up being the down year we need that will help us bounce back for more swing before the older guys run out of juice.

 

[brisbanelions]

I think personally the attack on Lohmann, is outrageous and grossly unfair.He is young ,in and out of the team , like a yo-yo, not playing full games either. What on earth do you expect him to do.

To see what Lohmann has or has not its only fair to start him into the game and extend the number of games he plays , not as a sub.
Young players , i believe (if they are any good) tend to pick up the flow of game and its speed by playing game time, yet Fagan gives old players like JL who is slow as paint drying ,more game time. In my point of view, that is illogical and Not fair for Lohmann and by Fagan not playing youngesters like Lohmann , he is inadvertently setting the Lions back.

GIVE LOHMANN A FAIR DINKUM RED HOT CRACK. AND SEE IF HE TURNS OUT BE ANOTHER WILMOT. LET THE LIONS FANS SEE WHAT HE IS OR IS NOT CAPABLE OF DOING BY GIVING HIM A CHANCE.

 

[DreadBat5701894]

I’ll go glass half full (just for contrast).
We only lost to Carlton by a point last week. It could have gone either way in the end.
Freo came out with a point to prove after re-signing the coach.
We have a couple of weeks to regroup for a home game against Collingwood who we’ll be playing on the back of 3 x 6-day breaks.
We follow up the Collingwood game against North Melbourne at a neutral venue.

At round-4 we’ll have stabilised at 2-2, and things will start to click for the boys. No worse than 2023.

I have hope that will be the case, but it's still frustrating that we continue to have poor starts to the season year after year.

 

[DreadBat5701894]

On top of that, the injuries are mounting too, so at 0-2, we are also looking like going a stretch without all of Neale, WAshcroft, Doedee, McKenna, Coleman and Gardiner. Add to that all of Berry, McInerney, Rayner, Cameron, Robertson and other either being hopelessly out of sorts / long time passengers, this could be all over very early.

Hopefully Neale and Doedee are available against Collingwood.

 

[Elixuh]

I think personally the attack on Lohmann, is outrageous and grossly unfair.He is young ,in and out of the team , like a yo-yo, not playing full games either. What on earth do you expect him to do.

To see what Lohmann has or has not its only fair to start him into the game and extend the number of games he plays , not as a sub.
Young players , i believe (if they are any good) tend to pick up the flow of game and its speed by playing game time, yet Fagan gives old players like JL who is slow as paint drying ,more game time. In my point of view, that is illogical and Not fair for Lohmann and by Fagan not playing youngesters like Lohmann , he is inadvertently setting the Lions back.

I agree re Lohmann but who does he push out of the side?

 

[JasRulz63]

I agree re Lohmann but who does he push out of the side?

Yeah. The two players (McCarthy and Zorko) he'd probably replace are two players that have been OK-ish (well not as bad as some others anyway).

 

[Sproj]

I agree re Lohmann but who does he push out of the side?

Dev or Berry would work, neither are making any difference.

 

[lionshine]

I had a feeling when Greg Swann mentioned Cotchin had been engaged to help us “get over the final hump and win a flag” we were maybe getting ahead of ourselves a bit. Players need a reminder it’s a new season and last year and the years before that mean zilch. Hopefully these early losses are a bit of a wake up call in that regard.

One thing I have seen this group do many times in the past after a loss is flick a switch and go from looking like a bottom 4 side that fumbles everything, makes basic skill errors and misses easy shots on goal one week to getting everything right and looking a million bucks the next. Which in itself is frustrating but it does give me hope we can come out in a fortnight and belt Collingwood.