Review Round -1, 2026 - Brisbane Lions vs. Western Bulldogs

[M Malice]

Just had a close look at the 3 incidents from last night.

1- Harris Andrews

31

Harris Andrews

Age

29

Ht

200cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.8

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.6

5star

T

1.6

4star

MG

151.7

2star

D

17.0

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.0

3star

D

9.8

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

4.8

4star

M

3.4

4star

T

1.6

4star

MG

94.0

2star

, certain to get at least 2 weeks, an incident that results in a concussion is always adjudged more harshly.
2- Darcy Gardiner

27

Darcy Gardiner

Age

30

Ht

192cm

Wt

91kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.6

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

4.1

4star

T

2.1

4star

G

0.0

1star

D

10.7

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

2.9

2star

M

3.7

4star

T

2.1

3star

G

0.0

1star

D

10.2

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

4.2

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.0

1star

, 1 week, careless and high.
3- Zac Bailey

33

Zac Bailey

Age

26

Ht

181cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.7

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.9

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

CL

0.9

3star

D

12.9

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

5.6

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.4

3star

CL

0.7

3star

D

13.4

4star

K

6.6

3star

HB

6.8

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

2.8

5star

CL

0.6

3star

, 1 week, careless, no ball in play.

 

[mpal6]

In the first half especially - we'd get the ball in the middle of the ground and not try to flat kick or pierce through the traffic. It was always a hoist up in the air and hope for the best.

I'd say Bruce was guilty more than most, he'd get the ball and rather than take the bounce, take the grass in front of him he was taking may be 5 steps max and kick as long as possible. I was literally screaming at the tv saying "run Bruce, take the ground what are you doing".. some strange stuff on the ground in terms of how we approached it. Something for the team and coaches to review and correct in future.

 

[mpal6]

Just had a close look at the 3 incidents from last night.

1- Harris Andrews, certain to get at least 2 weeks, an incident that results in a concussion is always adjudged more harshly.
2- Darcy Gardiner, 1 week, careless and high.
3- Zac Bailey, 1 week, careless, no ball in play.

Darcy's one was given a 50 already - I believe it was clumsy and doubt they're going to ping him on the review as well.

Fact that Naughton took the kick and got his goal would help Darcy in my opinion.

AFL Match Review and Tribunal, explained: Charge gradings, how it works | Sporting News Australia

The AFL Match Review panel and Tribunal are the processes that decide the outcome of reportable offences committed by AFL players.

www.sportingnews.com

Gardiner will be a careless, low, high contact - fine for me.

 

[M Malice]

Darcy's one was given a 50 already - I believe it was clumsy and doubt they're going to ping him on the review as well.

Fact that Naughton took the kick and got his goal would help Darcy in my opinion.

Hopefully, he did get him high and late though.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Hopefully, he did get him high and late though.

There's 100s of incidents where you make contact with an opponent high. This one was blatant enough for a free but not enough for a suspension, or a fine IMO

 

[mpal6]

Hopefully, he did get him high and late though.

If it was that bad, I think the Umpire would've told him he was on report rightaway.

Late for sure but more clumsiness borne out of frustration than anything.

 

[Ceebee]

If it was that bad, I think the Umpire would've told him he was on report rightaway.

Late for sure but more clumsiness borne out of frustration than anything.

Yes it was very unlike Harris .

 

[Mr Ripper]

Might have to do a Maori’s Idol to win it this year.

 

[13Beast]

Lester was MASSIVE tonight. One of his great games, Cameron was fantastic, Zorko and Neale played well, with Morris rounding out my votes.

I thought Will Ashcroft was good, Bailey had his moments, Wilmot gets a pass mark and so does Berry, Lohmann and Reville.

Coleman ran out of puff, Gardiner was too loose and had some real brain farts, Fletcher was below his best and the same could be said for Andrews, Dunkley, Levi Ashcroft and Rayner.

Manning up in defence was a huge and costly issue.

Lester BOG

 

[13Beast]

Still a very positive match yesterday. We won many of the key stats and in the end lost by less than a kick to a very hungry and skilled WBD, AND had plenty of moments where it could have easily been our win.

Great signs from Cameron, ZZ, Lester and others as mentioned already in the thread.

Some positives here that if we do lose a bunch of players, this gives the opportunity to try other strategies in filling those positions across the field - so we do have alternate options down the stretch deep into the season/finals, rather than having to experiment then for the first time.

We have Annable, Answerth, Linc McCarthy and others keenly waiting in the wings. We have the best list depth of any team in the comp by a country mile.

We are the gold standard of the AFL. Other teams aren't thinking for a nanosecond that we are any less dangerous after last night - the Lions are the benchmark and the absolute standout favourite for the flag and will remain so. Other teams will continue to hold us as the team they wish they can hold a candle to, and that ain't changing any time soon.

Never fear comrades. There would have to be a lot happen in the coming months for the Lions to not remain the top chance to win this year and not be able to make it another 3-peat.

 

[fugitive]

We beat them in every stat, had 13 more inside 50’s, led the game for 102 minutes. We weren’t at our best but totally disagree that “they deserved to win more”. It was a good wake up call for players though, no matter how many premierships you win, every season is a new ball game at this level.

To be fair they missed a few gimmes too. I think overall they slightly shaded us. As has been mentioned they were far cleaner out of the middle than us (until late) and picked apart our defence easily from kick ins.

The game, and subsequently the margin reflected a close game, but I think on balance they deserved it ever so slightly.

Good game for neutrals.

 

[McLuggages]

Might need to get of social media this year....the neutrals all seem to be wanting our demise.

 

[M Malice]

Might have to do a Maori’s Idol to win it this year.

What a blast from the past, I had a brief dalliance with going to the trots at Albion Park in my long ago youth around the time he was trotting in the 70s, Paleface Adios was another albeit a pacer. My best mate at schools family was into pacers/trotters, I lost contact with him but I did see his name around as he ended up being a trainer himself.

 

[Section 5]

In my opinion the Dogs were better on the night and deserved to win. Lions sitting on 95.5% because of the close result.
I thought it was a good game of footy in what ended up being a dry game all night.
Fagan and the players are all about learnings and hopefully they gained something from the loss

Our defense was lacking against the highest averaging points team in the competition in 2025
The Dogs 5 goals from kick-ins. That's not a good stat unless it's in your favor.
Also, when was the last time a Lions team did not go into a game without a lockdown defender.
Threw the dice on more offence over defense down back, and we ended up short. But not by much

However, it was always going to be a hard decision to include say Brain over Coleman seeing Answerth was not ready.

Decided on an underdone Coleman who has been out of the game a long time.
I thought he played a reasonable game until fitness caught up to him in the last quarter.
His few turnover mistakes and lack of chasing pressure cost us a few goals in the last.
Not his fault, but at that time the coaches should have decided to take him off and inject him again later in the game.
They kept him on while Fletcher was stuck on the bench.
The positive is when you are gassed and still have to try and chase that is when your fitness should improve.

ZZ had a solid first game 6 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles and shows a lot of promise
Ruck contests beating Darcy 14-7 in hit outs and also to advantage over Darcy 4-1
My worry was he would basically be rucking relief and with 44% TOG that's probably what happened.
ZZ only registered just 1 meter gained. Did not go into the negative at least.
I think Gallop would have done a reasonable job being ruck relief while still retaining 2 KPF when that happens.
That then gives us say a McCarthy/Marshall as the 5th bench player or Coleman when Answerth is ready

Cam Rayner underdone with no AFL trial games.
He got involved more in the 3rd & 4th quarters and importantly played out the game.

Oscar Allen

4

Oscar Allen

Age

26

Ht

196cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.8

2star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.1

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.6

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

2.8

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.0

4star

G

1.2

4star

first Lions game and got through it okay. Need to see more of how he fits into our game style
Allen is not my choice to take that Ah-Chee role very late in quarters starting on the wing then back deep in defense
He did not get back anywhere near deep enough in my opinion. Brings back all those not great memories of Gunston playing that role.
A learning curve for Allen maybe but i would prefer Reville take that role for now.

 

[luthor]

I love the comments “xxx has always been a problem…”.
These problems are clearly not issues big enough to stop us reaching and winning grand finals.

Ill disciplined, conceding scores from kick ins, arrogant, non-chasing midfield...... etc etc.

How the hell did we fluke B2B Premierships

 

[Bucking Beads]

Might need to get of social media this year....the neutrals all seem to be wanting our demise.

That's only human.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

Yes it was very unlike Harris .

I'd have to watch it again, but this is how we were taught to shepherd when I was young. Obviously without the smacking someone in the moosh.

 

[M Malice]

I love the comments “xxx has always been a problem…”.
These problems are clearly not issues big enough to stop us reaching and winning grand finals.

It's the glass half full cohort v the glass half empty cohort. IMO our glass is still lapping the brim.

 

[irish]

Defence was poor , they should have been iced out of the game in the last we let them score at will .

Need to get the hunger back we looked to be going thru the motions at times

Swans will be a lot harder and loosing at home is becoming a habit they needs addressing

 

[Nathan Barley]

Logan’s hand in the third pic

 

[3KZ is Football]

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1473934

Well that sucks. Andrews 3 Weeks, Bailey 1 Week, Gardiner 1 Week.

 

[3KZ is Football]

Lester BOG

He was our best defender by a mile. Such a pivotal player for us.

 

[FFB1]

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1473934

Well that sucks. Andrews 3 Weeks, Bailey 1 Week, Gardiner 1 Week.

Throw at the stumps challenge for Andrews, accept Bailey, dunno about Gardiner - thought he got him more in the shoulder area but maybe I’m wrong - was stupid anyway .

 

[3KZ is Football]

It's the glass half full cohort v the glass half empty cohort. IMO our glass is still lapping the brim.

Match Review Panel just took a few big sips.

 

[Happy_Neale]

Cannot believe Gardiner is suspended for that