Review Round 21, 2025 - Collingwood vs. Brisbane Lions

[fugitive]

Yep he was full of cliches last night “we have won one out of last two”, “I’d like to look at it with a positive lens”, “we received some good feedback tonight” lol

I’m probably just extremely cynical but McRae has rubbed me the wrong way ever since he joined Collingwood. I find the ultra positive types - ‘we haven’t lost 3 out of 4 we’re privileged to have 3 learnings in 4 weeks’ etc. - are smoke and mirrors people. A few chinks in that armour.. I’m not sure he’s quite as laid back deep down as he’s made out to be.

 

[SpecialBruce]

Reville is a gun. Underrated.

Been saying that for years. Welcome to the bandwagon. You can be my co-captain.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Its called afl football. The up’s & down’s are one of the things that makes it a great game. Our best is better than anyone else in the competition. Coming into the pointy end of the season, we should all be excited.

Exactly.
The pointy end is about winning when it matters most, as the stakes keep getting higher and higher.
Also why finals experience, and learning what it takes to win finals, is a necessary and essential part of it.

 

[Clarkythelion]

I thought Hipwood was good in the 2nd half, lots of defensive pressure and one percenters, getting to contests, loved his desperation to get back and intercept mark after that silly kick to Ashcroft in the pocket.

Hippy got plenty of hate on facebook but you're right, he went ok and did his job creating space behind himself for Logan and Charlie to work in. Considering McStay and Miocheck were playing similar lead up forward roles for the Pies and both had less possessions I thought Hippy did well.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Yep he was full of cliches last night “we have won one out of last two”, “I’d like to look at it with a positive lens”, “we received some good feedback tonight” lol

Reactions need the vomit emoji

 

[MSB ROYS]

Reactions need the vomit emoji

Reply on your phone and you have any emoji

 

[Sunny Land]

Hippy got plenty of hate on facebook but you're right, he went ok and did his job creating space behind himself for Logan and Charlie to work in. Considering McStay and Miocheck were playing similar lead up forward roles for the Pies and both had less possessions I thought Hippy did well.

13 disposals, 7 of them contested. 6 marks. 3 tackles. 61% efficiency.

Disappointingly, the nuffie haters will always hate but (touch wood) soon he will join 4% of all AFL footballers who will play 200 games. Suck s**t haters.

 

[T Rick]

Starce was into his opponent the whole night.

Starce was mentioned by Fages in his presser as well - in terms of getting back some confidence. Great how the Club has backed him in.

 

[T Rick]

I’m probably just extremely cynical but McRae has rubbed me the wrong way ever since he joined Collingwood. I find the ultra positive types - ‘we haven’t lost 3 out of 4 we’re privileged to have 3 learnings in 4 weeks’ etc. - are smoke and mirrors people. A few chinks in that armour.. I’m not sure he’s quite as laid back deep down as he’s made out to be.

I thought he was really odd in that post match presser - almost mumbling and incoherent.

 

[Dalions]

It will be criminal if Josh Dunkley retires without earning an AA jumper. Has to be the most selfless star in the comp. No wonder Neale said he's the best teammate he's ever played with!

Hands off!
There is no coincidence that we have made 2 Grand Finals since he has arrived at the club.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

The last time a Lions player has booted 6 on the G was in 2007.

Brennan with 7 (8?) against the Pies?

 

[CarterS]

9 games in a row we've won against a team above us on the ladder, mental statistic.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Cam had no idea. The crowd noise was all he heard. He was right in playing on like it was game on.

I can't stop watching that clip. Just landed in Brissy and watched it again. Makes me chuckle every time. The way he points at the crowd at the end. They must have been getting into him something shocking

 

[CarterS]

I've still got us missing the top 4 on the ladder predictor. We need to beat Freo in Freo in a fortnight, or an upset to go our way... we need Collingwood, Geelong or Gold Coast to drop a game they're favoured to win (against Hawthorn, Sydney away or Carlton away respectively).

 

[Sunny Land]

Best game i’ve seen Forty play last night. Collingood rely so much on Cameron and I thought Forty had the better of him for most of the game.
Motty terrific, Harris really really good, Bailey surprisingly unselfish, Dunkley outstanding as always, Logan & Hugh bloody awesome.

 

[luthor]

He reminds me a bit of the English Cricket Team everytime they lose…… “we are still winners despite the result”!!!

Yes. Yes. Another moral victory to the Pies.

Poor form by the Lions for not playing within the spirit of football

 

[Nathan Barley]

I'm still in awe of the pressure we brought in the 1st, 3rd and 4th quarters

Didn't think we had that in us

 

[3KZ is Football]

Not sure how it looked on TV but from behind the goals it looked a clear strategy to kick hard across the field when careening forward between half back and wing, and not quite sure what to do next. It was almost like a bit of a default, "bail out" option, like when you've suddenly realised you're driving too fast and "sh!t what do I do now".

It meant we'd leave a heck of a task to guys like Charlie and Cal and Zac and Levi, leading hard laterally out towards the boundary, but even when they were unable to retain possession it usually meant by the time they reached the ball, they were close enough to the boundary to force a throw in.

Either way, we very rarely kicked long and high to an outnumber, which meant we very rarely gave the ball back to Collingwood on a fast transition play, and that prevented them from coming back through us the same way. It was something interesting I hadn't really seen us do before, certainly not that regularly, and I wonder if it was a ploy designed specifically for that opponent or if we may see more of it going forward.

We played exactly the way we did against Geelong, who also kill teams who go down the line.

Watching last night, we were quick and slick. It wasn’t that long ago that we were worried about how we would cope against sides that ran off us, but we have really turned that around. As far as leg speed and the ability to slice teams up, we are elite. Fletcher, Willmot, W.Ashcroft, L.Ashcroft, Bailey and Marshall are the foundation of a side that is poised to go IMPERIAL.

Add to that Neale, Dunkley, McCluggage, Rayner and Berry and that is some AWESOME power around the middle of the park.

 

[Nuggo]

Impressive performance. What stoodout at the game was everybody seemed calm and into control. Even in the second quarter.

Does Smith stay in the side now?

 

[lions2010]

Looked a bit nervy to me in the press conference. Quite a statement delivered to the Pies tonight and he knows it.

The advert is right. They need a back, forward and 'mid'.

 

[Grasshopper17]

We played exactly the way we did against Geelong, who also kill teams who go down the line.

Watching last night, we were quick and slick. It wasn’t that long ago that we were worried about how we would cope against sides that ran off us, but we have really turned that around. As far as leg speed and the ability to slice teams up, we are elite. Fletcher, Willmot, W.Ashcroft, L.Ashcroft, Bailey and Marshall are the foundation of a side that is poised to go IMPERIAL.

Add to that Neale, Dunkley, McCluggage, Rayner and Berry and that is some AWESOME power around the middle of the park.

Collingwood defended us better than Geelong did. We rarely had to leave the centre corridor even when changing the angles against Geelong. This was far more pronounced last night, in that we had to kick much wider to get the same result.

But yes I guess the principle was the same in the Geelong game, even if the execution was more straightforward.

 

[Sunny Land]

Impressive performance. What stoodout at the game was everybody seemed calm and into control. Even in the second quarter.

Does Smith stay in the side now?

Henry has to stay. He is slow slow slow but everytime he was in a contest he was good. Its important for him to get home & away games under his belt now before finals.
The only downside is our opposition could easily use his lack of pace to run the ball out of defence and into attack. Makes Hippy’s job more intense for sure.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Impressive performance. What stoodout at the game was everybody seemed calm and into control. Even in the second quarter.

Does Smith stay in the side now?

Undroppable surely!

 

[BrisVegasDru]

We played exactly the way we did against Geelong, who also kill teams who go down the line.

Watching last night, we were quick and slick. It wasn’t that long ago that we were worried about how we would cope against sides that ran off us, but we have really turned that around. As far as leg speed and the ability to slice teams up, we are elite. Fletcher, Willmot, W.Ashcroft, L.Ashcroft, Bailey and Marshall are the foundation of a side that is poised to go IMPERIAL.

Add to that Neale, Dunkley, McCluggage, Rayner and Berry and that is some AWESOME power around the middle of the park.

we surely would have won by 10 goals, had they not sniped Froggy early!

 

[lions2010]

I've still got us missing the top 4 on the ladder predictor. We need to beat Freo in Freo in a fortnight, or an upset to go our way... we need Collingwood, Geelong or Gold Coast to drop a game they're favoured to win (against Hawthorn, Sydney away or Carlton away respectively).

Hawks off a 5 day break wont be easy.