Unofficial Preview Semi Final Saturday 7:35pm vs Gold Coast @ GABBA

[Macca180]

Anyone fail at getting tickets?

 

[DevRoboGun]

When i think back on the season, nearly every “cut throat must win” game we played, we won.

Our team reminds me of my high school exams when I could only bring myself to study and work hard the night before the exam to get a good mark, otherwise I couldn’t be bothered.

So expect us to be on this weekend…

 

[twhowler]

Berry and Neale playing last week looked like an error. Berry was terrified of shoulder contact. Neale kept falling over, seemed to have not enough lower body strength.

Whether it was fitness team or coaches making the call it looked the wrong one to me.

I just don't see the value in a proppy Berry. He's turned in to a very good role player for us but that role includes marking and tackling and he just can't do it

 

[braddsey]

Berry and Neale playing last week looked like an error. Berry was terrified of shoulder contact. Neale kept falling over, seemed to have not enough lower body strength.

Whether it was fitness team or coaches making the call it looked the wrong one to me.

I just don't see the value in a proppy Berry. He's turned in to a very good role player for us but that role includes marking and tackling and he just can't do it

Perhaps they get out the super string sticky tape for Berry this week.
He may be better this week after the run on the weekend - a bit more confidence that the shoulder is not going to pop at every contact. It still sucks, he worked so hard to get his shoulders right, heart breaking to see him depleted by it again.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Berry and Neale playing last week looked like an error. Berry was terrified of shoulder contact. Neale kept falling over, seemed to have not enough lower body strength.

Whether it was fitness team or coaches making the call it looked the wrong one to me.

I just don't see the value in a proppy Berry. He's turned in to a very good role player for us but that role includes marking and tackling and he just can't do it

Do you think we really would've been better off with Reville and Marshall in the starting 22?

They weren't at their best but still much better than the alternative

 

[Section 5]

For me Berry looked short of a run more than favoring his shoulder.
He was unable to get back in defense as much as usual and his opponent got the better of him forward.

He was below his usual output but not by much really
18 disposals (8th), 3 marks (14), 3 tackles (equal 7), 1 goal (equal 3), 4 I50s (equal 3), 453 meters gained (equal 3), 3 clearances (equal 5), 5 contested possessions (equal 10), 5 score involvements (equal 3).

We all know his shoulder is not right, but he did enough last week to play sole wing again.

 

[troppo]

For me Berry looked short of a run more than favoring his shoulder.
He was unable to get back in defense as much as usual and his opponent got the better of him forward.

He was below his usual output but not by much really
18 disposals (8th), 3 marks (14), 3 tackles (equal 7), 1 goal (equal 3), 4 I50s (equal 3), 453 meters gained (equal 3), 3 clearances (equal 5), 5 contested possessions (equal 10), 5 score involvements (equal 3).

We all know his shoulder is not right, but he did enough last week to play sole wing again.

His shoulder is not going to improve until long after the season has finished but we don’t win the premiership without him.

 

[SizeMatters]

Whatever the case. Fagan got schooled.

It’s on him to make the team play finals brand footy.

We aren’t going to win it this year and that’s no shame. We just have too many holes in the list and too many players past their best who don’t give a damn anymore.

 

[On the quiet]

I think we have the suns covered in both ends but how are our midfield matchups going to look next week without Neale? Do our banged up mids have the strength to go with Rowell and Anderson? they looked sublime last night

Gardiner to King and Andrews to Reid (who is average at this stage of his development), with Andrews peeling off and intercepting. The wild card is Mac Andrew, IF he plays as a forward we are in trouble as he is too tall and athletic for Gardiner and or Lester. Suns seem a bit light on KPD with Ballard out injured, so likely Mac Andrew starts in the backline.

Expecting Cam to have a HUGE game this week.

 

[Elixuh]

Whatever the case. Fagan got schooled.

It’s on him to make the team play finals brand footy.

We aren’t going to win it this year and that’s no shame. We just have too many holes in the list and too many players past their best who don’t give a damn anymore.

Sometimes it’s difficult to tell whether your posts are serious or performative.

 

[McIvor]

Interesting article about how semi-finalis used to be farily predicatble and how that isn't the case anymore.

This used to be the finals’ most predictable week. Now history says a straight sets exit is likely

This used to be the finals’ most predictable week. Now history says disaster is on the horizon

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[SizeMatters]

Sometimes it’s difficult to tell whether your posts are serious or performative.

Go have a chat to Charlie and tell him he did a great job putting in 100 per cent.

 

[Elixuh]

Go have a chat to Charlie and tell him he did a great job putting in 100 per cent.

So too many players is one player

 

[Nathan Barley]

Go have a chat to Charlie and tell him he did a great job putting in 100 per cent.

Confirmed: performative

 

[Nathan Barley]

Gardiner to King and Andrews to Reid (who is average at this stage of his development), with Andrews peeling off and intercepting. The wild card is Mac Andrew, IF he plays as a forward we are in trouble as he is too tall and athletic for Gardiner and or Lester. Suns seem a bit light on KPD with Ballard out injured, so likely Mac Andrew starts in the backline.

Expecting Cam to have a HUGE game this week.

I was thinking about that on the weekend

Not sure how much time Read actually spends forward though

 

[M Malice]

Whatever the case. Fagan got schooled.

It’s on him to make the team play finals brand footy.

We aren’t going to win it this year and that’s no shame. We just have too many holes in the list and too many players past their best who don’t give a damn anymore.

Fages sets the game style and can give some uplifting pre game speech's or themes and instruct some in game moves but the overwhelming percentage re game day performance's is on the players not the coach.

 

[SizeMatters]

So too many players is one player

Nah he’s the low hanging fruit. I’m outraged you know!

 

[SizeMatters]

Fages sets the game style and can give some uplifting pre game speech's or themes and instruct some in game moves but the overwhelming percentage re game day performance's is on the players not the coach.

I agree. Except on the weekend the Lions got smothered and had Lions process of transition footy completely blocked and nullified by the Cats.

Fagan was shell shocked.

 

[M Malice]

I agree. Except on the weekend the Lions got smothered and had Lions process of transition footy completely blocked and nullified by the Cats.

Fagan was shell shocked.

Are you with David King... ie. We should move heaven and Earth and throw a truckload of cash at Chris Scott the GOAT of coaches?

How the hell are we ever going to win a(another) flag with Fages as coach is a mystery.

 

[fugitive]

We have been very good at adapting to plan B tactically within games throughout the season but that requires effort and energy. I looked at the stats in first 10 minutes of the game when we were getting hammered in the contest and I knew it wasn’t going to be our day. Our barometer is contest and clearance.

I agree. Except on the weekend the Lions got smothered and had Lions process of transition footy completely blocked and nullified by the Cats.

Fagan was shell shocked.

 

[Squizz89]

Berry definitely favoured the shoulder last week. I distinctly remember a play when he was falling to ground, he turned himself at the last moment to land more side on, as opposed to putting the arms straight out to brace for the fall which is how it went originally.

Between him carrying the shoulder, Hugh seemingly carrying the knee, on top of all our other injured outs already, it’ll be some win if we can pull this off I reckon.

Can’t rely on home GABBA form either given how shit we’ve been there in comparison to away this year.

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

Ist things first , no over doing the one two handballs .
It's like going for one too many bounces when there is a kick .
Hoping we worked out why this is happening in our game.
A few moments on Friday night we just burned .
Bailey not kicking it inside fifty only to get caught.
Were there any forwards leading to him ? or were there no options?
Only a moment but we are out of wack to a degree or two with our connection , transition.
Can only really work these things out with the tape , unless it was clear as day at the ground , the vision on tv didn't show what was in front of bailey.
I reaaly hope Mckenna comes in for some speed and desperation , can rotate back, wing and forward.
Revelle on the Wing instead of Levi. He will give us another option with his long kicks going forward, switching and doesn't seem to hold up the play like Levi does.
One glaring moment when Levi didn't go in hard to stop the play on his wing, just held back , could of been an easy tackle as the opponent was just a fraction early to the ball, nothing , just held back ball goes forward for the Cats. Pretty bad look.
Have we got a leading forward in the twos , maybe add as well.
Anyway , just a few thoughts, bring it on .
The game I mean .

 

[twhowler]

Do you think we really would've been better off with Reville and Marshall in the starting 22?

They weren't at their best but still much better than the alternative

Yes I really do. We managed very well without them with a different midfield mix.

Neale was a net negative. Was not physically able to be the player he can be. Carrying an upper leg injury stopped him in a way the ankle did not. To top it off his clangers were costly. Do you really think he was not a big reason our midfield got smacked?

Bez tried and kicked a nice goal but the imagine of him having to spin in the air on the boundary to avoid landing on his shoulder was very telling. He was not fit enough to contribute in the way he normally does

 

[Nathan Barley]

Yes I really do. We managed very well without them with a different midfield mix.

Neale was a net negative. Was not physically able to be the player he can be. Carrying an upper leg injury stopped him in a way the ankle did not. To top it off his clangers were costly. Do you really think he was not a big reason our midfield got smacked?

Bez tried and kicked a nice goal but the imagine of him having to spin in the air on the boundary to avoid landing on his shoulder was very telling. He was not fit enough to contribute in the way he normally does

We did well without them against much, much, much weaker opponents

Reville and Marshall aren't going to cope with the kind of pressure Geelong dished out

 

[M Malice]

Ist things first , no over doing the one two handballs .
It's like going for one too many bounces when there is a kick .
Hoping we worked out why this is happening in our game.
A few moments on Friday night we just burned .
Bailey not kicking it inside fifty only to get caught.
Were there any forwards leading to him ? or were there no options?
Only a moment but we are out of wack to a degree or two with our connection , transition.
Can only really work these things out with the tape , unless it was clear as day at the ground , the vision on tv didn't show what was in front of bailey.
I reaaly hope Mckenna comes in for some speed and desperation , can rotate back, wing and forward.
Revelle on the Wing instead of Levi. He will give us another option with his long kicks going forward, switching and doesn't seem to hold up the play like Levi does.
One glaring moment when Levi didn't go in hard to stop the play on his wing, just held back , could of been an easy tackle as the opponent was just a fraction early to the ball, nothing , just held back ball goes forward for the Cats. Pretty bad look.
Have we got a leading forward in the twos , maybe add as well.
Anyway , just a few thoughts, bring it on .
The game I mean .

Chris Fagan mentioned in his post game presser that we over handballed.