Review Round 3, 2026 - St.Kilda vs. Brisbane Lions

[LionsOrDieTrion]

Not much luck on the injury front so far this year. It makes that Bulldogs lose a really critical one. We're still playing very under done but you can see how immensely talented our squad is. If we can win enough games and get our cattle back I don't think we will be stopped come finals time.

We just need to finish 8th at worse and get a home play in game and we can win it

 

[Lazza16]

Naz n TDK = $3.6ml
Kiddy n Fort = $0.9ml?
Saints made some tough decisions.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

It's still March...
No Hugh or Harris -huge outs
Should've, could've won v dogs

Short off / pre-season
Cal, Starc & Big O gone
Eric & Jack long term injuries
Linc and Kiddy still getting back up to speed
Allen and Draper, works in progress

I'm bullish
We'll (hopefully) get our best team, or close to it, back on the park.
So many really young, gun players who are still only going to get better.
The players will continue to build match fitness (takes about 6 games imo) and continue to gel better.

Our best will still comfortably be the best
I still don't think this team has peaked yet.
Our best team, peaking in September - put down your glasses.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

I thought Gallop did well down back, got to see him up close. Big body, reads the ball well.

I posted early last year that he should be playing down back in the VFL team. We need another tall as Payne is gone for the year.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

Drapes is far and away the best option we have for the position he plays and if he can stay on the park and build his fitness he could start jagging those marks in the forward line.

Having said that Fort has to be one of the best bargain basement gets of all time. He saved us a few times in defence today. He's resilient and competitive and overall a smart player for a ruckman. It's handy knowing we have a backup who can do the job.

So who is the back up?

Fort or Draper?

 

[RegionalLion]

I posted early last year that he should be playing down back in the VFL team. We need another tall as Payne is gone for the year.

Is Curtin getting back time in the VFL? I see he is listed as FF but he is that big powerful body who already looks like he could take the power forwards if put in the backs and be a much more like for like replacement for Payne.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

Gallop may need to play key back all season. Bring in Joyce to cover Harris next week.

Assume Doedee not ready yet.

What would make you think that Doedee may not be ready?

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

Is Curtin getting back time in the VFL? I see he is listed as FF but he is that big powerful body who already looks like he could take the power forwards if put in the backs and be a much more like for like replacement for Payne.

Good point as we have Hipwood coming back later in the year so tall forwards are covered.

I have a thought.

Harris missing a few have forced us to throw players around a bit. Fages doesn't do that much or at all really.

It may be the making of a few players.

 

[DarthLehnsherr]

Still unsure how to feel about the win tbh. While we ran away with it we were versing a side that has had major Q4 fadeouts in their other games too.

But the main thing is the confidence that will come out from the group playing some good footy in that second half.

5 day break vs the Pies (albiet undermanned as well) is gonna be tricky with our injuries.

 

[Elixuh]

What would make you think that Doedee may not be ready?

The fact that he’s played like 2 games in 20 years. I suspect it’ll take a block of games to get confidence and everything ready

 

[Paul Mac]

Couple of highlights out of todays game from me. Darcy Wilmot's 2 actions in the last quarter when game was done shows the hunger and determination is alive and well. The spoil to not give away a front on free kick was just out of this world, then Higgins lying on the ground in the next instance looking like he was shot,then Higgins all of a sudden springs up off the ground knowing the ball is coming to him and Wilmot says no way sunshine and intercepts with the mark.
Only a little thing but loved Gallop's spoil on the goal line to stop a saints goal near the end of the game, something like that can give him so much confidence going into his next game.
The highlight though was hearing the Fitzroy theme song while on the ground when players were running out then after the game hearing everyone around us belting out the song after the game, i must admit was a little tear in the eye.
We are undermanned so to get the win was the main thing out of the day,

 

[lionsbotyyyyy]

Bring in Henry smith drop Draper

 

[Paul Mac]

Bring in Henry smith drop Draper

Being at the game i thought Draper was ok. I know he dropped couple of marks he should have taken but surely as he plays each game his timing should become better and better. Maybe i missed something watching live but i didnt think he played that bad to be dropped?

 

[KissKiss]

thought the lions supporters were a bit quiet, could have been the mics though

Probably the quietest game I've been to in Melbourne in 4 years or so.

Always harder being the away crowd, but even the lions chants struggled to get going

 

[MSB ROYS]

Probably the quietest game I've been to in Melbourne in 4 years or so.

Always harder being the away crowd, but even the lions chants struggled to get going

Confused whether to chant Brisbane, Fitzroy, or Lions?

 

[luthor]

Agree with you - though we found it hard from a distance with the jumper clash today, particularly from behind. It was mentioned in the Fox coverage that some of the Lions players had a bit of trouble too.

There was a passage of play where Oscar Allen drilled a kick inside 50 and we had three players for him to chose from.

Unfortunately, he picked out the one Saints Player in the middle of our tragets.

He seems like a pretty good field kick and I wondered at the time if he just got the jumper colour wrong.

 

[Nunez]

The fact that he’s played like 2 games in 20 years. I suspect it’ll take a block of games to get confidence and everything ready

Coward. He's jumping in!

 

[cotter101]

Great to get the win after an average 3/4. We still showed that when we lock in - we’re a good team.

Thought we actually looked better in the third when we started rotating Neale out of the middle and had him running up to the contest from half forward.

Wilmot had a shocker, but turned it on in the last.

Coleman is improving and the excites me! Bruce continues to get better.

Marshall has to come in. He did a good job on the wing for us and ran hard both ways. We lacked that tonight, particularly early on.

It was great getting to the game - The Lions fans weren’t overly loud but I thought we were louder than St Kilda’s!!

 

[cotter101]

There was a passage of play where Oscar Allen drilled a kick inside 50 and we had three players for him to chose from.

Unfortunately, he picked out the one Saints Player in the middle of our tragets.

He seems like a pretty good field kick and I wondered at the time if he just got the jumper colour wrong.

Gee the jumper was great, but it definitely made it hard to see at times.

 

[lionshine]

Being at the game i thought Draper was ok. I know he dropped couple of marks he should have taken but surely as he plays each game his timing should become better and better. Maybe i missed something watching live but i didnt think he played that bad to be dropped?

People just don’t learn. Everyone was keen to drop Allen and Kiddy after the first couple games. Give the guys who have had long injury layoffs a chance to adjust to the pace of AFL footy again. Fans underestimate just how quick and difficult it is playing at AFL level for debutants or players returning from long term injuries.

This is compounded by the early games in the year when all players are rusty. It’s not as if Draper is returning mid year with several VFL games under his belt. He’s trying to re-adjust to the pace of senior level whilst also working through early season rust. As were Allen and Kiddy in the first two rounds.

Draper is showing enough signs that with some continuity over the coming weeks he’ll start to hit his groove, as Allen and Kiddy started to yesterday.

 

[Tassie4ever]

People just don’t learn. Everyone was keen to drop Allen and Kiddy after the first couple games. Give the guys who have had long injury layoffs a chance to adjust to the pace of AFL footy again. Fans underestimate just how quick and difficult it is playing at AFL level for debutants or players returning from long term injuries.

This is compounded by the early games in the year when all players are rusty. It’s not as if Draper is returning mid year with several VFL games under his belt. He’s trying to re-adjust to the pace of senior level whilst also working through early season rust. As were Allen and Kiddy in the first two rounds.

Draper is showing enough signs that with some continuity over the coming weeks he’ll start to hit his groove, as Allen and Kiddy started to yesterday.

IIRC it's only a few short years when many around these pages were strongly suggesting Zorko was well past it. A couple of GF's later!!!

 

[Toffee Lion]

thought the lions supporters were a bit quiet, could have been the mics though

Certainly wasn't our loudest game but after re-watching a bit, the mics at Marvel were awful.

We didn't really get going until the boys did in the 4th.

 

[lionshine]

Can see Reville being one of those guys who just gets better and better. Similar to Froggy Lester. 25 this year so over the next 4 years (26-29 years old) I can see him hitting his physical prime as his strength and endurance continues to improve. He could genuinely establish himself as one of our top 10 players.

He went from a fringe, mature age recruit in 2024 who impressed when given opportunity but remained on the fringes, to just outside the best 23 in 2025 but improved enough to work into the senior side and became a premiership player.

Now it’s early days this year but he has clearly gone up another level again, finding more of the footy and is super damaging by foot. You can see his confidence and fitness base has improved as he’s running into spots to find more of the footy. Firmly entrenched in the best 23 now. Sky is the limit moving forward! Such a great story.

 

[RegionalLion]

I actually relaxed when Reville got the ball in this game he seems one of our more reliable players already this season and when he tries to break tackles actually does.

Coleman I am excited by where he could be when he is fully back. His kicking and vision are very good but just needs to round out his game again like pre injury and he will be a huge addition to the team.

Draper dropped a couple of marks but the big thing is that he was in a position or made the effort to be able to drop them - once he gets back a few games in a row and gets his hands back, taking those marks more consistently also a big addition to the team.

 

[M Malice]

What would make you think that Doedee may not be ready?

Doedee will definitely need at least a few games in the VFL to get his confidence back after so long out IMO, also he is more a Ryan Lester type, not a true key position defender, sure at a pinch and at his best he could fill in but he is 190cm tall, same as Froggy.