Autopsy AFL 2022 Round 23 - Lions v Demons Fri August 19th 7:50pm EST (Gabba)

[Osho]

He’s one of a few guys that absolutely is not a toff. Grew up in Coldstream, regular public schooling, left school at 16 to be an apprentice sparky - went and tried out for a few footy feeder teams but was turned down as being too small.

He may have silly hair, but he is no toff.

I love the fact that many oppo don't rate Fritsch, and then make all these mad extrapolations based on his hair cut! It's comic relief. How lucky real names are not disclosed here.

 

[Osho]

I did that for a year!! Every day at least once. It was very frustrating. Everyone has different thresholds and triggers

Yep, well, hands up here, I dropped a few tears when my lad went back to Oz to boarding school, and a couple of times during COVID when the business was pushed to the edge, wondering what will happen to the fam.

 

[RUNVS]

Thanks Brisbane. Really appreciate you guys giving Melbourne a massive percentage boost.

 

[dean33]

FMD I am sick of him.

I understand at times wanting to play devil's advocate and not play into the doom & gloom that the media generally portray but Fagan does it every single week, trying to find the "lessons" and "learnings". Sometimes I just want my coach to come out and say we were crap.

Coaches are never going to say that leading into finals, even behind closed doors he’d be trying to build their confidence up and let them know what they do well not smash them around the ears.

 

[Xtreme]

You think they'll play better ?

I just don't see them playing themselves into good form.

Of course they'll play themselves into form when they play witches hats (like Richmond's training drill against GWS in the 2019 GF!).

 

[demondavey]

Well, that was good

 

[Tony Harrison]

I’m not sure we should cast aspersions on the character of someone we have never met anyway.

It could be as simple as someone giving a horrible nasty sledge, which happens heaps at elite level. Just watch boxers pre fight build up. Someone coils say some thing totally s**t like “I hope your family dies of cancer”. I would have laughed that off for the first 40 years of my life, until, my mother got cancer and died 12 years later. Now if the person who sledged me didn’t know my mother had cancer then his intention is completely different than if he did. it Doesn’t make the sledge any more s**t and wrong but the intent was very different so the way we judge should be different. I say let’s not judge their character at all because almost all of us don’t know their character.

Haha
Zorko has been shown to be a prick time after time.

 

[keithrichards]

They have a lot of B grade players who go unnoticed due to the team constantly winning (until September).
Players like Answerth, McStay, Berry, Starcevich, Robinson, Mathieson. Probably a few more but that was one of the worst performances of the year considering what was on the line.

Starcevich shouldn’t be in that list.

 

[JasRulz63]

Feels as though you’ve been using McStay more as a utility/ruck support in recent weeks more than as an i50 forward.

Nah, still playing as a lead up forward that chips in as a second ruck (~80% forward, ~20% ruck). Just goes missing for large chunks of time up forward which is pretty much the norm for his career. It was even worse as a defender.

 

[demondavey]

Lions are in a world of hurt. On field leadership bereft of direction, defence a shambles (they should consider Andrews on the trade table to be honest), will lose McStay, have a heap of mid tier players that aren’t coming to the party.

Positive is it can change quickly, they have a very good core group so some aggressive behaviour at the trade table and they’ll be fine.

 

[JasRulz63]

Lions are in a world of hurt. On field leadership bereft of direction, defence a shambles (they should consider Andrews on the trade table to be honest), will lose McStay, have a heap of mid tier players that aren’t coming to the party.

Positive is it can change quickly, they have a very good core group so some aggressive behaviour at the trade table and they’ll be fine.

Should go in the positives section given the way he's playing (apart from 5-10 mins against Carlton) and how poorly the three forward structure looks at times (in a side that already looks slow).

We've got a golden opportunity that you don't often get while you're in the top 8 (access to the no. 1 pick that plays a position on our weakest line), as well as another late-ish first round pick in Fletcher. We need to capitalise on this. Melbourne's starting midfield last night was three top 5 picks and Viney who is essentially a top 10 pick; doesn't include Jackson either.

 

[demondavey]

Should go in the positives section given the way he's playing (apart from 5-10 mins against Carlton) and how poorly the three forward structure looks at times (in a side that already looks slow).

We've got a golden opportunity that you don't often get while you're in the top 8 (access to the no. 1 pick that plays a position on our weakest line), as well as another late-ish first round pick in Fletcher. We need to capitalise on this. Melbourne's starting midfield last night was three top 5 picks and Viney who is essentially a top 10 pick; doesn't include Jackson either.

So next year you could roll out pick 1? McCluggage and Neale? Answerth is supposed to be pretty handy isn’t he? I just feel Brisbane need a quick trade shuffle and they’ll be fine.

 

[Seedsfan]

They have a lot of B grade players who go unnoticed due to the team constantly winning (until September).
Players like Answerth, McStay, Berry, Starcevich, Robinson, Mathieson. Probably a few more but that was one of the worst performances of the year considering what was on the line.

Ironic

 

[Chief Ten Beers]

Although Zorko is definitely a poor captain and a w***er, I think there's ample other evidence of that.

Lions also had Dayne Beams as captain...

#culture

 

[NOBBYS]

Melbourne were superb dominated everywhere ,will now be hard to beat.
Lions one of the most insipid performances in a big game I have ever seen.
Huge question marks on coaches and leaders both on and off the field.

 

[Bald]

Brisbanes issues are their midfield but are strong at either end.

Dogs issues is their defence but are strong in the midfield and building a nice forward line.

Dunkley for Andrews makes sense.

 

[demondavey]

Brisbanes issues are their midfield but are strong at either end.

Dogs issues is their defence but are strong in the midfield and building a nice forward line.

Dunkley for Andrews makes sense.

I think Brisbane has an awful defence. The ease at which we scored last night was embarrassing. They’re getting pantsed because they aren’t stopping goals and not absorbing pressure.

 

[JasRulz63]

So next year you could roll out pick 1? McCluggage and Neale? Answerth is supposed to be pretty handy isn’t he? I just feel Brisbane need a quick trade shuffle and they’ll be fine.

Ashcroft will play round 1 next year I reckon. He's played three VFL games and averaged ~30 disposals, 6 clearances, 8 tackles and kicked 2 goals. I expect him to probably be captain at some point too (he's the current Sandringham Dragons captain, and captained the AFL academy against Collingwood).

We have a few decent mids coming through the VFL too; apart from the occasional stint from Lester, our VFL midfield has been largely carried by Mathieson and our young midfielders. I really hope we hold onto Robertson and give him a go next year. Lyons looks cooked this year.

That being said we realistically need to add another quality two way midfielder. I think Dunkley is the perfect player to fit that role, but I don't think we'll be able to get him (trade cost, Victorian etc.).

 

[demondavey]

Ashcroft will play round 1 next year I reckon. He's played three VFL games and averaged ~30 disposals, 6 clearances, 8 tackles and kicked 2 goals. I expect him to probably be captain at some point too (he's the current Sandringham Dragons captain, and captained the AFL academy against Collingwood).

We have a few decent mids coming through the VFL too; apart from the occasional stint from Lester, our VFL midfield has been largely carried by Mathieson and our young midfielders. I really hope we hold onto Robertson and give him a go next year. Lyons looks cooked this year.

That being said we realistically need to add another quality two way midfielder. I think Dunkley is the perfect player to fit that role, but I don't think we'll be able to get him (trade cost, Victorian etc.).

You’re not far off top two in my opinion. You need some big changes to structure, but this could be a good thing because it’s exposed your current group plus Zorko’s leadership. Think a bit of wake up call was handed down last night.

 

[JasRulz63]

You’re not far off top two in my opinion. You need some big changes to structure, but this could be a good thing because it’s exposed your current group plus Zorko’s leadership. Think a bit of wake up call was handed down last night.

I think talent wise we're not far off top two. When it comes to mental toughness and on field leadership however...

Last night was one of many wake up calls (a few delivered by Melbourne) we've had over the past few years that we haven't responded to. Not sure what's different this time tbh.

 

[brmi]

So the learnings from last night are in no particular order

-Zorko is a total campaigner of a bloke
-Brisbane are mentally weak and will have no impact in finals
-Melbourne looked white hot and if they produce that footy during that finals they will be very, very hard to beat

 

[windyhill]

Haha
Zorko has been shown to be a prick time after time.

A job in the Australian cricket slips cordon awaits this idiot zorko.

 

[demondavey]

So the learnings from last night are in no particular order

-Zorko is a total campaigner of a bloke
-Brisbane are mentally weak and will have no impact in finals
-Melbourne looked white hot and if they produce that footy during that finals they will be very, very hard to beat

Melbourne regularly beat up on Brisbane. We are a week to week proposition. We are likely to get beaten by 5 goals in the QF.

 

[smy1305]

To be fair, one is a premiership captain and Norm Smith medalist.

I mean around trash talk...

 

[Fitzey]

Of course they'll play themselves into form when they play witches hats (like Richmond's training drill against GWS in the 2019 GF!).

Death, taxes and Xtreme predicting another 10 goal loss for Melbourne just like every match thread this year . Can’t help who they play, I’m sure the dees would rather play someone a bit better then Brisbane up there, north in Hobart would of put up a better fight.