Review Round 22, 2025 - Brisbane Lions vs. Sydney

[Squizz89]

Yeah I thought the ruck battle quite clearly went Grundy’s way. Fort did ok in the contest but seemed to get killed around the ground. It’s become clearer as the year has gone on why we are chasing another ruck.

 

[braddsey]

And of course and I know it would be the case too but it’s said prior to this game that the top nine against the nine bottom nine since round 14 was 34 wins out of 35 and then what do we do which is so bloody typical, we lose to a bottom nine team

No excuses, but Sydney on current form are apart from the rest of the bottom 9. They look a bit like Collingwood from last year, coming home with a wet sail - after a shitty first have of the season.

 

[twhowler]

Three main factors.

1. We were missing a lot of players. It gets you in the end.

2. We didn't adapt our gameplan - 75 inside 50s but we kept pace on the game throughout and it went back the other way even faster. Great coaching last week, not so much this week. Missed tackles were the killer on top

3. Missed set shots were deflating.

It just feels like our inconsistent effort and application is happening too often.

BUT this was always our least important game. Our easiest, so it's costly, but

9 teams left in it

if we win our last 2 we finish ahead of hawthorn, freo, gws and the dogs.

If the pies lose to the crows away we would be 4th

OR if the cats lose to the swans away we would be 4th

I think it's more likely we lose both than win both. we would likely miss the 8 then!

 

[Elixuh]

Every time I mention Beecken people put up a reason why we can't play him.

Let's see . If they ever give him a game.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable when you have 4/5 out of your first choice back 6 out that you probably pick the other experienced guy over a zero gamer.

Or maybe Fages reads your posts and just wants to rile you up!

 

[dlanod]

Just my opinion. But youre acting like you know better so how about you tell us more

Mate, you just claimed that Marshall looked like he didn't want to be at the club. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.

 

[Thedeftouch]

I am not sure what the Lions did to umpire Nathan Williamson[22] to make him hate us. We very rarely get any of the 50/50 calls when he officiates. Then there are always a few random calls against us that nobody understands. He wasn’t the reason we lost but I never feel good when I see him strutting out. Never again Please

I have noticed this for years. Hard to describe but certainly feels a bit off with him, in a way that I haven’t felt with any other umpire. Would be curious what a deep dive of his decisions in our games would show.

 

[martinson]

I don’t think it’s unreasonable when you have 4/5 out of your first choice back 6 out that you probably pick the other experienced guy over a zero gamer.

Or maybe Fages reads your posts and just wants to rile you up!

I get it.

I just really think the guy can play.

I understand it's a positional thing but I don't rate a couple of others that we've thrown in at this point in their career.

 

[martinson]

I have noticed this for years. Hard to describe but certainly feels a bit off with him, in a way that I haven’t felt with any other umpire. Would be curious what a deep dive of his decisions in our games would show.

He absolutely hates us no doubt. For reasons unknown.

Don't think umpires don't have their own pet agenda and hates like anyone else in most fields of endeavour.

We didn't lose because of that but some of his decisions and misses had a bit of a smell about them.

 

[Elixuh]

Mate, you just claimed that Marshall looked like he didn't want to be at the club. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.

 

[Section 5]

We certainly had a lot of average player performance to half time

Overall, some easy shots at goal missed again.
They cost you, just a matter of how much. The whole side gets let down from those sorts of misses.

The worst was i think it was Rayner (apologies if not). Missed an easy shot from in front about 30 meters out.
Swans kick in to the center of the ground for a great mark (maybe Heeney) he passes off to ??? who goals.
That was 3 kicks in about 10/15 seconds for a 2-goal turnaround. How deflating to other players/coaches/fans.

 

[Nathan Barley]

So what should have been a win to put us in second, we lose and will be effectively sixth.

So glad the club and senior players couldn’t take this game seriously that it turned up with this pathetic mindset led by the usual suspects who are content with just the one premiership, just like the Melbourne team were.

You have been elite tonight. Could compete professionally in melting.

Very entertaining

 

[Bucking Beads]

Another poor loss at home. Just so very lazy and complacent. A few poor performances from individuals but it was mostly just a lazy no pressure style of football that killed us. No run and so many turnovers.

Doedee unfortunately didn't look very good, Rayner had a howler and Charlie just nowhere near it.

Lost a few too many key matchups.

Coaching group deserves a whack for the Dev Robertson display. Why bother playing him if you're playing up forward. He's just not that guy.

This could be the loss that cost us the top 8 let alone the top 4 talk.

 

[martinson]

No excuses today for the guys that were out there because it was in our hands and we just weren't focused and desperate enough at various points of the game .

But we had Payne ,Lester ,Answerth and Starcevich out of our winning GF backline and considering the form all of those guys were in in the back half of last year ,that's a massive hole.

 

[Happy_Neale]

Went to the game today - fair play to the swans they were great. Transitioned from the back half better than anyone I’ve watched this year. We were off but not by much. I think they just outplayed us honestly

 

[Tom14]

Every time I mention Beecken people put up a reason why we can't play him.

Let's see . If they ever give him a game.

He probably would have played if Starce's hammy issue had happened at training rather than on gameday?

 

[lions2010]

Thanks; I just don’t accept losing like so many at the club and here do against average opposition when so much was on the line. But hey, squander away…….

Give our team some credit, we have been up for 6 years and have been stitched up this year by getting the hardest draw of all time, whilst other teams have had a very soft run, like our mates at the Cattery. Way harder to keep your players healthy with this run home.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Oh I didn't mention them in my original post but ffs the umpiring standard is atrocious and number 29 tonight was garbage.

 

[Tom14]

No excuses today for the guys that were out there because it was in our hands and we just weren't focused and desperate enough at various points of the game .

But we had Payne ,Lester ,Answerth and Starcevich out of our winning GF backline and considering the form all of those guys were in in the back half of last year ,that's a massive hole.

Add in Lachie and Kai and that is 6 of the GF 22. Kiddy as well who would be playing given the injuries. Hard to cover that much injury in one part of the ground.

 

[Elixuh]

Thanks; I just don’t accept losing like so many at the club and here do against average opposition when so much was on the line. But hey, squander away…….

Good to hear McIvor, big week on the training track for you this week. I want a statement game from you next week against Freo.

 

[M Malice]

Fages in his presser not very impressed with our ground ball pressure in our F50, not good enough, Swans scored 8 goals 7 from the back half, also said sometimes too many flying for the high ball and not enough stayed on the ground.

 

[Happy_Neale]

Thought there was a clear top 5 at the ground

Dunkley
Ashcroft x 2
Clug
Wilmot

Not sure how it looked on tv

 

[Nathan Barley]

He probably would have played if Starce's hammy issue had happened at training rather than on gameday?

Happened Thursday according to Fages in the oress conference

 

[mattsmob]

Fages in his presser not very impressed with our ground ball pressure in our F50, not good enough, Swans scored 8 goals 7 from the back half, also said sometimes too many flying for the high ball and not enough stayed on the ground.

Yep and I think McLaughlan getting subbed out was a result of that. The entries going into the forward line were really bad but the ball also came out far too easily.

 

[M Malice]

From a draw perspective, you’re probably better finishing outside the top six, which is probably likely given we’ll either miss the 8 or finish 7-8, play away in week one and immediately get knocked out.

Who’d have thought that after the high of beating Collingwood and heading into this game knowing a win gets us into second and for it all to fall apart so quickly, which let’s be honest is probably more to do with those other pathetic losses when we threw games away against Adelaide, Giants, Dee’s and points against North.

I have a que sera sera attitude to footy, I'm too long in the tooth to be stressed and upset about something I have zero control over.

We won the flag I wanted to see before I was pushing up daisies, I am just enjoying the ride from now on.

 

[acuguy]

Levi and Marshall don't tackle and are reluctant transition runners. This is a concern for Marshall considering running is his one wood. Both have a significant amount of work to do on their defensive games, absolute liabilities when ball not in hand. Hate seeing Levi peel off for a dinky 15 metre sideways chip kick, he is an average kick and decision maker atm at AFL level. Ball should not be so frequently put in his hands.