Certified Legendary Thread Lions go B2B : Grand Final, 2025 - Geelong vs. Brisbane Lions

[Bucking Beads]

Watching the game again. Charlie Cameron

23

Charlie Cameron

Age

31

Ht

180cm

Wt

76kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.1

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.2

5star

G

1.5

5star

D

9.6

2star

K

7.9

3star

HB

1.7

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.7

3star

G

1.9

5star

D

9.6

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.2

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.2

4star

really was phenomenal. His best game for 2 seasons and on the big stage. Set shit kicking good, big contested mark and that epic finish in the pocket.

 

[M Malice]

Watching the game again. Charlie Cameron really was phenomenal. His best game for 2 seasons and on the big stage. Set shit kicking good, big contested mark and that epic finish in the pocket.

Didn't look like he had lost any pace either.

We were bemoaning that he was past it and had lost his pace on here all season.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

Watching the game again. Charlie Cameron really was phenomenal. His best game for 2 seasons and on the big stage. Set shit kicking good, big contested mark and that epic finish in the pocket.

And his pressure was enormous too. As was the entire team's.

 

[bungalow_bill]

 

[Simbatheking21]

 

[M Malice]

All our goals >

 

[Nuggo]

Best week in footy - the week after a GF win!!

 

[Ray Button]

Watching the game again. Charlie Cameron really was phenomenal. His best game for 2 seasons and on the big stage. Set shit kicking good, big contested mark and that epic finish in the pocket.

Found myself muttering "Charlie, where have you been for the past 2 years?"

 

[notliondown]

I realise now, I know absolutely nothing about football.

I can't tell you how many times I doubted this year. Too many injuries, too many games we just seemingly coasted through, players just dropping in and out of games.... blah blah blah. And while I never thought Fages was out of his depth like some, I questioned his blind loyalty to players who were out of form or who I thought could have been dropped.

I sat there in the 4th quarter surrounded by screaming fellow Lions nuffies just shaking my head. "How the hell are we doing this?" I was thinking.

I knew our best was good enough. Hell no one goes close. I said earlier in the year that I think this team's best is better than the 01,02 & 03 one. Now you will never convince me otherwise. But when it happens it's impossible to not just be in awe of it.

Various people asked me after the game who was our best player. And for me now, trying to find one is missing the point.

The way Fages has created a game plan and style that we can just drop players in and out at will without too much disruption is the often missed part of this success... especially by those who don't watch us.

Sitting in Flinders Lane there were a couple of (non Lions) locals sitting behind us at a cafe listing players that tore Geelong apart. After they got through about 10 I turned around and said are you noticing anything? They immediately said we had brilliant players - which is true, no doubt - but when I mentioned that it didn't matter who was running by the guy with the ball as long as someone was, the penny sort of dropped.

This team is chock full of talent. But to find a way to utilise it is the hardest part. The way we play does that and it's a perfect storm.

There is no best player. There doesn't need to be. This is a team effort. Moreso than any other I remember. We are a hydra - cut one head off and another appears.

I'm in awe of this side, our coaches and our club. I'm am beyond proud and so so happy they have achieved the success I once doubted they could.

I don't know where we go from here, but any doubts I once had are gone. Anything is possible.

I apologise for pretending I ever thought I understood football.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I realise now, I know absolutely nothing about football.

I can't tell you how many times I doubted this year. Too many injuries, too many games we just seemingly coasted through, players just dropping in and out of games.... blah blah blah. And while I never thought Fages was out of his depth like some, I questioned his blind loyalty to players who were out of form or who I thought could have been dropped.

I sat there in the 4th quarter surrounded by screaming fellow Lions nuffies just shaking my head. "How the hell are we doing this?" I was thinking.

I knew our best was good enough. Hell no one goes close. I said earlier in the year that I think this team's best is better than the 01,02 & 03 one. Now you will never convince me otherwise. But when it happens it's impossible to not just be in awe of it.

Various people asked me after the game who was our best player. And for me now, trying to find one is missing the point.

The way Fages has created a game plan and style that we can just drop players in and out at will without too much disruption is the often missed part of this success... especially by those who don't watch us.

Sitting in Flinders Lane there were a couple of (non Lions) locals sitting behind us at a cafe listing players that tore Geelong apart. After they got through about 10 I turned around and said are you noticing anything? They immediately said we had brilliant players - which is true, no doubt - but when I mentioned that it didn't matter who was running by the guy with the ball as long as someone was, the penny sort of dropped.

This team is chock full of talent. But to find a way to utilise it is the hardest part. The way we play does that and it's a perfect storm.

There is no best player. There doesn't need to be. This is a team effort. Moreso than any other I remember. We are a hydra - cut one head off and another appears.

I'm in awe of this side, our coaches and our club. I'm am beyond proud and so so happy they have achieved the success I once doubted they could.

I don't know where we go from here, but any doubts I once had are gone. Anything is possible.

I apologise for pretending I ever thought I understood football.

You clearly understand a lot about footy. But maybe none of us understand all of it.

I think where us as supporters often get caught out is by focussing too much on individual players and their performances when we're not happy with the result of a game. In our disappointment, we forget to keep the big picture front and centre.

But first and foremost it's a team of 23 playing a team game. And then you need a great game plan / plans. And of course, there's the team you're playing against, trying to execute their game plan as well as disrupting yours.

Fages says it all the time - it's primarily about playing your role; the one (out of the 23 ) that you've been assigned.

Then there's the special sauces that sprinkle the magic over and through the whole team:
leadership, footy smarts, courage, competitiveness, camaraderie, confidence.

I often think of parallels to elite cricket teams. 11 roles attempting to execute plans together.
The selectors don't just drop the player they've chosen for a role because they got out cheaply, dropped a catch, didn't take a wicket. Or because the team lost the match.
They show a lot of faith in them that they've got what it takes to play their role next time, or the time after that, or after that.

 

[royboys4eva]

Time to watch the replay for the third time

Moving Bailey to the midfield was a genius move this year. We were always a strong contested side and tough but we probably lacked a bit of pace from the contest. Zac running out of the contest has given us another dimension. How the Cats let him roam free on Saturday is puzzling.

I really like the though of Bailey and Fletcher bursting out of the midfield in years to come. We will have Neale/Dunkley/Ashcrofts winning 50/50 balls and not to mention Marshall and Annabal.

 

[Section 5]

With the demise of the sub, history will show the two last sub players being of a different class of footballer.
A certain trivia question in the future

Lions:
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

- 293 AFL games, 21 in 2025. Lions co-captain. Dual Brownlow medal winner. B & F 3 times. MVP 1, Ayres 1, Premiership 1 (at that time)

Cats:
Jack Martin

19

Jack Martin

Age

30

Ht

186cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.2

4star

K

10.0

4star

HB

6.3

4star

M

4.9

5star

T

3.7

5star

G

0.9

4star

D

14.9

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

7.0

4star

M

4.3

4star

T

3.6

4star

G

1.1

5star

D

8.2

2star

K

4.6

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.0

4star

G

0.6

3star

: 163 AFL games 12 in 2025.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Time to watch the replay for the third time

Moving Bailey to the midfield was a genius move this year. We were always a strong contested side and tough but we probably lacked a bit of pace from the contest. Zac running out of the contest has given us another dimension. How the Cats let him roam free on Saturday is puzzling.

I really like the though of Bailey and Fletcher bursting out of the midfield in years to come. We will have Neale/Dunkley/Ashcrofts winning 50/50 balls and not to mention Marshall and Annabal.

Have to do everything thing possible to keep Bails a Lion.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Time to watch the replay for the third time

Moving Bailey to the midfield was a genius move this year. We were always a strong contested side and tough but we probably lacked a bit of pace from the contest. Zac running out of the contest has given us another dimension. How the Cats let him roam free on Saturday is puzzling.

I really like the though of Bailey and Fletcher bursting out of the midfield in years to come. We will have Neale/Dunkley/Ashcrofts winning 50/50 balls and not to mention Marshall and Annabal.

It was Bailey and Holmes free at stoppages, Holmes killed us in the QF and Bailey killed them in the GF

Really capitalising on the work of the inside mids

 

[Viceregal]

Shame we don't have any coaches that know how to tactic!

Wonder if holding a star player to sub and injecting him at half time will become known as doing a Fagan ... oh wait the last game with the sub rule in place also held the greatest tactical use of it of all time - we bow to the master tactician

 

[irel]

Shame we don't have any coaches that know how to tactic!

Wonder if holding a star player to sub and injecting him at half time will become known as doing a Fagan ... oh wait the last game with the sub rule in place also held the greatest tactical use of it of all time - we bow to the master tactician

Yeah, just as well plan A worked. Did he have a plan B?

 

[M Malice]

Chris Fagan is playing 4D Chess in game tactics while Chris Scott

Chris Scott

Age

49

Ht

182cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

is playing tic tac toe.

 

[Viceregal]

Yeah, just as well plan A worked. Did he have a plan B?

If he didn't and we needed it we would be hearing about it ad nauseum from our dear friends in the media...

 

[Rowallan Lion]

Thank you to the Brisbane Lions for providing me with a heap of enjoyment, a little bit of frustration but ultimately a wonderful end to a season....a truly amazing effort! The smile hasn't left my face!
Back to Back!

 

[Mayestro]

 

[Ironmonger]

View attachment 2443288

I guess a picture of Bailey Smith means I'm arriving late, and soon everyone will wish I'd never come at all.

 

[M Malice]

Nice to see this pre the GF, while it is "war" on field it's easy to forget that 99% of players from opposing clubs have great respect for each other.

 

[braddsey]

So I finally got time to sit down and look at the Saturday Age. The perception of Geelong bias was real. In the Grand Final wrap-around, 5 1/2 pages dedicated to the Cats. 2 pages to the Lions.
Tipping:
12 for the Cats
2 for the Lions

Caro got closest - Brisbane by 10 points, Will Ashcroft for Norm Smith.

Edit: Also quite funny - they recycled the image from the back of the Sunday Age in 2024 - they just added a cup!

2024:

2025:

 

[Elixuh]

This was Neale in the grand final:

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Bloody hell, what a victory. I needed to take a few days away just to let it all sink in. Geelong were certainly a tougher opponent than Sydney last year and our boys just blew them away.