Lions Season 2020

[Some_guy]

Pretty successful season overall. Not quite there, but not that far away either. I think these finals will end up being a good learning experience for a lot of them.

A lot of the younger guys took another step in their development over the season. Starc, Bailey, Rayner and Big O were 4 in my eyes who noticeably went up a level.

I also thought some of the other guys who were only given a sniff showed they could make it if given time. Kiddy, Payne, Fullarton, TBerry, Robertson

 

[Zhesty]

My 2020 checklist:

Prove 2019 wasn't a one off (tick)
Learn to control the tempo of games (big tick)
Win a final/any game that has been highly built up in the media (tick)
Beat Richmond (tick)
Move away from Charlie as the central point of our attack/ show we can adjust our game plan (tick)
Find out if Oscar is capable of replacing Stef as the number one ruck (tick)
Rayner to become a more consistent threat up forward and elimate the fumbles and mistakes from his game (tick)
Hipwood to come of age (imo tick)
Find more speed and explosivness (half tick, I think Bailey once he develops more strength can provide this but we still need more)
Develop more depth (tick)

2020 was such a great year, so much improvement from 2019. Can't wait for 2021.

 

[X AE A12]

My 2020 checklist:

Prove 2019 wasn't a one off (tick)
Learn to control the tempo of games (big tick)
Win a final/any game that has been highly built up in the media (tick)
Beat Richmond (tick)
Move away from Charlie as the central point of our attack/ show we can adjust our game plan (tick)
Find out if Oscar is capable of replacing Stef as the number one ruck (tick)
Rayner to become a more consistent threat up forward and elimate the fumbles and mistakes from his game (tick)
Hipwood to come of age (imo tick)
Find more speed and explosivness (half tick, I think Bailey once he develops more strength can provide this but we still need more)
Develop more depth (tick)

2020 was such a great year, so much improvement from 2019. Can't wait for 2021.

well encapsulated, id like to read your draft 2021 checklist

 

[mpal6]

My 2020 checklist:

Prove 2019 wasn't a one off (tick)
Learn to control the tempo of games (big tick)
Win a final/any game that has been highly built up in the media (tick)
Beat Richmond (tick)
Move away from Charlie as the central point of our attack/ show we can adjust our game plan (tick)
Find out if Oscar is capable of replacing Stef as the number one ruck (tick)
Rayner to become a more consistent threat up forward and elimate the fumbles and mistakes from his game (tick)
Hipwood to come of age (imo tick)
Find more speed and explosivness (half tick, I think Bailey once he develops more strength can provide this but we still need more)
Develop more depth (tick)

2020 was such a great year, so much improvement from 2019. Can't wait for 2021.

Speed and explosiveness will be aplenty when Kiddy Coleman and TBerry put on one more preseason, Blake Coleman to add more youth + flair to our forward line.

 

[jackess]

well encapsulated, id like to read your draft 2021 checklist

1. Improve goal kicking

 

[luthor]

1. Improve goal kicking

Hear hear.

Such a simple proposition but so difficult in practice for us.

So many H&A games that turned into much closer results on the scoreboard than they should have. Due, almost entirely to us being so wasteful with our opportunities. What should have been comfortable wins often turned into energy sapping last ditch efforts to stave off fast finishing opponents.

The Melbourne, North, Collingwood and Saints games are ones that readily come to mind.

And who could forget the ridiculous scoreline of 10.23 we chalked up against the Crows in Round 4. When somehow Clug and Lachie conspired to kick 1 goal 12 between them. We won that match by 3.19

Even on Saturday night we had chances to claw our way back into it but Hipwood, McStay, Lester and Zorko all fluffed their lines by missing what were easy set shots. Three of those were close to sodas (the most difficult one, the MC Stay attempt was a bit unlucky as it seemed to deviate late to cannon into the post). The most frustrating part of those misses is that it was the three glorious long bomb goals , two by Lachie and one by Cam, that has kept us in the match in the first place.

We almost played Richmond back into the QF after that appalling miss from Berry that would have just about been the sealer.

I don't know whether our problems are psychological or due to insufficient simulation of match conditions during practice,

Whatever, the issue needs some serious attention during the off season.

 

[BangyBangy]

When does the 2021 fixture get released?

I have ladder predictors to do.

 

[PattyKwasagun]

When does the 2021 fixture get released?

I have ladder predictors to do.

I don't think that will be until into next year at a guess - think they will wait until maybe even Feb to release that info. Will need to find out what they're able to do re: travel between states at that time before releasing any of that.

 

[fugitive]

This is my observation (note the last number of the year, a 20 year lunar cycle?):

1998 - wooden spoon
1999 - prelim final
2000 - semi final
2001 -
2002 -
2003 -

2017 - wooden spoon
2018 - 15th
2019 - semi final
2020 - prelim final
2021 - ?
2022 - ?
2023 - ?

 

[M Malice]

I don't know whether our problems are psychological or due to insufficient simulation of match conditions during practice,

Whatever, the issue needs some serious attention during the off season.

Therein lies the problem, you can quite easily recreate match condition fatigue during training sessions but it is impossible to recreate the doubts and pressure that messes with your mind on match day particularly early in games, in close games or high pressure finals.

Just about anything in that yips range of say 15 to 35 meters is nail biting turning the head away stuff at games these days, I had very little confidence any of those set shots you mentioned would go through as they lined up.

 

[trikster]

Bundy has retired

 

[LIONS08]

Bundy has retired

The fella is much loved in the playing group!! Every single boy getting around him on social media! Wonder if he will stick around in brissy. Has been great for the twos! I reckon he would be great in a twos/development role

 

[Dalions]

Bundy has retired

Good luck to Bundy for what ever his future may hold.

 

[youneverknow22]

I found it pretty disrespectful from the club to not offer him a final game in front of the crowd. Then again, maybe he was but declined it for the sake of the team. Either way, would have loved to see him play once this year.

 

[Macca225]

Bundy's retirement announcement speech on the lions website.

 

[ZoBlitz]

I found it pretty disrespectful from the club to not offer him a final game in front of the crowd. Then again, maybe he was but declined it for the sake of the team. Either way, would have loved to see him play once this year.

You don't give farewell games to players when you're preparing for or in a finals campaign.

 

[youneverknow22]

You don't give farewell games to players when you're preparing for or in a finals campaign.

We locked up the top 2 when we had our final match against Carlton. There were no downsides in playing Christensen in that game, and it would have been a touching moment to have him carried off next to Simpson in that game.

 

[Tom14]

We locked up the top 2 when we had our final match against Carlton. There were no downsides in playing Christensen in that game, and it would have been a touching moment to have him carried off next to Simpson in that game.

Who would you have dropped?

 

[youneverknow22]

Who would you have dropped?

Giving a player who has given so much to our club a final game isn't too much to ask for. Fagan could easily have rested ah chee for a game. Christensen was very hard done by to not be given this shot, and I hope this doesn't happen anymore.

 

[Tom14]

Giving a player who has given so much to our club a final game isn't too much to ask for. Fagan could easily have rested ah chee for a game. Christensen was very hard done by to not be given this shot, and I hope this doesn't happen anymore.

Ah chee played in defence v Carlton and had his best game of the year. I think it will prove to be a critical game in his development.

In reality the only realistic choices for players to drop/have a rest would be Coleman, Linc or Charlie. Linc or Charlie aren't being rested for a player retiring, and Coleman was fighting for a spot in the team.

People carry on about the pre-finals bye - do you think it is helpful to drop someone so that they don't play a game for two weeks prior to the qualifying final, and then bring them in cold?

 

[youneverknow22]

Ah chee played in defence v Carlton and had his best game of the year. I think it will prove to be a critical game in his development.

In reality the only realistic choices for players to drop/have a rest would be Coleman, Linc or Charlie. Linc or Charlie aren't being rested for a player retiring, and Coleman was fighting for a spot in the team.

People carry on about the pre-finals bye - do you think it is helpful to drop someone so that they don't play a game for two weeks prior to the qualifying final, and then bring them in cold?

I understand that we were preparing for finals, but I felt like it would have been great to see him in our squad sometime again. And he was one of our best contributors in the finals series last year, so a good performance could have lead him to him being a chance to play in those games as well

 

[BangyBangy]

We locked up the top 2 when we had our final match against Carlton. There were no downsides in playing Christensen in that game, and it would have been a touching moment to have him carried off next to Simpson in that game.

We had a minor premiership to play for, still pretty significant.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Sad to see Bundy go, but he wasn't good enough to play this year clearly. Hope he kicks in in a developmental role somewhere.

 

[KissKiss]

I understand that we were preparing for finals, but I felt like it would have been great to see him in our squad sometime again. And he was one of our best contributors in the finals series last year, so a good performance could have lead him to him being a chance to play in those games as well

I know what you mean and would have loved to let him have a chance to say good bye, but its sounded at the time that both he and the club were comfortable with where things were. Just didnt work out right to get that chance

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

Does anyone have the complete list of the Merritt-Murray votes? I want to compare them to our medal to see how good the club is in getting it right>