Review Round 5, 2019 - Brisbane Lions vs. Collingwood

[Surly Boy]

Think we got showed up in so many ways this week.

Problem is there's not much cattle in the seconds that can fix our problems.

I think our midfield really was thrown together quite late this season and it's showing. Long term plans probably involved Beams and wallis who both backflipped in their own way late.

Lyons and Matho just don't cut it when the other team is on.

Most 2016 game we've played in a while sans the hilarious errors, Josh schache and brion the lion.

Dayne Beams "speeding" away from Lyons on a wing nearly broke me tonight. Beams is as slow as treacle, and Lyons either wouldn't, or couldn't, chase...

Gutted.

Hugh, Walks, Rich and Berry were ok.

 

[martinson]

Cheers for responding to a post Dylan. Who specifically would you replace, why, and who would you bring in?

Crikey mate . Suggestions for who might come in have been made across several threads for two or three weeks . Guys who are really struggling to hold their spot are self evident .

That's the way football clubs work . If you've got guys in there who aren't running and tackling when that's your job and you get belted a couple of times you give someone else a shot . That's what your list is for.

 

[BRAB]

Crikey mate . Suggestions for who might come in have been made across several threads for two or three weeks . Guys who are really struggling to hold their spot are self evident .

That's the way football clubs work . If you've got guys in there who aren't running and tackling when that's your job and you get belted a couple of times you give someone else a shot . That's what your list is for.

Hello friend. I would like to hear Dylan's suggestions.

 

[Football Pope]

IMO you can't blame the defenders tonight, the ball was coming in way too quick and easy, no one can stop that, they absolutely slaughtered us on the turnover.

We did ourselves no favours...we defended way to loose..easy to pick out targets if we aren't manniing up...at least make it a contest

 

[martinson]

Hello friend. I would like to hear Dylan's suggestions.

Lol friend.

Hopefully he can help . I'm pretty sure he's already made some suggestions before this game .

 

[patfullfankezz]

After a trip to Tom's Confectionary Warehouse and before that, seeing young pies fans lined up excited to meet their heroes as they got on the bus I'm not as upset as I would be. We're still 3-2.

That being said the bastard sitting next to me can get stuffed. Wore Lions colours but never said a positive thing about them all night. When he laid into Dizzy it took everything I had not to turn to him and say "Would rather watch Gardiner than listen to you."

Will also be happy to see the back of all those bandwagoners who ****ed off at 3/4 time. The Gabba was unbearable tonight, the worst was seeing a bloodied female Lions fan on a stretcher as I was heading to section 13 to see a mate.

 

[BRAB]

Lol friend.

Hopefully he can help . I'm pretty sure he's already made some suggestions before this game .

Dylan continues to suggest we drop players but is never specific as to who we should drop.

Good example on a broader level is Robertson. People called for him to be dropped last week and this week he was much better.

I don't see any players in the NEAFL that could single handedly turn around a 7 or 10 goal loss.

 

[brutus76]

Outworked and too many had an off day.
Excellent crowd though and suprisingly not too many Pies ******* ferals.
They had cleaner hands and spread better - we had too many sucked into the contest.
Kick outs woeful. Really missing Bailey's run.
Umpiring ****** abysmal. Scores should have been close to level at half time. My 9 teen umpires who do U8s to U11's would do better
Right team won though but they weren't great.
D.Beams GAGF you crocodile teared "i love this club and ain't leaving" turncoat.
**** i love The Suitcase!!!!!! Megastar in the making that boy.

 

[Toffee Lion]

MUST WIN next week against the Suns, win that and we get some confidence back going into an out of form Swans outfit at home.

Could still come out 5-2 by the end of Round 7, that's my positive outlook on things at the moment.

In saying that, Suns are up and about, we're horribly out of form and we've just lost Harris.

In recent years, losses were expected, we need to bottom out for picks as well, so it wasn't so bad. This is no longer the case, if we finish bottom four this year, it's a failure and we don't own our pick (In case anyone's forgotten).

I trust in Fagan and I trust in our young kids to continue their development, but bloody hell do they need to get a move on and start fixing up their basic errors and lack of plan B. Otherwise, if we finish bottom four in 2019 and 2020, I don't see Fagan coaching the 2021 season.

 

[Dodongo]

Dodongo gave Dodongo's votes to the following

McCluggage - Dodongo wants to modify his contract now worth a minimum of 850k a year and add a couple more years on.

Berry - Very solid. Need to get games into his brother whom Dodongo thinks will be better

Walker - Was his spot to lose to Wooler, Skinner, Ballenden, Eagles etc - he has cemented it and will find it hard to lose.

Rich - Did some great things tonight. Body on the line. Gutsy efforts.

Robertson - same as Rich. Dodongo thought he did a few good things tonight. His heart and dedication is there and thats what the team needs.

Honourable mentions to

Hipwood - finally has started to use his body and improving in contests and around the ground.

Neale - didn't get as much as usual but when he did was clean as a whistle

Zorko - may be down on possessions and big impact but did some important flashy team things. Team high in tackles too


Dodongo would like to point out two players. Yes they have friends but some things Dodongo noted most

Witherden. Very bad and attitude didn't look good.

McCarthy - has been a godsend but tries to do way too much. Enough flashy shit. Do what you are known to do. Pressure and kick goals. His pressure is what we need most. Go back to basics. Don't try and take screamers all the time or other undisciplined acts.

 

[Dylan12]

Dylan continues to suggest we drop players but is never specific as to who we should drop.

I'd been saying all week that Rayner, Mathieson, Cameron and Robertson should be considered to be omitted for this week's game.

You're just choosing to be obstinate for the sake of it.

 

[Dodongo]

Excellent crowd though and suprisingly not too many Pies ******* ferals.

**** i love The Suitcase!!!!!! Megastar in the making that boy.

Dodongo is thinking the government has clamped down on inbreeding the last few years if there are not many feral pie fans around.

Dodongo will also point out McCluggage again. Needs to start producing Kids for father/son recruiting in the future. That McCluggage bloodline needs to continue for the next 100 years and our club to be the benefit of it.

 

[luthor]

MUST WIN next week against the Suns, win that and we get some confidence back going into an out of form Swans outfit at home.

Could still come out 5-2 by the end of Round 7, that's my positive outlook on things at the moment.

In saying that, Suns are up and about, we're horribly out of form and we've just lost Harris.

In recent years, losses were expected, we need to bottom out for picks as well, so it wasn't so bad. This is no longer the case, if we finish bottom four this year, it's a failure and we don't own our pick (In case anyone's forgotten).

I trust in Fagan and I trust in our young kids to continue their development, but bloody hell do they need to get a move on and start fixing up their basic errors and lack of plan B. Otherwise, if we finish bottom four in 2019 and 2020, I don't see Fagan coaching the 2021 season.

WOW!

Some wild and conflicting musings there my good man.

From a very do-able 5-2 and everything's rosy after Round 7, to bottom 4 for the next two years and the coach gets sacked!

For myself, I'm just taking it one week at a time

 

[BRAB]

I'd been saying all week that Rayner, Mathieson, Cameron and Robertson should be considered to be omitted for this week's game.

You're just choosing to be obstinate for the sake of it.

Who would you replace them with? We're getting so close now.

Point is if you're going to say "we've lost this at the selection table" and then never actually post who you'd select you don't have the right to come in and whinge later.

We could win a grand final and you'd complain it wasn't a smashing.

 

[Royboys44]

Dylan continues to suggest we drop players but is never specific as to who we should drop.

Good example on a broader level is Robertson. People called for him to be dropped last week and this week he was much better.

I don't see any players in the NEAFL that could single handedly turn around a 7 or 10 goal loss.

Id be looking at Skinner for Harris-in, Cox for Christensen, E Smith/Cutler for Lyons, Keays/Taylor for Mathieson-inj and Wooler for McStay. Of course they won't change 7-10 goals individually but collectively they will give us more speed and better disposal.

Cox Walker Gardiner
Hodge Skinner Witho
Rich Neale McLuggage
Raynor Hippy McCarthy
Cameron Wooller Cutler

Martin Berry Zorko
Keays Robinson Big O Taylor

Draft 1 of many this week.

 

[a mayes ing]

Just finished watching, actully up to 3QT. 3 words.

**** you, Lions.

That was so ****ing pathetic and obviously they can't handle any type of pressure. Yeah they were a better team but that was just 0 pressure and 0 accountability. To have that many easy marks inside 50... ****en hell. If there are not mass changes next week then it shows that that type of performance is acceptable.

McStay has to go, he has been invisible for weeks. Havent seen Lyon do much most of the season. After the 1st 2 weeks, McCarthy and Cameron have had minimal goals, however they are still dangerous so l would keep them in for now. Assume Andrews is gone because of a hamstring (as if our night could get any worse...).I don't think Robertson and Christensen will ever be good AFL footballers (Robbo did alright, but can't see it happening). Zorko hasn't got an offensive game anymore since Neale has come on. I dunno who even next, there just seemed to be no pressure all night. Martin got absolutly spanked by Grundy. Wonder if it is time to go for Smith?

Out: McStay, Lyons, Andrews (inj), Christensen.
In: Dunno, whoever was good in the reserves.

I don't necessarily think there will be 5 changes but there needs to be change after that.

Edit: and it just gets worse. Matho does a hammy. ****en hell, why can't it happen to the scum

 

[Brizzys Squizzy]

Cameron bundy robertson lyons mcstay should all be dropped Replace with Alison CUTLER cox bellendon taylor but won't happen Mathieson Harry out injured now for approx month so maybe Ely Smith and skinner in obviously all guess work very disappointed in the way we play at the moment but hopefully find a way to win next week.

 

[Toffee Lion]

WOW!

Some wild and conflicting musings there my good man.

From a very do-able 5-2 and everything's rosy after Round 7, to bottom 4 for the next two years and the coach gets sacked!

For myself, I'm just taking it one week at a time

It's called having a positive outlook and a negative outlook, in essence taking it one week a time is the correct mentality to have, no one can predict the future in the end but there's nothing wrong with speculation either.

I was just giving my thoughts to both sides of the proverbial coin, which is why I stated that next week is a must win game if we are to see that positive outlook potentially come to fruition (Which we all hope happens).

I also simply used round 7 as a pit-stop that I believe by the end of, we'll have a clearer picture as to how our season will go/is going. As for the bottom four comment I never said it will happen, I said if it does happen, I personally don't see Fagan coaching in 2021 (Which would be going into his fifth year by then).

 

[jumpstart]

The Lions were beaten by a much better side. More skilled, better discipline. faster and longer running. Usually losing sides blame the umpires. Instead to a lesser extent blame the Lions players and coaches but really Collingwood were a class(or two) above. Brisbane has plenty of work to do before we can consider them a finals bound team. The Lid is not only firmly on at the moment, the Can has been squashed.

 

[lioninthesand]

I have calmed down a little. It is what it is. I always thought 2021 was the year we would really start to flourish and the 3 early wins has inflated our expectations which is causing frustration.

This is just a step in the journey to becoming a better team, sucsess isnt lineal, learning to deal with expectations, protecting a winning record, having a plan B, having pressure on for spots is all new to us.

A performance like that was a terrible outcome for the brand and for footy in Brissy (those 10k fair weather fans aint coming back anytime soon), but then again.. maybe we needed that to reset expectations well and truely. Maybe we arn't ready to be competitive week in week out, let alone 'making the gabba a fortress' again. Maybe this takes the pressure off the boys to go back to where we are supposed to be, which is the second most inexperienced side in the comp?

Psychologically something has gone wrong, something has broken down, we have been too relaxed or we are too steessed with the pressure of expectation.. players don't set out to 'not tackle' or 'not pressure'.. but that's exactly what we did. It was horrifying, I sat there in shock.. for the second week in a row, it was a literal training drill from end to end, with how many points and OOTF's they kicked it was lucky it wasn't 100 points. It should have been. I knew the fall away would come in some shape or form, but not like this.

The thing that was and is a bit scary and why a few of us are spooked, is.. it was Leppa Era stuff, it was coach killer stuff, it looked distinctly like some players stopped trying and were sending a message to the coaches about something. I think most people hoped was a thing of the past.. we haven't seen that since a handful of games early in Fagans tenure.

We can all handle losing, we are built for it, but not like that, no way.

I'm going to take a deep breath, we came out foaming at the mouth and snatched a few cheeky wins, we are now through the tough part of the draw and can settle into the season proper with a far more welcoming stretch of games and decreased pressure, we arn't ready, we are still deep in a long and at times torturous rebuild.

There is one thing we need to fix and that is our defensive pressure, tackling and transition defense, then.. we need to sort out our answer to being pinned on the boundary line, teams have us sorted and we are not equipped with a solution and players have dropped their heads.

Fagan is at a cross roads here and facing an enormous challange to calm the group and get their confidence back, if he can't, this is going to trigger an unprecendented (yes even by our standards) fall away in the coming weeks.

We have tasted both our brilliant best and the worst of the worst in a month of footy, now we need to decide what it will be going forward. I think we can do it and it starts with the Suns we just need to walk in to the rooms on monday and say 'back to basics boys'.. forget finals, forget sellouts, forget brownlows. Hit the tackle bags, run laps, hit targets at training.

maybe we go man on man for a few weeks, just go back shoulder, forget the zone. We hoped we were mature enough to implement a zone full-time and benefit from what that does for us on the turn over, but often going man on man helps get young teams back in the game psychologically.


It terms of changes, Fages summed it up perfectly. They gave the boys a chance to rectify the situation, now they will look at the team - people just wanted to see some heads roll out of frustration over the last 2 weeks, but the correct decision was made, now we need to look at it.

I am personally not interested in bringing in 5-6 inexperienced players to be sent to the slaughter, we need to work with our core group to get some belief back, maybe a change or two along with the forced changes.

Matho has been good but he completely unaccountable defensively around clearances as is Lyon (the ultimate ball watches once they get the pill (I don't think you take Lyon out if he is out though). Someone gets a go in the mids either way. Beyond that im not sure, hate to say it, but maybe Big O comes out, just to inject some speed, we go a bit smaller and Walker rucks? Maybe Mcstay has a rest? Hodge swapped for Cox? I want lewey in, so someone makes way for him. Robertson clearly holds his spot.

hmmm 10 days to ponder.

 

[Requiem]

No point playing a Zone defence if the boys ain't sticking tackles up-field.

These last 2 weeks have shown why Gold Coast wasn't fused about giving away Lyons for nothing, minimal defensive pressure. Speaking of our cousins down the road, they have a younger, less experienced list, yet they produce a far greater work-rate & pressure around the ground. Say what you want about them, but after watching all their games this season, I know they leave nothing on the field. We looks slow all over the ground, whether it be Defensive 50 transition, spread from the stoppages, and especially guarding the opponent rebounding from their defensive 50. As much as I love Hodge, I think we'll be a better team next season once we can replace him with some speed out of the backline.

I singled out Lyons before, but honestly Gardiner, McStay, and most surprisingly Charlie Cameron have all been poor this past fortnight. I'd be very disappointed if Fagan didn't wield the axe this week considering out reserves have been killing it so far. IMO we should drop some height for some speed.

Out: McStay, Andrews (inj), Mathieson (inj)
In: Taylor, Cox, Cutler

 

[M Malice]

Had a look at Chris Fagan's presser just now and that is as down as I have seen him, looked and sounded very disappointed and mentioned that it's 2 weeks in a row now we have been off our game and we'll have to look at changes to the team. He mentioned the NEAFL playing today, I think he will be out there having a look.

***'s also mentioned that they scored 10 goals 7 from turnovers, no defense can defend that consistently well.

Richy was very down as well, he should be proud of his personal effort though, he has been really good this season in all games, proof that you can bring consistency of performance and improvement even at his age.

I had to have a laugh when the crowd number come up on the big screen, the Pies supporter sitting in the row in front piped up with- you call that a crowd we get that to our training. Ah well winners are grinners I suppose.

 

[Lions Flag 2020]

I think we will bounce back against the suns. In sport it's how well your opponent lets you play and Collingwood played very well. The Suns played poorly last week - Carlton just played worse. Remember it often looked like a benny hill skit. The Suns have played st kilda, Freo, western Bulldogs and Carlton. In comparison we have played both of last years grand finalists, port, north and Essendon. That is a massive difference in the quality of opposition.

I think we are not set up structurally as good this year. Last year we had cutler and Hugh on the wings and it felt like our structures were more predictable (which is good)
whereas there seems to be a lot more rotating on the wings and less predictability for team mates.

Finally, I can't get my head around the move of Christensen to defence. He is in the twighlight of his career so it doesn't make sense to teach him a brand new position. Bailey I get Christensen I don't.

 

[Lions Flag 2020]

I think ballenden will come in for Andrews and cutler for Mathieson. Taylor might also come in but not sure for who.

 

[mikey127]

I text ABC radio last night suggesting Pies were good tonight more than us playing poorly. They agreed. I'm not a huge fan if Mark McClure but when interviewing Cam Rsyner McClure told him not to lose confidence which I really liked.