Preview OFFICIAL PREVIEW: Brisbane Lions v Gold Coast Suns - Wednesday September 9th

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This game is at the Gabba 7:10pm Wednesday September 9th - I'll be there!!!!

Last time they played: Saturday, 10 August 2019 Brisbane Lions 22.12 (144) def. Gold Coast 8.5 (53) Gabba (crowd: 22,530)

GOLD COAST SUNS
Coming off a bye having trounced North last week they'll be fresh as daisies aiming for an upset and to avenge last year's drubbing.
Suns are playing a fast, running direct style of football and when their skills are on a delight to watch
Lineup - I only expect one change here with Jarrod Harbrow coming in for Darcy McPherson

KEY PLAYERS:
Touk Miller:
Loves playing the Lions and going toe to toe with Zorks and won his fair share of battles against the Lions
Brandon Ellis: Has shown the Suns how to play better and is a general out on the field
Jarrod Witts: IMO a very under-rated ruckman. Great tap work and gets plenty of it himself and very good disposal skills for a big bloke
Izak Rankine: Kid is the X-factor and a real star in the making - averaging almost 5 score involvements a game - needs shutting down.


BRISBANE LIONS
A hard fought win over Collingwood does have some cost and with only 4 days rest before Wednesday this will be a real test.
Lack of scoring and an accuracy problem that's been present for 5+ years is also of concern.
On the plus side the Lions have a small injury list and plenty of players to choose from and defensively are on fire as a unit.
Back 6 was immense v Pies and they need to be just as ferocious against the Suns who can score quickly.
Lineup - Sadly injuries to Tom Fullarton and Harris Andrews will see changes required so with my coaches hat on:
OUT Fullarton (INJ), Andrews (INJ), Zorko (managed - just didn't look right to me), Mitch Robbo (rested), McStay (omitted)
IN McCarthy, T. Berry (because I sponsor him and he needs to play), Archie (Big O needs help), Dev Robbo +1 (Payne,Ballenden,Skinner)

KEY PLAYERS:
Lachie Neale:
Give him the Brownlow already. Leads this team on the field without the (c). Silky smooth mover.
Hugh McCluggage: The Suitcase is a first class footballer with astounding hands and vision. Just needs to finish off better.
Jarryd Lyons: Would love to have a big one against his old team. Having a stellar year and is great with the clearances and getting the ball I50.
Daniel Rich: Most avg. metres gained for the Lions and RARELY wastes a disposal and the essential link between defence and attack.


PREDICTION:
In a high scoring match for this season in a festive affair Charlie and Ah Chee to kick 6 between them and the Lions win 13.6=84 to 10.6=66 in a great game!
 
McCarthy comes back, Keidean stays in.
Skinner or Payne might get a go and Archie could be back.

Observations:
McStay dropping marks, will leave it at that.
Ah Chee overcommits and goes to ground too easy. Got better later in the game but it was painful to watch early.

We may do better with a small forward line around Hipwood.
Keidean showed he belongs, McCarthy, Charlie, Rayner around Hipwood + BigO pushing forward would be pretty formidable.
 

Jirik13

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View attachment 953551


This game is at the Gabba 7:10pm Wednesday September 9th - I'll be there!!!!

Last time they played: Saturday, 10 August 2019 Brisbane Lions 22.12 (144) def. Gold Coast 8.5 (53) Gabba (crowd: 22,530)

GOLD COAST SUNS
Coming off a bye having trounced North last week they'll be fresh as daisies aiming for an upset and to avenge last year's drubbing.
Suns are playing a fast, running direct style of football and when their skills are on a delight to watch
Lineup - I only expect one change here with Jarrod Harbrow coming in for Darcy McPherson

KEY PLAYERS:
Touk Miller:
Loves playing the Lions and going toe to toe with Zorks and won his fair share of battles against the Lions
Brandon Ellis: Has shown the Suns how to play better and is a general out on the field
Jarrod Witts: IMO a very under-rated ruckman. Great tap work and gets plenty of it himself and very good disposal skills for a big bloke
Izak Rankine: Kid is the X-factor and a real star in the making - averaging almost 5 score involvements a game - needs shutting down.


BRISBANE LIONS
A hard fought win over Collingwood does have some cost and with only 4 days rest before Wednesday this will be a real test.
Lack of scoring and an accuracy problem that's been present for 5+ years is also of concern.
On the plus side the Lions have a small injury list and plenty of players to choose from and defensively are on fire as a unit.
Back 6 was immense v Pies and they need to be just as ferocious against the Suns who can score quickly.
Lineup - Sadly injuries to Tom Fullarton and Harris Andrews will see changes required so with my coaches hat on:
OUT Fullarton (INJ), Andrews (INJ), Zorko (managed - just didn't look right to me), Mitch Robbo (rested), McStay (omitted)
IN McCarthy, T. Berry (because I sponsor him and he needs to play), Archie (Big O needs help), Dev Robbo +1 (Payne,Ballenden,Skinner)

KEY PLAYERS:
Lachie Neale:
Give him the Brownlow already. Leads this team on the field without the (c). Silky smooth mover.
Hugh McCluggage: The Suitcase is a first class footballer with astounding hands and vision. Just needs to finish off better.
Jarryd Lyons: Would love to have a big one against his old team. Having a stellar year and is great with the clearances and getting the ball I50.
Daniel Rich: Most avg. metres gained for the Lions and RARELY wastes a disposal and the essential link between defence and attack.


PREDICTION:
In a high scoring match for this season in a festive affair Charlie and Ah Chee to kick 6 between them and the Lions win 13.6=84 to 10.6=66 in a great game!
I liked your preview untill the last sentence :) Hoping for a surprise win by SUNS.

You got to add Luko to key players. His kicking from HB was unbelievable in recent games, quite often slicing up the opposition.
 
I liked your preview untill the last sentence :) Hoping for a surprise win by SUNS.

You got to add Luko to key players. His kicking from HB was unbelievable in recent games, quite often slicing up the opposition.

One of my favourite players to watch.
 
Mar 13, 2013
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Out : Andrews/Fullarton (inj)
In : Payne, ?

With GC having Day/King as talls we need some height back there (Payne). Up forward I'm undecided ... Given we may need extra height down back (McStay) as Gardner/Lester are undersized against Day/King do we go Skinner/Ballenden who can also go #2 ruck or McCarthy and have a fast forward line. Given Fages history I'll go with one of Skinner/Ballenden, especially to protect Big O's workload with these fast turnarounds.
 

Dylan12

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A game I honestly wouldn’t be surprised that we drop.

I’d have thought our energy levels would’ve been quite high following that week’s break and I couldn’t have been more wrong. We looked spent last night for big portions of the game and given how poor we’ve been in the past month, despite winning, and how fresh the Suns will be who have been losing (go figure), it doesn’t feel me with any confidence with an Andrews-less Lions and an out form Neale who looks to be carrying something.

Just like the discrepancy between our and Collingwood’s break between games as it will be for the Suns and us, it is just peculiar fixturing.
 
Apr 4, 2015
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I've tried to see the good in McStay but the dam wall's broken for me ,he's been horrible lately. I'm fully prepared to try anyone else if there is anyone and put him down back where he just has to spoil and run forward not somewhere where he has to think before he doesn't (generally ) get it.

Birchall needs a rest .Payne for Harris , McStay down back for Birch .Archie or Skinner in. Probably Archie so Oscar can play large chunks forward. Which leaves Linc to come in for whoever's sore and we looked to have a few contenders for that after last night.
 
Mar 13, 2013
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A game I honestly wouldn’t be surprised that we drop.

I’d have thought our energy levels would’ve been quite high following that week’s break and I couldn’t have been more wrong. We looked spent last night for big portions of the game and given how poor we’ve been in the past month, despite winning, and how fresh the Suns will be who have been losing (go figure), it doesn’t feel me with any confidence with an Andrews-less Lions and an out form Neale who looks to be carrying something.

Just like the discrepancy between our and Collingwood’s break between games as it will be for the Suns and us, it is just peculiar fixturing.
I think we can put the first quarter down to the typical post bye slowness that most teams seem to suffer (and nobody can explain or prevent). Given we lost Fullarton in the first 10 minutes and Andrews what seemed like the first time he ran after the half time break, it's not surprising they ran out of gas. And I think Neale copped a hard whack (maybe a corky) in the third on the camera side wing of the ground.
 
Oct 13, 2015
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Out: Fullarton, Harris, Ah Chee/Birch

In: Linc, Payne, Archie

Linc is an automatic return - I think we missed him quite a bit. I want Kiddy to get another week so either Ah Chee or Birch is out. I expect Kiddy will miss out though as I can’t see us dropping Birch with Harris out and Ah Chee has been persisted with.

Archie is a must to give big O a chop out. Witts is a better tap ruck than Grundy and he beat Goldstein in GC’s last game.

The defensive matchups will be tricky. Don’t think that without Harris we have someone who can match Ben King. Thankfully he is still young and inexperienced. I’d put answerth on rankine and starcevich on Ainsworth who was a clear bog last time the suns played.

Suns midfield is underrated and we will need to be on our game to get the ball forward and pile on the pressure.
 
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Dylan12

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I think we can put the first quarter down to the typical post bye slowness that most teams seem to suffer (and nobody can explain or prevent). Given we lost Fullarton in the first 10 minutes and Andrews what seemed like the first time he ran after the half time break, it's not surprising they ran out of gas. And I think Neale copped a hard whack (maybe a corky) in the third on the camera side wing of the ground.
I think we have no option other than to play McStay at CHB. Could be the making of him as it was for many past champions that went from forward to defence or vice versa.

I’d also consider just going smaller and more mobile up forward and possibly play Rayner or McCarthy out of the square.
 
Feels like we are so vulnerable for this one, and I think finishing 2-1 from here would be a good result.

The biggest worry is we now go from a seemingly favourable run home to a precarious stretch with our most important player.

I am confident we can cover for Andrews in the next few weeks. We are a cohesive unit, not a team of individuals. All aboard the Payne train!
 
McStay dropped a bunch of sitters he should have taken and had a night to forget. What shouldn't be underestimated though is that he got into the right positions all game and kept digging in, having a really positive impact in the fourth.
 
Apr 11, 2016
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Andrews -> Payne
Fullerton -> Smith
McCarthy -> Coleman

Coleman will be stiff to miss if he does but not sure who else will likely be dropped for him.

Fages likes 2 rucks and especially after a massive individual game big O needs a chop out.

Been said many times but no way McStay plays back unless he has to, he started forward in the last quarter and only went back after Cox took a couple of marks against Lester.

Hopefully the ball won't be coming in like it was against the tigers and Payne can have a bit better 2nd game.
 
With two forced changes, don't see us making too many unforced ones. Payne and Archie/Ballenden as replacements for Harris and Fullarton. Coaches will back Lester to play on one of their key talls. Assume they will bring Linc in which unfortunately probably means Coleman misses.
 
McStay dropped a bunch of sitters he should have taken and had a night to forget. What shouldn't be underestimated though is that he got into the right positions all game and kept digging in, having a really positive impact in the fourth.
Also competed well in the ruck in the second half. Was a factor (if not officially an assist) in the Lyons goal for example.
 
Apr 4, 2015
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McStay dropped a bunch of sitters he should have taken and had a night to forget. What shouldn't be underestimated though is that he got into the right positions all game and kept digging in, having a really positive impact in the fourth.
Anyone can have an off night but for the time he's been in the game simple ones just bounce off his chest or go straight through his hands and it's been a regular occurrence since his suspension. He's also not hard enough at the contest. He had to have some impact if he's thrown on the ball.

I'm past the frustration with him and think it's time to find him a role where he can use his athleticism to better effect if we're going to play him,which we will because we always have, and with Fullarton down there don't appear many other options.
 
Fingers crossed. I feel like Harris covers a lot of our cracks, but here's hoping I'm wrong.

We were without Harris Andrews for a half of football and kept the Pies to a 60 year low score. We'll be okay.
 
Apr 4, 2015
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I'd go with Payne if McStay doesn't go back but I wonder if Matty Eagles is any chance of taking Harris's spot, that is the role he has played in the NEAFL during his time with us.
I'm not against Eagles in that role but it's unlikely they'll take that route imo. Depends on how they all pull up.
 

Comeback Lions

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This is the most interesting team selection for a while. Smith, Ballenden and Skinner all have a chance to replace Fullarton, with Smith the most effective ruck probably ahead.
Payne or Eagles to replace Andrews with Payne ahead.
Birchall only played 72% game time, the lowest after the injured players, so will go again, but surely can’t play all 3 games in 9 days.
Coleman just had the best debut this season and should stay in with Ah Chee to make way for McCarthy.

This is more of a danger game than Collingwood was with the Suns‘ pace more of a worry to our game style. We will need to create and score off turnovers to win what promises to be a shootout. Our backline has been winning us games, but our midfield and forward line will need to do more. I am not confident, as our ability to defend sustained speed strikes me as one of our weaknesses.

None of our last three games are definite wins and we need to bring the intensity to each contest. It’s an ideal run to the finals, playing teams that have nothing to lose. Really looking forward to this week, and then my annual divorce game to finish off the home and away Season. Go Lions.
 
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