Unofficial Preview Round 21, 2025 v Collingwood @ MCG, August 3rd, 7.35pm.

[Perrip]

Saw a comment on a Lions Facebook Group just earlier that two players have been injured from the game on Saturday. Anyone heard anything to suggest this is true or false?

E: Highly likely to be bs

 

[M Malice]

Saw a comment on a Lions Facebook Group just earlier that two players have been injured from the game on Saturday. Anyone heard anything to suggest this is true or false?

If it's Andrews and McCluggage get out the tanks.

 

[briztoon]

If it's Andrews and McCluggage get out the tanks.

McKenna and ???

 

[Section 5]

McKenna and ???

Zorko ?

 

[M Malice]

McKenna and ???

Zorko ?

O?

 

[martinson]

McKenna's done. Zorks is struggling but doing his best to hope it'll go away.

Dunno about tanks but it's battle stations right now. Copping injuries and issues at the wrong time of the year and let's face it we've been up for a few years and it's not the end of the world if we can get everyone as right as they can be for 2026.

Not that we won't be giving it a real crack this week.

 

[M Malice]

I wont be watching the footy shows tonight but hopefully we are lambasted and said to be no chance against the Magpies, would be good for our mindset.

 

[SpecialBruce]

I went to yesterday’s VFL game.

Reville was disinterested and played lazy football for most of the day. He’s capable, but just not putting in.

Its time for a Bruce to Bruce talk.

 

[Section 5]

Defense injury prone or injury related issues:
Payne (return date 6-12 months), Answerth (9 month), Coleman & Doedee (who knows), Starcevich (concussion issues and possibly leaving)

Last week's defense; Andrews, Gardiner, Lester, Zorko, Wilmot, Fletcher, Starcevich.
Others: Joyce, Doedee, Coleman, Brain, Beecken, Lloyd, Zakostelsky & maybe Torrent

Gardiner over Joyce selection for the remainder of 2025?
I love Gardiners overall effort.
However, he is usually undersized compared to his opponent, usually the 2nd KPF.
Depending on who that is sometimes Lester gets the job and Diz gets the 3rd tall
Either way this makes Andrews more accountable on the main opposition forward.
This stops Andrews playing his natural role of intercept defender.
Are we better off playing Joyce, as that will allow Andrews to play his preferred intercept role.

Is the difference between Gardiners output over what Joyce may provide the team better, worse or the same

Joyce was pretty solid in 2024 when coming in for Payne including our Pies R23 1 point loss (He had 14 D, 7 M).
Previous 4 AFL games Giants (10 D, 6 M), Swans (15 D 7 M), Eagles (12 D 4 M), Demons (15 D 5 M)

Gardiner last 2 games in defense Suns (14 D 3 M) Dogs (12 D 3 M). His previous 2 games sub and subbed off.

I don't expect Fagan to panic selection wise, but a 66-point flogging gives him the latitude to make some unforced changes.

 

[Bucking Beads]

The idea that Joyce is a better option than Gardiner is quite frankly nuts. Sure Gardiner is playing Rusty.. He is coming off an ACL and has been in and out of the side for various reasons. We know he is good enough and will put his body on the line for the team.

 

[Nathan Barley]

The idea that Joyce is a better option than Gardiner is quite frankly nuts. Sure Gardiner is playing Rusty.. He is coming off an ACL and has been in and out of the side for various reasons. We know he is good enough and will put his body on the line for the team.

Has been playing forward as well for some stupid reason

 

[Bucking Beads]

Has been playing forward as well for some stupid reason

I was certainly not a fan of that. He did a fair job but he's obviously not a forward.

 

[Nathan Barley]

I was certainly not a fan of that. He did a fair job but he's obviously not a forward.

And hes our key back depth. Having not played there since 2022

 

[Sunny Land]

Has been playing forward as well for some stupid reason

Well before Paynie got injured and having Doedee looking like he was going to be ready to play some time in the year, the backline wasn't open to Dizzy slotting in....hence why they considered trying him up forward. Worth the experiment but Dizzy is a battering ram backman and there he will be.

 

[M Malice]

Defense injury prone or injury related issues:
Payne (return date 6-12 months), Answerth (9 month), Coleman & Doedee (who knows), Starcevich (concussion issues and possibly leaving)

Last week's defense; Andrews, Gardiner, Lester, Zorko, Wilmot, Fletcher, Starcevich.
Others: Joyce, Doedee, Coleman, Brain, Beecken, Lloyd, Zakostelsky & maybe Torrent

Gardiner over Joyce selection for the remainder of 2025?
I love Gardiners overall effort.
However, he is usually undersized compared to his opponent, usually the 2nd KPF.
Depending on who that is sometimes Lester gets the job and Diz gets the 3rd tall
Either way this makes Andrews more accountable on the main opposition forward.
This stops Andrews playing his natural role of intercept defender.
Are we better off playing Joyce, as that will allow Andrews to play his preferred intercept role.

Is the difference between Gardiners output over what Joyce may provide the team better, worse or the same

Joyce was pretty solid in 2024 when coming in for Payne including our Pies R23 1 point loss (He had 14 D, 7 M).
Previous 4 AFL games Giants (10 D, 6 M), Swans (15 D 7 M), Eagles (12 D 4 M), Demons (15 D 5 M)

Gardiner last 2 games in defense Suns (14 D 3 M) Dogs (12 D 3 M). His previous 2 games sub and subbed off.

I don't expect Fagan to panic selection wise, but a 66-point flogging gives him the latitude to make some unforced changes.

Froggy played an intercepting marking/spoiling role against the Bulldogs when we had no other choice than Harris to play on Sam Darcy, I thought Froggy played that role really well and was his best game of the season that night.

 

[martinson]

Joyce would be perfect if he was just a bit better player . But he's break glass only at this point.

I'm sure Tom is really disappointed that he's nowhere near able to do what we recruited him for and the only option is to get in a solid pre season next year and hope he improves to an acceptable standard.

 

[Section 5]

The idea that Joyce is a better option than Gardiner is quite frankly nuts. Sure Gardiner is playing Rusty.. He is coming off an ACL and has been in and out of the side for various reasons. We know he is good enough and will put his body on the line for the team.

Gardiner has played all year so i don't think his ACL needs mentioning. With our injury issues i hope he stays fit.
You said it yourself Diz is playing rusty even after 3 VFL and 10 AFL games this year.
We play R 21 this week and if selected i hope there is not much more rust to fall off.

Dizz at his best is way better than Joyce but he is past his best in my opinion.
My post was not really about who is better but what may make our defense function better.
Gardiner had 14 disposals v Dogs, 7 being clangers and 3 frees against

I don't expect a change that's the Fagan way, but it should be considered.

 

[M Malice]

Gardiner has played all year so i don't think his ACL needs mentioning. With our injury issues i hope he stays fit.
You said it yourself Diz is playing rusty even after 3 VFL and 10 AFL games this year.
We play R 21 this week and if selected i hope there is not much more rust to fall off.

Dizz at his best is way better than Joyce but he is past his best in my opinion.
My post was not really about who is better but what may make our defense function better.
Gardiner had 14 disposals v Dogs, 7 being clangers and 3 frees against

I don't expect a change that's the Fagan way, but it should be considered.

You can see why we were reportedly interested in Leek Aleer who's listed as 194cm but plays taller than that, way out of our price range now that the Saints have offered him a bucket load of cash.

We are definitely light on for KPD depth. Ideally you want 2 pure KPDs, 1 3rd tall, a pure lockdown medium size, 2 balanced smaller mids who also provide a bit of run. With all our players available and in form we have that.

Wilmot, Payne, Starcevich.
Lester, Andrews, Answerth/Coleman/Zorko.

That is as good as any defence in the AFL, sadly they wont all get on the park at any one time this season.

 

[Perrip]

Saw a comment on a Lions Facebook Group just earlier that two players have been injured from the game on Saturday. Anyone heard anything to suggest this is true or false?

E: Highly likely to be bs

Well nothing on the news tonight about any major injuries and Zorko looked fine at the sponsor event tonight, so definitely bs

 

[Section 5]

You can see why we were reportedly interested in Leek Aleer who's listed as 194cm but plays taller than that, way out of our price range now that the Saints have offered him a bucket load of cash.

We are definitely light on for KPD depth. Ideally you want 2 pure KPDs, 1 3rd tall, a pure lockdown medium size, 2 balanced smaller mids who also provide a bit of run. With all our players available and in form we have that.

Wilmot, Payne, Starcevich.
Lester, Andrews, Answerth/Coleman/Zorko.

That is as good as any defence in the AFL, sadly they wont all get on the park at any one time this season.

Not just this season but a lot of 2026 also

 

[martinson]

You can see why we were reportedly interested in Leek Aleer who's listed as 194cm but plays taller than that, way out of our price range now that the Saints have offered him a bucket load of cash.

We are definitely light on for KPD depth. Ideally you want 2 pure KPDs, 1 3rd tall, a pure lockdown medium size, 2 balanced smaller mids who also provide a bit of run. With all our players available and in form we have that.

Wilmot, Payne, Starcevich.
Lester, Andrews, Answerth/Coleman/Zorko.

That is as good as any defence in the AFL, sadly they wont all get on the park at any one time this season.

Well you've got 2 of those out for the best part of a year. 2 more who aren't anywhere near what they were and not looking likely to be. One 36 years old struggling with injury despite what anyone else thinks . An intercepting tall gun who we're playing in a role that he's not particularly good at.

And we're left with Froggy and Wilmot. To be fair , not serious threats to the opposition.

So we're doing a remarkable job if we can win games against good opposition with whatever we patch together as our backline.

 

[BangyBangy]

Well you've got 2 of those out for the best part of a year. 2 more who aren't anywhere near what they were and not looking likely to be. One 36 years old struggling with injury despite what anyone else thinks . An intercepting tall gun who we're playing in a role that he's not particularly good at.

And we're left with Froggy and Wilmot. To be fair , not serious threats to the opposition.

So we're doing a remarkable job if we can win games against good opposition with whatever we patch together as our backline.

Meh, backlines are over rated. 9 role players who couldn't make it as forwards.......

 

[Lazza16]

I wont be watching the footy shows tonight but hopefully we are lambasted and said to be no chance against the Magpies, would be good for our mindset.

Might make them spew up that bath water....

 

[Nathan Barley]

If Adelaide can build an incredible defence around Mark Keane then we can rebuild

 

[martinson]

If Adelaide can build an incredible defence around Mark Keane then we can rebuild

The achilles heel of Adelaide is that they're playing as if they don't need a defence and basing their game on the many guns that they have.

So let's see how they go when real pressure is applied to that part of the ground.

It's possibly their year if they keep believing and playing well but it can fall apart if that extreme level of confidence they now have wavers.