Game Day Grand Final, 2025 - Geelong vs. Brisbane Lions

[Nathan Barley]

It’s hard not to be pessimistic with everyone else writing us off, and there’s very valid reasons as to why we shouldn’t win this game. Hopefully we can keep it close for as long as possible and the scoreboard pressure might get to them a bit. If we let them get away it could make for a very long afternoon.

First half is crucial, we need to be in it at half time. Game was done by HT in that qualifying final, even if not necessarily on the scoreboard, the game was completely on their terms.

I think Hoyney on SEN had a ridiculous stat. Something like Brisbane were responsible for 5 of the past 9 finals wins when down at half time. So I won't be feeling too bad if we're a couple of goals down at half time like last week. Especially if we have some momentum

Cant see us stringing 5 or 6 goals in a row against a team like Geelong so the challenge will be not to let them do it against us

 

[Squizz89]

I think Hoyney on SEN had a ridiculous stat. Something like Brisbane were responsible for 5 of the past 9 finals wins when down at half time. So I won't be feeling too bad if we're a couple of goals down at half time like last week. Especially if we have some momentum

Cant see us stringing 5 or 6 goals in a row against a team like Geelong so the challenge will be not to let them do it against us

Yeah I don’t necessarily mean we have to be in front at HT, but we have to be in the game. Need to have periods where we can play our game. In that first week we basically had none of that.

 

[FLVanLandingham]

Enjoy the day fellow fans!

Win or lose, I know we will be proud of the effort the players have shown this year, and in the game today, let's hope we get the win.

 

[fpm84]

 

[Gadzorks]

Players said we won last year because we played the perfect game.

We've done that once on the day that counted in 2024 after 2023 taught us what was needed.

This year will be different, cats coaches are smart and will make it hard, but we will find our feer after quarter time and play out the rest of the game in perfect mode.

We got this.

 

[janty]

6 hours.

 

[bato]

So much talk about 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

.

We are not the 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

Football Club.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Neale as sub is the right decision. He might be fit to play but he's certainly underdone. No doubt he can make an impact when he comes on.

 

[mattsmob]

Neale as sub is the right decision. He might be fit to play but he's certainly underdone. No doubt he can make an impact when he comes on.

Not sure how to feel about it, on one hand it feels like admitting he’s not ready to play, on the other hand probably better for team balance with Bruce and Marshall on the wings, Levi still in the middle until Neale comes on.

Certainly a decision that’ll be heavily judged by the outcome

 

[Big Sauce 21]

Timing of bringing him on is important.

 

[GenericUsername202]

People out there are forgetting how good we've been without lachie these past few weeks.

 

[Jewelsbon]

Good luck today guys, I'm rooting for you.
Love to see you go B2B - should be B2B2B. Hopefully you get fair umpiring today.
Cheers

 

[Nathan Barley]

People out there are forgetting how good we've been without lachie these past few weeks.

We didn't have Mullin and Atkins tagging McCluggage and WAshcroft the past 2 weeks with Holmes, Smith and Danger running through the midfield

 

[The Zork]

A day for our match winners.
Rayner. Lohmann. Charles. Bailey. Bring the pill to deck and let them get to work.

 

[McIvor]

View attachment 2438562
FRIENDS! RISE UP! RISE UP! LIONS SUPPORTERS ALL! YOUR TIME HAS COME! THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT IS NIGH!

Since Chris Fagan restored Bruce Reville and Oscar McInerney to the SENIOR TEAM you have had our blessing. Leaving them out of the side that played Geelong in the Qualifying Final was HERESY and it gave offence to those who control the Football Universe. Our anger was palpable, and we blessed Geelong and struck down the Lions for their Hubris. Not content to just give Geelong’s ‘good ordinary’ taggers superpowers, we supercharged their midfield with cosmic nose beers, and we struck down Lachie Neale as an act of retribution.

BUT as the Footy Gods say … a week is a long time in football, and the Footy Gods are merciful. Chris Fagan, Dany Daly, Cameron Bruce, Dale Morris and Stuart Dew came together, and having anointed themselves with Goanna Oil, each confessed the error of their ways and begged for forgiveness. They also resolved to SACRIFICE Sam Day, which was pleasing to the Football Gods, and thus our favour was won.

Since then, we have cursed your opponents. We have blinded umpires so that they do not pay ‘front on contact’ free kicks against Starcevich, we have possessed the minds of your opponents so that they lose confidence and we have invested Ty Gallop with the combined powers of Alastair Lynch, Daniel Bradshaw and Bernie Quinlan. While the Footy Gods are never wrong, we admitted that our punishments may have been harsh, so we healed Lachie Neale. When Dr. Sherwin Goh told Damien Austin and Chris Fagan that Lachie Neale’s recovery was a ‘miracle’, he spoke the truth.

The Gold Coast Suns have been vanquished, Collingwood have fallen, all because of our intervention and now it is time for Geelong to feel the lash of our curses. A Pox upon Geelong! A Pox upon Kardinia Park! A Pox upon their supporters and their painful “Gee-long” chant. All are cursed! A Pox on Geelong for sending Gavin Exell to Fitzroy! A Pox on Geelong and for stealing Ken Hinkley! A Pox on Geelong for getting the softest draw in AFL History this season. A plague on Geelong for claiming to be “the greatest team of all.”

Blessed be the Brisbane Lions. Strong shall their defence be. Always a bit of a worry, especially with his disposal, Darcy Gardiner was blessed last week, and with our help, he played his career best game. Blessed will Darcy be once again. Ryan Lester’s career resurrection has been a miracle, but it is our miracle. Our chosen vessel, 3KZ is Football likes to claim he is a good judge, but he is not. He knew we were going to elevate Ryan Lester and simply jumped on our bandwagon. He also knew that we had cursed Sam Sheldon, Dan McStay, Lewis Taylor (who didn’t take a contested mark in the last six years of his career) and Travis Johnstone, but that is another story. Tomorrow, we raise up Zorko, Starcevich, Wilmot and Fletcher. We do not need to worry about Harris Andrews and Ryan Lester, because they are already GODS!

Cursed are the names Miers, Dempsey, Holmes, Dangerfield, Smith and Atkins. Blessed be McCluggage, Neale, Will Ashcroft, Dunkley and Levi Ashcroft. Darcy Fort will be unvanquished, and Oscar plays under a charm. They will win stoppage and restarts all game, and your midfielders will win clearance after clearance. None shall stand in the way of the Lions. Geelong will go defensive, seeking to tag and restrain, but this is not how to win Grand Finals. This does the Footy Gods no honour. If we wanted to look at that sort of thing, we’d elevate St. Kilda and let Ross Lyon loose on Grand Final day, like that’s ever going to happen. Cursed are Geelong’s ‘Temu’ defence, they are set to crumble. Celebrate the resting ruckman, Lions faithful, for Oscar will score goals, but not as many as Ah Chee, Lohmann, Morris, Rayner, Gallop, Bailey and Cameron. Tomorrow will be a bloodbath! Too many weapons! Unstoppable, experienced, confident and true. The midfield will also be queuing up to score goals. Dunkley, Neale, Wilmot, Zorko, Fletcher … The Lions will blow Geelong off the park.

The Football Gods Decree that Geelong will be VANQUISHED. They may resist for a time, but the Lions will bring relentless, brutal, desperate football. All over the MCG. Everywhere. All at once. In the face of this onslaught, Geelong will fold like something that folds very quickly.

The Lions will do it for Darcy Gardiner. They will do it for Oscar McInerney. They will do it for Chris Fagan. They will do it for each other. They will do it for their faithful fans who have journeyed across lands and sea to be at the MCG. They will do it for the Fitzroy Football Club, who represent an immutable foundation, along with the Brisbane Bears, of the Brisbane Lions. A HOLY TRINITY THAT THE FOOTBALL GODS BESTOW FAVOUR UPON IN THE 2025 GRAND FINAL!

PREMIERS YOU’LL BE THIS YEAR!
So sayeth the Football Gods. Believe.

Lions by lots.

Brilliant

 

[GenericUsername202]

We didn't have Mullin and Atkins tagging McCluggage and WAshcroft the past 2 weeks with Holmes, Smith and Danger running through the midfield

They can't tag everyone. We still have Rayner, Bailey, Marshall, Levi, and Dunks who can go through the middle. And I don't see Hugh making the same mistakes that he did 3 weeks ago.

 

[SizeMatters]

Man. Was so confident yesterday it will be a back to back but now feeling a tad sick with anxiety. I hope that’s not a bad omen.

It will be the toughest of all challenges to take down the well rested cats today. I’m praying the ball bounces the Lions way all game.

 

[Squizz89]

Don’t really care how we do it, but we have to find a way to release Hugh from that hard tag from Mullins. If he doesn’t touch the ball at least 20-25+ times, I don’t think we’re any chance. The way he distributes the ball is so crucial to the way we move it.

 

[Darren Downunder]

Man. Was so confident yesterday it will be a back to back but now feeling a tad sick with anxiety. I hope that’s not a bad omen.

It will be the toughest of all challenges to take down the well rested cats today. I’m praying the ball bounces the Lions way all game.

Same.
After the parade I felt very confident. Our boys looked relaxed and comfortable in their own skin. We were defending champions and we knew we belonged.
They looked uptight and nervous. Yesterday, they sent Dangerfield out onto the MCG on his own for five minutes to receive the adulation of the crowd before the rest of the team game out. I had a feeling that sort behaviour ( one man is bigger than the team) could backfire.
This morning, I’m beset with fear and doubt. I don’t like the decision to have Lachie as the sub. It could really blow up in our faces.
Still we’ve got to trust those who have the information to make the right call.
Go Lions!

 

[MacMum]

I feel sick too..

No more injuries please, just want a good game and we win.

Go play your hearts out boys, give it absolutely everything you've got.

BELIEVE!!

 

[scoman]

I'm not nervous, you are!

 

[royboys4eva]

Exicted and nervous for today. Heading to ground in couple hours. We can do it - I believe in this side and Fagan.

We just need to get the game on our terms - contested footy - get inside forward 50 and make it hard for the Cats to transition. They got us last time by spreading wide and going quickly. Also they took way too many easy intercept marks down back. Hoping with no Stewart and Henry not 100% we won't fall into that trap. Big Oscar just needs to block bodies and bring the ball to ground - if he does that he has fulfilled his role.

Neale being sub is odd - if he is fit to play then why make him sub? I think we will try to play Ah Chee on the wing and get him to be defensive on Dempsey and then try to punish him when we have the ball by sneaking forward. He plays that role well Cal.

Someone up forward has to stand up today - we won't win with 12 goals. We will need 14-15+. Morris or Rayner need to kick 3/4+ today. Be nice if Charlie could turn back the clock and kick a sneaky 3 goals.

Go Lions.

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

Players said we won last year because we played the perfect game.

We've done that once on the day that counted in 2024 after 2023 taught us what was needed.

This year will be different, cats coaches are smart and will make it hard, but we will find our feer after quarter time and play out the rest of the game in perfect mode.

We got this.

Gads
I was worried about the Swannies doing a number on us
Never in doubt
Smother their air space like we do and the rest will follow
Not over confident but here we go
Lionssssssssss
Edit: I’m not over confident but I’m still confident yehah
Geelong will be crying for their mother’s

 

[irish]

Neale as the super sub may be a coaching master stroke , may give us the push after half time to get it done ! As long as we can hold together till the time is right then unleash the beast !

 

[PerthBoy86]

No.
You can watch ex-Lion legend Luke Hodge present the Norm Smith medal to one of the Geelong players.
No... they will have 2 Norm Smith medals this year - one for Bailey and one for Paddy. It's only fair.

Zac Bailey and McKenna, even though he isn't playing? Sounds good to me