Review Semi Final, 2025 - Brisbane Lions vs. Gold Coast

[Brizzys Squizzy]

Ortho Bullets says consensus is not sooner than 9 months following reconstruction; and until we get an update from the club I’d trust ortho bullets over “someone that works in the sector” (unless she’s an orthopaedic surgeon).

From the research I’ve done and my limited ortho experience, the limiting factor here is the surgery, not the injury itself. It’s a reconstruction, so the initial tear is irrelevant because the ligament is no longer there. They don’t do repairs anymore routinely as they’re much higher risk (especially in athletes).

Righto It's was just my opinion, wasn't asking anyone to put trust in it. I was asked do I have a source so mentioned daughter who has a doctrine in the field about possible recovery times, I think I'll go with that ahead of your "limited" experience. Time will tell.

 

[Section 5]

PLAYER RATINGS: Lions maul the Suns in maiden Q-Clash final

The Lions have made their fourth prelim in a row.

www.sen.com.au

Lions with 7 players with "A-" or above. The Suns with just 1.

 

[Sproj]

PLAYER RATINGS: Lions maul the Suns in maiden Q-Clash final

The Lions have made their fourth prelim in a row.

www.sen.com.au

Lions with 7 players with "A-" or above. The Suns with just 1.

Not sure I agree with much of that, highlighted by Starc's score.

 

[luthor]

PLAYER RATINGS: Lions maul the Suns in maiden Q-Clash final

The Lions have made their fourth prelim in a row.

www.sen.com.au

Lions with 7 players with "A-" or above. The Suns with just 1.

I have given some thought how I would have allocated votes on a 3-2-1 basis.

Tough job when there were so many good Lions players to choose from.

I ended up with-

3 Dunks

2 Harris

1 Wash.

I can appreciate why others would come up with different combinations and permutations

 

[M Malice]

Fages and Dimma got it pretty spot on.

 

[Brizzys Squizzy]

Well that's great if so because there seems to be very little publicly available info out there. Let's hope this is the case.

It is very secretive isn't it...if they have decided for some reason to do the complete reco, obviously that's 2026 done.

 

[twhowler]

Berry was infinitely better wasn't he.

It seemed to me he had either confidence in his shoulder or just decided there was no point playing to protect it in a knockout final.

I wonder how Oscar will hold up - perhaps not doing much ruck work will allow him to get through as well.

If those 2 can be close to their best selves then suddenly our injuries look more manageable. 4 mainstays from the year out in Answerth, Payne, Neale, hipwood. Replacements effectively in best 23 are Marshall, Gallop, Gardiner, Reville.

Obviously the key forwards are the biggest worry and that could fail badly this week. If at least one of Oscar or Gallop can play okay, it means Morris gets a chance to shine. He had a real almost game on the weekend. A good sign of a return to form.

 

[Fluke]

Couldn't possibly pick him if we make the Grand Final. Too risky.

Lachie as sub?

 

[Nunez]

I find it interesting how the narrative is "Lions are cooked but getting by on sheer grit" as opposed to it being "Lions are in another prelim because they are that good". Typical and the injury narrative is easy to use, but I think we've shown time and time and time again this season we have the talent and depth to win big games.

My concern was the midfield with Neale and Day looking cooked. Neale's injury has allowed the dynamic nature of our other mids to shine and Oscar has come in and provided both a predictable crumbing pattern for the smalls, took a key defender and gave space to Logan and Ty to impact the game. He can play this role for two more games with the same success.

We have the talent on the field to win the premiership. We have the grit to fight our way there. We have Dew.

 

[cotter101]

Lachie as sub?

My thoughts too.

Game there to be won in the last qtr - on comes Neale when everyone’s legs are spent.

 

[Fluke]

Watching the replay now and David King actually came up with a good one, called Cam Rayner The Untackleable One, like it.

I've been pitching Rayner the Rhino

 

[M Malice]

Lachie as sub?

My thoughts too.

Game there to be won in the last qtr - on comes Neale when everyone’s legs are spent.

Don't like the idea of Lachie as the sub, IMO you always select the sub taking into account the possibility that he could be on very early because of an injury.

Lachie's calf must be 100% to even be considered, sad for him and the club but you must be ruthless.

Bruce Reville is our best option as sub at the moment.

 

[LongLion]

I find it interesting how the narrative is "Lions are cooked but getting by on sheer grit" as opposed to it being "Lions are in another prelim because they are that good". Typical and the injury narrative is easy to use, but I think we've shown time and time and time again this season we have the talent and depth to win big games.

My concern was the midfield with Neale and Day looking cooked. Neale's injury has allowed the dynamic nature of our other mids to shine and Oscar has come in and provided both a predictable crumbing pattern for the smalls, took a key defender and gave space to Logan and Ty to impact the game. He can play this role for two more games with the same success.

We have the talent on the field to win the premiership. We have the grit to fight our way there. We have Dew.

Not a fan of BT TV commentating but he has consistently said on his podcast that his tip for the flag from the start of the season has been the lions. His reasoning has simply been our depth. Pretty spot on to date.

 

[Thomasno]

Righto It's was just my opinion, wasn't asking anyone to put trust in it. I was asked do I have a source so mentioned daughter who has a doctrine in the field about possible recovery times, I think I'll go with that ahead of your "limited" experience. Time will tell.

Given they remove the ligament and replace it for a partial tear usually anyway, the initial “grade” of the tear is wholly irrelevant. He’s (we assume) had an ACL reconstruction, that’s all that matters now.

Ortho bullets is a reference website for orthopaedic surgeons by orthopaedic surgeons, it’s reliable.

 

[Gadzorks]

My thoughts too.

Game there to be won in the last qtr - on comes Neale when everyone’s legs are spent.

If lachie isn't fit for a full game he isn't fit for sub.

Imagine someone goes down five minutes in and we bring in an unfit player we thought could last ten minutes. That's game over.

 

[M Malice]

If lachie isn't fit for a full game he isn't fit for sub.

Imagine someone goes down five minutes in and we bring in an unfit player we thought could last ten minutes. That's game over.

Yes could conceivably be down to 3 on the bench early in a worst case scenario, can still happen with 23 fit players but rolling the dice by selecting a dubious quantity player re fitness is to me not worth the risk.

Would not want the bench to be 4 v 3 with the Pies also having a fresh sub to throw on as an option.

 

[twhowler]

Re Neale

He had a pretty poor match against Geelong - very fumbly and struggled to get low to the ground

I get that he is an absolute star and great at playing through pain, but it looked to be like his original injury was limiting him - let alone a calf strain on top of it. Bailey getting more minutes gives us good variety anyway. And Clugga / Dunks / Ashcroft is a perfectly good main 3 mids.

I think the only way it should be entertained is him training fully on the Tuesday. nothing worse than having player uncertainty all week. Look at Sydney last year...

 

[M Malice]

Re Neale

He had a pretty poor match against Geelong - very fumbly and struggled to get low to the ground

I get that he is an absolute star and great at playing through pain, but it looked to be like his original injury was limiting him - let alone a calf strain on top of it. Bailey getting more minutes gives us good variety anyway. And Clugga / Dunks / Ashcroft is a perfectly good main 3 mids.

I think the only way it should be entertained is him training fully on the Tuesday. nothing worse than having player uncertainty all week. Look at Sydney last year...

Yep, on the subject of Zac Bailey, we need to keep him at almost any cost, he is a weapon anywhere but him and Cam Rayner doing more stints in the midfield is a deadly 1-2 x factor combination.

I love Starcevich as he is also elite at his position, however if it came down to a decision as to where to spend our salary cap I'd plump for Bailey over Starcevich.

 

[cotter101]

Yep, on the subject of Zac Bailey, we need to keep him at almost any cost, he is a weapon anywhere but him and Cam Rayner doing more stints in the midfield is a deadly 1-2 x factor combination.

I love Starcevich as he is also elite at his position, however if it came down to a decision as to where to spend our salary cap I'd plump for Bailey over Starcevich.

I’d pass on Draper/Ridley if it means we kept both.

Allen, I’d be comfortable losing Starc for.

 

[cotter101]

I find it interesting how the narrative is "Lions are cooked but getting by on sheer grit" as opposed to it being "Lions are in another prelim because they are that good". Typical and the injury narrative is easy to use, but I think we've shown time and time and time again this season we have the talent and depth to win big games.

My concern was the midfield with Neale and Day looking cooked. Neale's injury has allowed the dynamic nature of our other mids to shine and Oscar has come in and provided both a predictable crumbing pattern for the smalls, took a key defender and gave space to Logan and Ty to impact the game. He can play this role for two more games with the same success.

We have the talent on the field to win the premiership. We have the grit to fight our way there. We have Dew.

We can absolutely win it.

It’d be much more confident with Hipwood, Payne, Neale, Coleman and Answerth in though!

 

[Leuy LongerCombo]

Couldn’t agree more, particularly Starcevich. We have no one on our list remotely comparable and it’s not like Draper or Ridley are pressing needs either.

I’d don’t particularly agree with those two not being pressing needs.

Draper is an obvious need, Big O had a challenging year and rumblings of potential retirement, Fort is filling in well but is 32. Having another AFL ready ruckman is wise.

Ridley doesn’t appear as an obvious need, but think the club has identified that 3rd tall/interceptor as an area the team could improve with. I think recruiting Doedee was an attempt at this role, again Lester and Gardiner are in their twilight of their careers, proactive if nothing else.

That’s not underplaying Starce or Bailey, my preference would be to stick to what we know and have, but that’s looking like lesser an option with Starce

 

[Sproj]

Yeah I think if there was any way to keep Starc, we would have done it.

 

[M Malice]

Yeah I think if there was any way to keep Starc, we would have done it.

Yep, maybe it's as simple as Starcevich just wants to go home.... and unless our offer is ridiculously high(and we don't do that)he has his mind set on that outcome.

 

[M Malice]

I guess more surprising is why Freo isn't interested in Starcevich?

Yes, IMO Starce would be a lock in any team in the competition.

I can not think of a better player in his role at any club, can play on a few different types, elite shut down defender, strong on the ground and in the air, good intercept mark, makes clever safe decisions with ball in hand.

Hopefully all the scuttlebutt is wrong and he remains a Lion for the rest of his career.

 

[GenericUsername202]

Yep, maybe it's as simple as Starcevich just wants to go home.... and unless our offer is ridiculously high(and we don't do that)he has his mind set on that outcome.

I feel like our success has blinded the fact that the go home factor is still a real deal. Players will stay in large numbers to compete for a flag, and most of ours have, but there will be players who would still want to go home. And if we weren't competing for the flag, it probably would be even worse. This is why our academies are so important, because no matter where we are on the ladder, the go home factor would never be a thing to worry about