Unofficial Preview Changes & discussion v Dockers in Perth Round 21.

[M Malice]

Coleman went to hospital to get his eye checked.
Hopefully all okay but he could miss next week as a precaution.

Please please do not bring back Daniel Rich if that is the case.

Either Fletcher back and Sharp in for his wing spot or Answerth, Prior or Michael.

 

[martinson]

Coleman went to hospital to get his eye checked.
Hopefully all okay but he could miss next week as a precaution.

You wouldn't think Gunston or Zorko would make the trip.

Good excuse for not inflicting what needs to be done.

And delay the inevitable.

 

[martinson]

I'd much rather go down fighting giving some younger guys a chance than sticking with older guys who've basically produced near zilch all year and expecting them to miraculously be a factor when the footy's at its hottest.

 

[lionsrules]

Out: Gunston, Tunstill, Oscar
In : Bailey, Robertson, fort

Move Rayner full forward as third tall
Zorko as sub and Lohmann starting

 

[mpal6]

Please please do not bring back Daniel Rich if that is the case.

Either Fletcher back and Sharp in for his wing spot or Answerth, Prior or Michael.

It's time for some Bam-Bam !!
I was just joking earlier today but looks like it may actually happen !!

 

[McIvor]

It's time for some Bam-Bam !!
I was just joking earlier today but looks like it may actually happen !!

I personally think Rich is done but I also think there is room for sentiment and given what he’s done for the club should be given a farewell game; just not against Fremantle.

 

[Gadzorks]

I personally think Rich is done but I also think there is room for sentiment and given what he’s done for the club should be given a farewell game; just not against Fremantle.

They did this for robbo last year. Didn't announce it but all his family came up for the game.

Rich had been immense for us. As a player definitely, but his staying with us was possibly his greatest contribution.

Wanting and being vocal about staying a one club player encouraged others and helped rebuild our club.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Recall Stakes was given a farewell game and then did his hamstring in the warm-up.

 

[Clarkythelion]

Our greatest fear

The Coaches and Players look externally, they see Collingwood and Port were also beaten, shrug their shoulders and say, "what a round of upsets, everyone else was beaten also, it's just one of those rounds".

They need to look internally at the underlying issue, when the going gets tough, when the momentum changes come we don't have a Plan B and our leaders don't lead. I think it's well known now when the Lions panic they go down the line on the wings and teams are ready now for that. We just don't have a leader to get it out through the corridors and take some risk to reignite the team. Coleman, Wilmont, Payne, even Andrews go for the safety kick although you can see their eyes darting inboard. McKenna runs which is great but the forwards seem already set for a ball coming around the boundary.

It's the age old question, how to put old heads on round shoulders.

 

[Sproj]

With Coleman in serious doubt, you just know Rich is coming.

 

[mpal6]

With Coleman in serious doubt, you just know Rich is coming.

 

[Nunez]

With Coleman in serious doubt, you just know Rich is coming.

I reckon we may give Brain a debut. Still, if Rich does play it would be his last ever game in his home town - wouldn't be the end of the world.

 

[M Malice]

I reckon we may give Brain a debut. Still, if Rich does play it would be his last ever game in his home town - wouldn't be the end of the world.

Rich and Gunston in the one side.. all we need now is for Lyons to come back in for the full set.

 

[JB42]

I would hope that Rayner doesn’t get dropped and it seems unlikely. His lack of impact is more down to how we are using him than anything else. He is a damaging player when he can play the game that most naturally comes to him - hybrid third tall/brief damaging midfield minutes/ general mayhem creator in the forward half.

He isn’t a full time midfielder but he is a boutique midfielder - short sharp bursts at the right stage of the game, moving between deep forward to midfield where he can have impact and involvement. Set Rayner on a mission to mark or bring to ground anything in the air forward of centre in the corridor and to pressure and take down any opposition player in his vicinity. A straight forward role that defines the player he is.

Then Hipwood can roam on long leads which he has developed a taste for, Joe can just be Joe, Charlie can Charlie and Linc and Bailey or a resting mid, along with Rayner, can create pressure and scoring opportunities.

I think I would have a pattern where a mid like Clug rests forward for five minutes a quarter, Rayner goes in the middle and gets busy, then he goes forward again right in the corridor, deep or further upfield as the situation warrants. Rayner is the one I want crashing packs right in front, so Hipwood and Joe can either lead at 45 or float in from the side to take the marks. And the smalls can feed off the ground ball.

This is what was happening before Gunston was brought back. The forward line looked cohesive and dangerous. Rayner competes really strongly in the air, knocks defenders over and is agile enough to keep his feet and then be dangerous at ground level. This brings the other smalls into the game. Gunston on the other hand, draws a lot of shallow kicks into the forward line and either marks it (has happened maybe 2 or 3 times IN TOTAL this season) or he is gone and the opposition outnumber at ground level and sweep the ball up the other end. It is no coincidence that our scores have dried up since his return. Fagan is compromised by his personal relationship with Gunston.

 

[knaf]

Rich off early in the vfl I think. Anyone heard if it was due to an injury?

 

[jumbojet]

love The passion of the contributors in this forum much more constructive than the vanilla comments of the so-called experts. Would be nice to get you all in a room for an afternoon session .My take is our forwards struggle to take contested marks and i would not want any of them bar Bailey kicking for my life. I know it’s late in the season but perhaps we could rest / rotate / drop Hipwood in order to get more out of him into the finals. Being an AFL player is a privilege. I’d move Rayner as the focal point for a match And see if this would push the inspire button on his talent.The end game is much more important than our position on the ladder at this point. I concede there is a few others in poor form and a few replacements looking a little out of their depth but we need to work with what we have got and try to inspire and challenge the group.

 

[MSB ROYS]

love The passion of the contributors in this forum much more constructive than the vanilla comments of the so-called experts. Would be nice to get you all in a room for an afternoon session .My take is our forwards struggle to take contested marks and i would not want any of them bar Bailey kicking for my life. I know it’s late in the season but perhaps we could rest / rotate / drop Hipwood in order to get more out of him into the finals. Being an AFL player is a privilege. I’d move Rayner as the focal point for a match And see if this would push the inspire button on his talent.The end game is much more important than our position on the ladder at this point. I concede there is a few others in poor form and a few replacements looking a little out of their depth but we need to work with what we have got and try to inspire and challenge the group.

Welcome!

 

[Dalions]

Rich off early in the vfl I think. Anyone heard if it was due to an injury?

He just looked completely spent.

 

[twhowler]

The most disappointing loss of the season.

Hawthorn was terrible but at least it was mid-season. Flag sides very rarely lose after round 20 and if they do it's a close one to a big contender. It's not getting smacked by 14th.

The worst part was we got worse every quarter.

First quarter - ordinary start but steadied and got the lead.

Second quarter - GC got on top. We managed to hold the fort and got very late momenutm.

Third quarter - totally outplayed, managed a good last 5 minutes to have some hope.

Fourth quarter - just rolled over. We gave up the same lead v Dees. Could we repeat it? Nope. Gave them the first 5 inside 50s. Did not give a yelp.

Coaching group as usual no response to it. No change-up in midfield. No Plan B for lachie.

So where to from here?

Oscar - clearly needs helped. Obliterated on the weekend. A bit late to just drop him, so i think we bite the bullet and go for 2 rucks. We'll need them anyway if in the likely case we face the dees in the finals. Could also help stretch Collingwood at Docklands. and that means...

Gunston out - has clearly regressed after his training block. Brutal truth if he is not kicking goals or setting them up we cannot carry him.

Bailey in - Lohmann was okay. I thought we were a mid short. So Lohmann out.

Zorko - he should be on a watch. He was good earlier in the year but seems to be struggling in the midfield now. I think he has to go back to a pure forward with very small mid bursts. And if he continues to struggle Robertson should come in.

Midfield - our first week without Aschroft was a failure. Need to be open to what we are doing in there. Zorko out. Bailey comes back for more minutes. Rayner more minutes too, even if just a 10% increase. And DebRob as a possible in if needed.

I have little confidence we can turn this around BUT it is still in our hands. We are almost guaranteed for top 4 still. We win every game and we will likely be top 2. If not could still get Dees in the first week of the finals at the G.

Maybe, just maybe, this loss will be one final moment of impetus.

Sadly it looks like another season of being quite good but not good enough. Such a shame as behind collingwood there is such a gap that being top 2 would have been armchair ride to GF. Just beating GC / Hawks or Melb and we would have been that side.

 

[Clarkythelion]

Not reliable but someone of facebook posting Oscar badly injured that ankle and is out, possible for weeks. Anyone hearing similar?

 

[T Rick]

Please please do not bring back Daniel Rich if that is the case.

Either Fletcher back and Sharp in for his wing spot or Answerth, Prior or Michael.

It won't be Answerth - he has been out for some time with a nasty facial injury.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Not reliable but someone of facebook posting Oscar badly injured that ankle and is out, possible for weeks. Anyone hearing similar?

Had ice on it in the last quarter. You'd think he'd be getting scans today

 

[bato]

Not reliable but someone of facebook posting Oscar badly injured that ankle and is out, possible for weeks. Anyone hearing similar?

Screenshot it and show us

 

[StevoJenkins]

You could swap him for Sharp and give us a bucketload more two way running and goodness me we need it.

Sharp could break in next year. The stuff he was doing as a winger earlier in the year was good stuff.
Won't happen this year though. Not with Berry and Fletcher on each wing.

Mathieson would also bring a hard nut to the midfield that Zorko simply isn’t capable of doing for a full game anymore.

Can Mathieson play as full time mid at AFL level?
I remember last year that he was only spending 65ish percent of the time on the ground?

I do agree though, Zorko is done.

 

[dlanod]

Preview - Round 21 - Fremantle vs Brisbane Lions • Sunday 6 August 2023 • 4:40 PM • Optus Stadium

Round 21 sees us on the road for the second week in a row and facing the longest regular trip in footy and facing Fremantle in their traditional Sunday afternoon timeslot. We knocked them off pretty easily by 48 points in Round 7 but dont be fooled the return leg is not an easy game on any...

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