Retired Grant Birchall (2019-2021)

[dlanod]

Grant Birchall a Lion in 2020

Grant Birchall joins the Lions for 2020

m.lions.com.au

 

[Dodongo]

Dodongo sees him playing every game next year and coming top 10 in the best and fairest. Dodongo sees a lot of people here being short sighted and forgetting how quality Birchall is

 

[Surly Boy]

Dodongo sees him playing every game next year and coming top 10 in the best and fairest. Dodongo sees a lot of people here being short sighted and forgetting how quality Birchall is

I hope you are right, but your track record around here is sketchy! At least there are no body parts on the line here!!

 

[The Golfing Lion]

Will be an underrated influence to our young list. Get his body right and will prove on field also another astute pick. The young players will have to play better to keep him out of the team... how it should be

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

Dodongo sees him playing every game next year and coming top 10 in the best and fairest. Dodongo sees a lot of people here being short sighted and forgetting how quality Birchall is

His recent history would suggest he will struggle to keep his body right, but certainly if he is fit he will be a great addition for at least one year. Probably has the capacity to offer more in football terms than Hodgey, if not in leadership and game intelligence.

 

[davemc_lions]

He came off a knee and got a soft tissue injury afterwards.
A full preseason with nothing wrong he is a very classy player will add a lot of the HB line

 

[jackess]

Great article

'Forging a new future' by Grant Birchall

Grant Birchall thought he'd finish his career at Hawthorn, now he's getting lifts to Brisbane Lions training off Luke Hodge. The four-time premiership player takes us inside his move north, as a reunion with old friends looms large in round one.

www.athletesvoice.com.au

 

[Pride of lions]

Great article

'Forging a new future' by Grant Birchall

Grant Birchall thought he'd finish his career at Hawthorn, now he's getting lifts to Brisbane Lions training off Luke Hodge. The four-time premiership player takes us inside his move north, as a reunion with old friends looms large in round one.

www.athletesvoice.com.au

Seems to be pretty confident he will be playing in the opening round!

 

[Lace Out]

Tipping not many games

 

[dlanod]

 

[Dylan12]

Long road to 250

If there was anyone who deserved to get to the 250-game milestone it's four-time premiership defender Grant Birchall. The 32-year-old, who managed just eight games in his final three seasons at the Hawks, crossed to Brisbane in last year's Telstra AFL Trade Period. After missing the season-opener, Birchall has played the past two matches and looks to have put his wretched run with injuries behind him. If he can stay on the park, his experience could be crucial for the Lions in the finals.

 

[Dylan12]

HOW ONE BOLD TRADE TOTALLY CHANGED FLAG CONTENDER’S PROSPECTS

When the Grant Birchall walked from the Hawks to the Lions for free as an unrestricted free agent late last year, you could excuse the footy world for being sceptical. The four-time premiership Hawk and 2012 All-Australian had been restricted to just eight games from the previous three seasons due to knee and soft tissue injuries.

Seven rounds into the 2020 season and the Birchall acquisition is proving to be a genius move by the Lions. Not only has he been able to fill the backline leadership chasm left by Luke Hodge, Birchall has triggered a dramatic Lions style change. It’s given them an exciting edge – and may have boosted their flag chances.

In 2019, the Lions were ranked 18th in the competition for defensive 50 corridor usage (12.4%). But they’re playing with more dash and dare in 2020, rising to second in the league for the same stat (22.2%). And Birchall’s kicking skills and bold decision making has played a key role in the rise.

“The influence of Birchall on this group I think is significant,” dual premiership Kangaroo David King told Fox Footy. “They’ve become a corridor-using team. “Last year they were a boundary team, but I think some settled ball use and the calmness of Birchall – I know they had Hodge, but he’s not another Hodge. He’s a bigger risk-taker with ball in hand than what Hodge was. “He’s made such a difference with their ball use down back. He’s given those around him a lot of confidence. Daniel Rich now bites off as much corridor ball as anyone.”

Birchall’s former Hawks teammate Jordan Lewis added: “Daniel Rich can play a different role, knowing that he’s got Birchall there as his creative partner with him. He doesn’t necessarily have to be the guy on every single transition that creates something. They work really well together to the point where Rich can sit back a little bit and read the play.

“Birchall has got the ability to come inside, but he’s also got the composure to go inside forward 50. He was one of the best kicks that I’d ever played with. “He’s just provided that extra leadership in that back half and can pull off a kick they might not have necessarily done last year.”

With more games set to be played in Queensland for the rest of the AFL season due to the COVID-19 spike in the southern states, King said the Lions had a golden chance to win the flag. “They had a taste last year, but they had a horrible finals series … but they’ve learnt, they’ve grown,” he said. “Can they take the next step in 2020? Well all they can show us at Round 7 is that they can travel and do this sort of job. “I think they’re ready. I think it’s beautiful one day, premiership the next. That’s what it is.”

I really liked Grant's game on Saturday and whilst I am happy to eat humble pie, he certainly showed his worth and why Coach Fagan wanted him come up to the Lions.

A bit like McCarthy, our ability to get guys on the park after many injury interrupted years is quite impressive and a lot of credit to our medicos and S&C department.

 

[Dylan12]

Veterans verdict: 50 AFL players desperate to avoid ‘ugly finishes’ to their careers

Grant Birchall: Signed a one-year deal as a free agent but there is little doubt his form warrants at least one more crack.

 

[Dylan12]

 

[haystark]

- The Mercury

 

[ZoBlitz]

 

[T Rick]

Such a humble understated guy - especially considering what he has achieved. Full credit to him - he certainly doesn't have tickets on himself!

 

[ZoBlitz]

Andrews prepares for biggest battle of his career

Birchall said his advice to his Lions teammates would be to back themselves in and stay true to their game, regardless of the stakes.

He said he had been impressed with the composure of his teammates during his time at the Lions and also pleasantly surprised that his body has held up over the season, allowing him to back up week on week.

Birchall will play in an incredible fifth flag if the Lions can win their home premiership in 2020.

"I'm trying not to focus on that, trying to stay in the moment," Birchall said.

"But I do dream about it, don't get me wrong.

"It'd be an unbelievable achievement and just a bit of reward for what I've been through the last two years, but there's a bit of water to go under the bridge still.”

The 32-year-old has played 15 games this season after injury restricted him to just eight games in his final two seasons at Hawthorn.

 

[ZoBlitz]

Lions veteran Grant Birchall set for his seventh preliminary final

The chance of playing in a seventh preliminary final was the last thing on Grant Birchall’s mind when he moved from Hawthorn to Brisbane this year.
For Birchall, the switch was about proving he could still play AFL football.

Just eight games in the previous three years largely due to injuries perhaps suggested otherwise.

But the 32-year-old four-time premiership-winning defender knew otherwise, as did Lions coach, former Hawks assistant Chris Fagan, and the now retired Luke Hodge, who had made the same switch a couple of years earlier.

“It was mainly for me to get my career back on track,” Birchall said in explaining his move to the Lions.

“I thought a fresh start would do me the world of good, and the physios and fitness guys up here have got a really good track record.

“And obviously with ‘Fages’ and ‘Hodgey’, and the guys on an upward spiral, it was really attractive, so I thought I’d give it a go and it’s paid of all right.”

Better than all right in fact.

Birchall has played in 15 of Brisbane’s 18 matches this season, being strategically rested during condensed periods of the COVID-19-affected 2020 campaign.

His calmness, experience and composure have been key factors in the Lions’ run to Saturday’s preliminary final against Geelong at the Gabba.
And despite not having started the season with another flag in mind, Birchall does not want to waste the chance that is now on offer.

“I do dream about it ... it would be an unbelievable achievement,” he said of the possibility of winning a fifth premiership.

“It would be a bit of a reward for what I’ve been through the last few years, but there’s still a fair bit of water to go under the bridge obviously.

Birchall is of just four Lions players with previous preliminary final experience – the others being Lachie Neale, Charlie Cameron and Lincoln McCarthy – set to play this weekend.

“I’ve played in six prelims and four of them have been decided by under a kick so they’ve been pretty hard to win,” Birchall said.

“We’re privileged to be in this position – it’s great.”

Birchall’s advice to the talented group of Lions’ young guns on Saturday night will be to “back themselves in”.

“I just encourage them to go out there, have a crack and go for it,” he said.

“A couple of them have ... asked me questions about what it’s like, but I think the guys handled themselves really well last week against Richmond (in the qualifying final), so they should get a lot of confidence out of that.

“Hopefully we can put in a really good, strong performance.”

 

[dlanod]

Birchall confirms he'll be back next year

Former Hawthorn star Grant Birchall

14

Grant Birchall

Age

36

Ht

193cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.9

5star

K

12.6

5star

HB

9.3

5star

M

5.8

5star

T

1.6

4star

MG

250.0

4star

D

13.3

3star

K

9.2

4star

HB

4.2

3star

M

4.3

4star

T

1.3

2star

MG

250.0

4star

D

14.0

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

6.4

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

0.6

3star

is one of those players whose career has been prolonged by the Lions’ medical staff.

Despite injuring his hamstring in Brisbane’s season-ending 40-point loss to Geelong last Saturday, 32-year-old Birchall played in 16 of the Lions’ 19 matches this season.

It was enough games to trigger an extension in the veteran defender’s Lions contract.

“I’ve got plenty of time to recover from the injury,” said Birchall, who will have scans on Friday to determine the extent of the damage.

“I’ll go around again and have another crack at it.”

Daniher the answer to unleash Hipwood

Big-marking Brisbane Lion Eric Hipwood will have the most to benefit from Joe Daniher’s potential move to Brisbane according to his captain Dayne Zorko.

www.news.com.au

 

[Back2Back2Back]

 

[Dylan12]

Good to hear Grant is feeling better than he did last year and also indicated that this will be his last year at the top level.

 

[Dylan12]

 

[ZoBlitz]

 

[ZoBlitz]