Game Day Brisbane Lions v GWS Giants - Semi Finals - Sat 14 Sep, 7:25PM AEST, Gabba. No umpire complaints until after the game.

[Rotayjay]

Brissie probably blew their best chance of ever getting close to a premiership. Finish top two as an interstate team, gotta make the most of all your opportunities, tomorrow's not guaranteed, just look at Melbourne.

Wouldn't go that far but your point is spot on. Brisbane have shown tremendous talent and I thought they were every chance to win the premiership.

At the same time, there is no guarantee they will reach the same heights next year. A few key injuries, players out of form, game plan getting found out and other factors, and you're off the perch. Sydney were expected to contend in 2017, so were the Bulldogs of course, and we were expected to contend in 2018.

When you get a genuine shot at a premiership, you absolutely must take your chance because, in all likelihood, there is no genuine shot next year.

 

[Mick F]

Those who constantly whinge about umpires are implying that they are cheats. What a preposterous notion to peddle about professional athletes who take such pride in their work. Why would they bother?

It fits into their life view that everything is unfair. As if God has the time to be picking on these nobs. They think the successful people have been lucky - good job, good family, good finances etc. Whereas they have been unlucky and their teachers, bosses etc have treated them unfairly and girls don’t give them a chance. Truly pitiful.

 

[JoondalupJ]

Yes should have won. Won most of the important stats and dominated the giants in general play. Clearly the better team.

I feel that is what happened, skill for kicking at goal killed Brisbane , same thing last week against Richmond , had the better round the ground were in attack more time than their opponents were , but couldn't score. Well they scored points a bit!
People say bad kicking is bad football, I remember Geelong's bad kicking in 2008, but they were rattled by pressure, I don't know why, I think round 17 that year had them shaken .
But these days it's get into your forward fifty and then hope to hell you can kick straight. Or the umpire gives you a knocking the arm nonsense free, but even then some players can't have a deliberate shot usually its a side kick or a dribble but dead in front and they s**t themselves.. That is down to expansion! Skill level is off in some areas.
And 18 AFL clubs makes it extremely hard to add about 100 in number to make two new clubs full of elite players . AND, to a comp that was STRETCHED to 16 which was just enough with 22 or 23 million population and a game that is so hard to play .

My tips are Coll over Giants , that is probably bias though, but I'll get used to the newbies eventually.

Now out of Geelong and Richmond, probably Tigers but we all know if Geelong hit their straps well they can do anything.
Only Gary Ablett needs to hit form and its a whole different ball game. But Tigers are ruthless and if they win tonight I'D TIP THEM TO BE PREMIERS!