A Second Take

[domus]

I just watched the last quarter, and I have come away with a completely different view of the game and how it was being played out. During the last term and immediately after the final siren, I had the feeling that we were hanging on by the skin of our teeth and that the Lions were on top and just failing to land the killer blow.

After watching it I realized that we were matching them for pressure, run and ferocity. I didn't appreciate some of the enormous efforts by our boys- Crispy, Perryman, Sidey, Membrey, Beau and Billy Elliott were sensational with their tackling pressure and hard running. When we broke the game open and Checkers chipped over the top to Membrey I screamed STOP, but he didn't hear me! He was even closer to goal than I remember. The crowd were in a frenzy and if that horrendous non decision had been umpired correctly, we were a huge chance to run over them. The two goal turnaround was back breaking. The players knew they had given all they had and once the moment was ripped from our hands we were done.

The players knew it and so did the crowd. Our noise stopped, the Lions chant went up, and the predictable junk time goals followed which blew out the margin and makes everyone forget how tight it was with ten minutes remaining. I still cannot get my head around the non-decision on Elliott. It was easily the equal of the Ginnivan decapitation on ANZAC Day. I hope Leigh Matthews is losing sleep again. Maybe he will force the AFL to make a statement about our misfortune.

But watching that incredible pressure and run from our alleged old boys, has me already fired up for 2026. We are far from done. Roan Steel was tremendous when the heat was at its hottest. He did not fold under severe heat in that last quarter and he's only a little bloke. Degoey and Nick were quiet in the second half, Checkers was on one leg, Membrey was competing in the air with Harris Andrews

31

Harris Andrews

Age

28

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

and yet we had them by the throat.

It just shows how badly our judgement is affected by high emotion. I was accepting the "Oh they were too good anyway" line until I watched the game again.

We're not going away haters.

 

[Markfs]

You should watch it again tomorrow and see if we improve even more...

 

[sr36]

I just watched the last quarter, and I have come away with a completely different view of the game and how it was being played out. During the last term and immediately after the final siren, I had the feeling that we were hanging on by the skin of our teeth and that the Lions were on top and just failing to land the killer blow.

After watching it I realized that we were matching them for pressure, run and ferocity. I didn't appreciate some of the enormous efforts by our boys- Crispy, Perryman, Sidey, Membrey, Beau and Billy Elliott were sensational with their tackling pressure and hard running. When we broke the game open and Checkers chipped over the top to Membrey I screamed STOP, but he didn't hear me! He was even closer to goal than I remember. The crowd were in a frenzy and if that horrendous non decision had been umpired correctly, we were a huge chance to run over them. The two goal turnaround was back breaking. The players knew they had given all they had and once the moment was ripped from our hands we were done.

The players knew it and so did the crowd. Our noise stopped, the Lions chant went up, and the predictable junk time goals followed which blew out the margin and makes everyone forget how tight it was with ten minutes remaining. I still cannot get my head around the non-decision on Elliott. It was easily the equal of the Ginnivan decapitation on ANZAC Day. I hope Leigh Matthews is losing sleep again. Maybe he will force the AFL to make a statement about our misfortune.

But watching that incredible pressure and run from our alleged old boys, has me already fired up for 2026. We are far from done. Roan Steel was tremendous when the heat was at its hottest. He did not fold under severe heat in that last quarter and he's only a little bloke. Degoey and Nick were quiet in the second half, Checkers was on one leg, Membrey was competing in the air with Harris Andrews and yet we had them by the throat.

It just shows how badly our judgement is affected by high emotion. I was accepting the "Oh they were too good anyway" line until I watched the game again.

We're not going away haters.

They weren't junk time goals from Brissy. That's our super surge comeback mode that used to work a treat when teams went really defensive to protect a lead. We role the dice, the half backs become mids and the mids push slightly ahead of the ball and we're swarming, but wwe're left exposed behind the ball. Brissy were too good and stood up under the swarm and dissected the weakened defence.

The game was lost in the third quarter. Got smashed. Stoppage mauling out of the centre and then stoppage goals and pack marks from their mediums inside 50 - we were lucky they missed a few and had a chance if they didn't handle the pressure of the swarm - but they did.

 

[JLC]

You should watch it again tomorrow and see if we improve even more...

What's the cut off date for us winning that game and making the gf lol

There were at least 2 occasions where in my mind I was like this is the biggest time in Membrey career and he fluffed both times. One was at Ponsford end in the third quarter iirc and the mark in the last quarter referenced above. Membrey had a chance to be a hero with a 4 or 5 goal bag.

 

[Aucklander]

The Elliott moment was huge. For the contact, which is a free all year, and Membrey not backing himself in.

The constant rag dolling of Cox has long been a joke. Change your name to Charlie and he gets 10 frees per game.

I really though Nick suffered from us losing Pendles, but he does need to work on his tackling, not that he's the only one guilty, but a lot were broken from weak defence. Maynard otoh is a ferocious beast in that department.

Still can't get past that "oh well" feeling.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

My immediate thought was “why didn’t Membrey just go back and kick it?”

Yeah, you could obviously argue Elliott should have got the free kick, but why was it even in the situation to leave it to chance?

Membrey is far and away our best set shot for goal and already had 2 on the night from more difficult spots than that one

I guess that’s the difference between a long time Collingwood player and a recruit from a team that doesn’t regularly compete in finals in how to manage big moments I guess.

Can almost guarantee you that if the roles were reversed, Jamie wouldn’t have gone for that pass. He would have backed himself to kick such a basic set shot.

I’m sure Tim will learn from that.

 

[76woodenspooners]

I just watched the last quarter, and I have come away with a completely different view of the game and how it was being played out. During the last term and immediately after the final siren, I had the feeling that we were hanging on by the skin of our teeth and that the Lions were on top and just failing to land the killer blow.

After watching it I realized that we were matching them for pressure, run and ferocity. I didn't appreciate some of the enormous efforts by our boys- Crispy, Perryman, Sidey, Membrey, Beau and Billy Elliott were sensational with their tackling pressure and hard running. When we broke the game open and Checkers chipped over the top to Membrey I screamed STOP, but he didn't hear me! He was even closer to goal than I remember. The crowd were in a frenzy and if that horrendous non decision had been umpired correctly, we were a huge chance to run over them. The two goal turnaround was back breaking. The players knew they had given all they had and once the moment was ripped from our hands we were done.

The players knew it and so did the crowd. Our noise stopped, the Lions chant went up, and the predictable junk time goals followed which blew out the margin and makes everyone forget how tight it was with ten minutes remaining. I still cannot get my head around the non-decision on Elliott. It was easily the equal of the Ginnivan decapitation on ANZAC Day. I hope Leigh Matthews is losing sleep again. Maybe he will force the AFL to make a statement about our misfortune.

But watching that incredible pressure and run from our alleged old boys, has me already fired up for 2026. We are far from done. Roan Steel was tremendous when the heat was at its hottest. He did not fold under severe heat in that last quarter and he's only a little bloke. Degoey and Nick were quiet in the second half, Checkers was on one leg, Membrey was competing in the air with Harris Andrews and yet we had them by the throat.

It just shows how badly our judgement is affected by high emotion. I was accepting the "Oh they were too good anyway" line until I watched the game again.

We're not going away haters.

Has there ever been any precedent in the AFL where they have overturned the result of a game due to a questionable umpiring decision?

For example, Crows 2023 lost a game due to a dodgy goal umpiring call. It cost Crows a finals berth. The AFL even admitted it was a bad call on so many levels. (1) the call was wrong and (2) the umpire should have asked for a review. But did the AFL overturn the result? No. And that’s probably the most extreme example.

Lamenting dodgy / questionable umpiring decisions is like lamenting about the weather. You can’t change it, you just have to deal with it.

And the footy media bang on about it because they know people get sucked in by it.

 

[Brad Goodman]

My immediate thought was “why didn’t Membrey just go back and kick it?”

Yeah, you could obviously argue Elliott should have got the free kick, but why was it even in the situation to leave it to chance?

Membrey is far and away our best set shot for goal and already had 2 on the night from more difficult spots than that one

I guess that’s the difference between a long time Collingwood player and a recruit from a team that doesn’t regularly compete in finals in how to manage big moments I guess.

Can almost guarantee you that if the roles were reversed, Jamie wouldn’t have gone for that pass. He would have backed himself to kick such a basic set shot.

I’m sure Tim will learn from that.

I agree with this. He’s come from St Kilda so has gone virtually his whole career without having to deal with any high pressure situations.

Wish he’d done better there but I can understand how the heat of the moment led him to a bad decision.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

I agree with this. He’s come from St Kilda so has gone virtually his whole career without having to deal with any high pressure situations.

Wish he’d done better there but I can understand how the heat of the moment led him to a bad decision.

You know how I know Jamie would have taken that shot?

Go back and watch (because we all still do lol), the goal he kicks to sink Carlton in 2022

Has both Ginny and Checkers free (in better positions no less) and still takes it upon himself to make the shot.

I'm almost positive Tim will learn from that.

 

[domus]

They weren't junk time goals from Brissy. That's our super surge comeback mode that used to work a treat when teams went really defensive to protect a lead. We role the dice, the half backs become mids and the mids push slightly ahead of the ball and we're swarming, but wwe're left exposed behind the ball. Brissy were too good and stood up under the swarm and dissected the weakened defence.

The game was lost in the third quarter. Got smashed. Stoppage mauling out of the centre and then stoppage goals and pack marks from their mediums inside 50 - we were lucky they missed a few and had a chance if they didn't handle the pressure of the swarm - but they did.

And if we had snuck home they would have been saying they lost it in the second quarter.

Lost it in the third but should've been a goal down with ten minutes remaining. Please explain.

The momentum was destroyed by that non decision and resulting goal. The reason why tight games so often blow out in the final few minutes is because a moment comes when one team loses belief that they can win.

It only takes a 5% drop off in a final and it's over. The goals came easily because our pressure and intensity dropped off because they knew the game was lost.

The fact that they scored so easily from stoppages and our defence put up its worst performance of the year but we were still in it with ten minutes remaining says a lot about our fight.

I will remain optimistic about our future. Others can join the chorus of critics waiting at the bottom of the cliff.

 

[Vicky Park]

I just watched the last quarter, and I have come away with a completely different view of the game and how it was being played out. During the last term and immediately after the final siren, I had the feeling that we were hanging on by the skin of our teeth and that the Lions were on top and just failing to land the killer blow.

After watching it I realized that we were matching them for pressure, run and ferocity. I didn't appreciate some of the enormous efforts by our boys- Crispy, Perryman, Sidey, Membrey, Beau and Billy Elliott were sensational with their tackling pressure and hard running. When we broke the game open and Checkers chipped over the top to Membrey I screamed STOP, but he didn't hear me! He was even closer to goal than I remember. The crowd were in a frenzy and if that horrendous non decision had been umpired correctly, we were a huge chance to run over them. The two goal turnaround was back breaking. The players knew they had given all they had and once the moment was ripped from our hands we were done.

The players knew it and so did the crowd. Our noise stopped, the Lions chant went up, and the predictable junk time goals followed which blew out the margin and makes everyone forget how tight it was with ten minutes remaining. I still cannot get my head around the non-decision on Elliott. It was easily the equal of the Ginnivan decapitation on ANZAC Day. I hope Leigh Matthews is losing sleep again. Maybe he will force the AFL to make a statement about our misfortune.

But watching that incredible pressure and run from our alleged old boys, has me already fired up for 2026. We are far from done. Roan Steel was tremendous when the heat was at its hottest. He did not fold under severe heat in that last quarter and he's only a little bloke. Degoey and Nick were quiet in the second half, Checkers was on one leg, Membrey was competing in the air with Harris Andrews and yet we had them by the throat.

It just shows how badly our judgement is affected by high emotion. I was accepting the "Oh they were too good anyway" line until I watched the game again.

We're not going away haters.

You’ve gotten back on the horse quickly.

I also find it hard to wallow in misery.

I’ve been looking for positives after Saturday night:

• Three prelims and one flag under Fly in four years. Not bad at all.
• Last time we lost a prelim (2022) we won the flag next year.
• Excited for what Leppitsch and O’Bree will do with drafting and list management, after the departure of Hine. Roan Steele looks like their first success.
• Expecting to see more change, including generational change, with the list next year. I know we’re keeping many of our veterans on, but we must have others pushing through in 2026. Let’s get on with it!
• We have clever coaches, and we have Jarrod Wade. Let’s see what innovations they come up with for next season.

 

[sr36]

Lost it in the third but should've been a goal down with ten minutes remaining. Please explain.

Because we had to go into comeback which is high risk low percentage footy. Without doing anything wrong, if Brissy held their nerve and executed a few times it was game over. They did.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

And if we had snuck home they would have been saying they lost it in the second quarter.

Lost it in the third but should've been a goal down with ten minutes remaining. Please explain.

The momentum was destroyed by that non decision and resulting goal. The reason why tight games so often blow out in the final few minutes is because a moment comes when one team loses belief that they can win.

It only takes a 5% drop off in a final and it's over. The goals came easily because our pressure and intensity dropped off because they knew the game was lost.

The fact that they scored so easily from stoppages and our defence put up its worst performance of the year but we were still in it with ten minutes remaining says a lot about our fight.

I will remain optimistic about our future. Others can join the chorus of critics waiting at the bottom of the cliff.

I actually think the game was over when Sidebottom sprayed it out on the full early in the last.

Was early enough for a 2 goal lead to look like absolute zero at that point and really get momentum going.

 

[alan toovey fan club]

We will never know the answer. But the last 9 mins are a completely different ball game if Elliott gets the free and we are within 6 pts with the home crowd roaring. 50/50 game from there. The depths to which afl umpiring has fallen are actually staggering. Anyway, Geelong are going to win another flag by 10 goals + and we can look to 2026.