Review Qualifying Final, 2025 - Geelong vs. Brisbane Lions

[Squizz89]

With all due respect playing a forward line featuring Day (well past it), Gallop (1st year) and Charlie (also seemingly past it) doesn’t really fill me with much confidence. Payne missing down the other end hurts us just as badly.

FWIW whilst losing Lachie on paper might look bad, he clearly didn’t look right last night and I think our midfield as a unit play better when he’s not in there as strange as that is saying about a dual Brownlow medallist.

 

[Sanchez365]

It was a rough night to watch, but the potting of our forward line is not the problem. Our midfield got destroyed last night, we had so many chances to move the ball but just weren't clean, Geelong hack kicked it forward and Dempsey just cheated forward all night and got the reward for it.

It was a concern when Neale was fumbling, Berry lost a marking contest to Dempsey, Bailey back to trying to break every tackle, Ashcroft kicking scrubber kicks that missed target inside 50 by 10m. Just wasn't our night.

Credit too Geelong, they brought the pressure. What was most concerning was we had clearly given up on the 4th, only a few goals off (somehow) and all the momentum but just didn't have any excitement at all. Fages will have a tough job getting their confidence back for next week.

 

[Nathan Barley]

With all due respect playing a forward line featuring Day (well past it), Gallop (1st year) and Charlie (also seemingly past it) doesn’t really fill me with much confidence. Payne missing down the other end hurts us just as badly.

FWIW whilst losing Lachie on paper might look bad, he clearly didn’t look right last night and I think our midfield as a unit play better when he’s not in there as strange as that is saying about a dual Brownlow medallist.

I think we need a fit Neale though to handle the pressure of big finals

We saw what it did to WAsh last night

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Looking back at that 2003 line-up that flogged the pies in the GF may briefly cheer a few up after a gloomy night ...
Certainly gives me a smile

 

[Squizz89]

I think we need a fit Neale though to handle the pressure of big finals

We saw what it did to WAsh last night

Yeah, look I’ve mentally come around to the fact that we won’t be winning it this year, and am now just trying to work out whether it’s worth bowing out in straight sets, or have to sit through the Pies love in the following week whilst watching our season come to an end, but I guess what I meant by that was that I don’t think us losing one of the next couple of games will be because of him missing.

We got bigger issues than just him missing from the middle, but I’m pretty confident whoever does go in there will give a good account of themselves.

 

[Gadzorks]

It was so frustrating watching the lack of movement from the forwards,

Yep. At one stage even motty, who is usual the energiser bunny, was not chasing just jogging.

Cats looked like us in the gf last year. Near perfect game. If they keep that up, they'll be premiers.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Backline was pretty good defensively last night considering Stengle, Miers, Dangerfield, Mannagh, Martin, Neale and Jezza only kicked 4 between them

 

[Gadzorks]

Had the frees not been paid and it was Collingwood and not us, I bet they’d still replay the incidents on loop and say the umps cost them the game

There have been fewer replays of umpiring decisions over the past month. Probably deliberate to reduce umpire trolling.

 

[SizeMatters]

Had no semblance of a Lions game at all last night. Couldn’t control the footy. Handball merry go round which hasn’t really been the way the Lions play for years. Just amplified the pressure the cats were putting on the transition game. Honestly why the **** we were trying to handball corridor for most of the night? Zorko, Wilmot being shut down on their run and carry or ability to drive the game forward and a dysfunctional forward line meant we just lacked that transition game. It was awful watching the fumbling last night.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Had no semblance of a Lions game at all last night. Couldn’t control the footy. Handball merry go round which hasn’t really been the way the Lions play for years. Just amplified the pressure the cats were putting on the transition game. Honestly why the **** we were trying to handball corridor for most of the night? Zorko, Wilmot being shut down on their run and carry or ability to drive the game forward and a dysfunctional forward line meant we just lacked that transition game. It was awful watching the fumbling last night.

The handball game is ball movement plan D after kick into the corridor, 20m 45 deg kicks and switching the ball I think

For those wanting Fages to have backup plans

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Cats looked like us in the gf last year. Near perfect game. If they keep that up, they'll be premiers.

Occasionally, it can all just unravel ... fast.
And when it does, you're basically powerless to get the game back on your terms.

 

[SizeMatters]

The handball game is ball movement plan D after kick into the corridor, 20m 45 deg kicks and switching the ball I think

For those wanting Fages to have backup plans

Well it was prevalent in the first few minutes. Shameful by Fagan if that’s the case to not adjust or try to get the game on the Lions terms. Tried to slow the game down maybe twice.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Well it was prevalent in the first few minutes. Shameful by Fagan if that’s the case to not adjust or try to get the game on the Lions terms. Tried to slow the game down maybe twice.

What game plan matters when the midfield is getting smashed and the pressure is not up?

 

[haystark]

Anyone else feeling okay the day after? It was always going to be a huge ask against Geelong with the huge injury list we're carrying at the moment, and Geelong were not losing that... despite the umpires' best efforts. Let's see how they respond next week and worse case scenario we lose to Collingwood in a prelim instead of a grand final.

Excited for the off-season; we load up and go again. (and we hold on to Lachie bc this talk of trading him is insanity)

 

[beardancer]

Has Charlie played his last game? I hope so

 

[haystark]

Crazy.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Well it was prevalent in the first few minutes. Shameful by Fagan if that’s the case to not adjust or try to get the game on the Lions terms. Tried to slow the game down maybe twice.

He said in the press conference that we overhandballed so I'd say its safe to say that was his message during the game

 

[Lionwest]

Crazy.

Oh FFS

 

[JasRulz63]

Crazy.

Puts in context he's recent form too. Might've been running around with a partial ACL tear.

 

[Bucking Beads]

So Hipwood will either go for a full ACL or risk it and wait for it to go properly.

 

[acuguy]

Plenty to review. We lost all structure at the clearance, you can see too many running forward of the ball, this allowed Geelong to constantly exit out the front of the stoppage. It was deadset under 15's stuff. But when it all goes wrong, with pressure from the cats, a lack of direction and talk- then the whole thing goes into freefall! Easily fixed, our mids will be primed for next week.

With Neale likely out, it would be great to see Fagan roll Fletcher or Willmot into his position. We need another mid who can really damage by foot. Without Neale, it is probably Hugh or bust for quality forward entries.

I am not an anti-Levi Ashcroft, but, Reville, McKenna and Dev are all ahead of Levi Ashcroft and Sam Marshall at the moment. The physicality of finals was too much for both players even if Marshall had a small sample size.

I'd be incline to drop Day, Ashcroft, Marshall and Lachie Neale

9

Lachie Neale

Age

32

Ht

177cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.0

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

15.5

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.7

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

28.3

5star

K

13.9

5star

HB

14.4

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.0

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

7.4

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

out
Bring in - Mcinerney, Reville, McKenna and Dev

Fletcher goes into the mids- Bruce goes back

 

[Squizz89]

Grand final team - Joe, Eric, Lachie, Payne, Noah.

Next weeks team - Day, Gallop, Dizz, Levi, Marshall/Bruce?

Not hard to see how ****ed we are.

 

[Lions2Good]

Crazy.

Does this mean he’s out for a while now? Could he miss pre season while they let it heal?

 

[Lionwest]

Does this mean he’s out for a while now? Could he miss pre season while they let it heal?

It won’t heal, lack of blood supply to the area is the inherent issue in damaging the ligament. Either roll the dice and leave it as is or go full reco which would be most of next season (if not all) off the cards.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

Does this mean he’s out for a while now? Could he miss pre season while they let it heal?

Isn't this what Doedee had ? They did a full reco on it