Preview Round 1 2019 Brisbane Lions vs West Coast Eagles @ The Gabba. 7:20pm QLD Time

[Dylan12]

Shows the apt recruiting we have done to identify best 22 players, and not reserves standard players.

Yeah but I liked the acquisition of Benny Fixter types.

 

[Milux]

Always been a Basti fan. Jury's still out but fingers crossed he can make an impact. Basti and Lyons can both kick goals and clear the ball. We should have no dramas in the clearance dept.

 

[Tom14]

I'm excited that we don't have to immediately play draftees. Barring an injury crisis, I can't see any of our draftees from last year getting an extended run in the team, unless their form really really warrants it - which is a good thing!

 

[LongLion]

Sounds like the club is hopeful of a crowd circa 23K. Would be a great result considering the Eagles won't have many there.

 

[joshhem]

Sounds like the club is hopeful of a crowd circa 23K. Would be a great result considering the Eagles won't have many there.

I think that there might be a surprising amount of eagles fans pop up. I'm hearing that there's quite a few coming out of the woodwork for this one on the back of the premiership.

 

[Tom14]

Team comparison from round 23 last year:

Us
In: Neale, Lyons, McCarthy, Witherden, Gardiner, Cameron, Basti

Out: Beams, Lester, Starcevich, N Robbo, Bundy, Lewy, Cutler

A lot of talent into the team (5 or 6 best 18 players in).

WCE
In: Jetta, Hickey, Waterman, Brander, Pettrucelle

Out: Rioli, Lycett, LeCras, Cripps, Schofield

WCE obviously also missing Kennedy, Gaff and Nic Nat who didn't play in Rd 23 last year.

 

[Milux]

I'm so effing pumped it's not funny.

 

[Dalions]

Team comparison from round 23 last year:

Us
In: Neale, Lyons, McCarthy, Witherden, Gardiner, Cameron, Basti

Out: Beams, Lester, Starcevich, N Robbo, Bundy, Lewy, Cutler

A lot of talent into the team (5 or 6 best 18 players in).

WCE
In: Jetta, Hickey, Waterman, Brander, Pettrucelle

Out: Rioli, Lycett, LeCras, Cripps, Schofield

WCE obviously also missing Kennedy, Gaff and Nic Nat who didn't play in Rd 23 last year.

My hopes are rising every second.
To the point where I will be really disappointed if we don’t win!

 

[bungalow_bill]

My main hope is that we don't get belted.

 

[Yippy Yi Yeo]

Going into this game expecting to win but won't at all be surprised if you guys get up. It is round 1 after all and I think you guys have improved a lot. Not just from trading quality players in either, but also plenty of internal growth and seem to have a close to full strength team. Expecting you will give many quality teams headaches this year, particularly at home.

 

[M Malice]

My main hope is that we don't get belted.

Yep, after all the hype a belting would be a massive downer.

 

[Dalions]

Yep, after all the hype a belting would be a massive downer.

Massive would be an understatement!

 

[TheMagician15]

Great news the likes of Robertson and Taylor are no longer in our best 22. A sign that we really have much better depth this year. Robertson just makes way too many errors and Taylor doesn't do enough with the ball in hand to make up for his horrendous defensive efforts.

 

[Sausages]

I think that there might be a surprising amount of eagles fans pop up. I'm hearing that there's quite a few coming out of the woodwork for this one on the back of the premiership.

We need to poke them back down into their woodwork joshhem

 

[M Malice]

Massive would be an understatement!

Gargantuan? Humongous? Monstrous?

 

[David C]

Bastinac has done well turning around a poor season to be named in round one.

Hope it goes better for him than it did for Tom Bell last year.

 

[TheZork]

Hope it goes better for him than it did for Tom Bell last year.

I'm sure it will do. Bastinac is a genuinely good natural footballer, Tom Bell unfortunately isn't.

 

[Dylan12]

I'm sure it will do. Bastinac is a genuinely good natural footballer, Tom Bell unfortunately isn't.

Spot on; Bastinac is a natural footballer with good skills. His only knock IMO is his heart and getting his head over the ball and copping hits. I don't think you'd be off the mark saying both Bastinac and Bell are/were both soft footballers, but Bastinac can still turn it around. It always astonished that for a guy of Bell's size that he avoided the hard ball.

 

[KissKiss]

Spot on; Bastinac is a natural footballer with good skills. His only knock IMO is his heart and getting his head over the ball and copping hits. I don't think you'd be off the mark saying both Bastinac and Bell are/were both soft footballers, but Bastinac can still turn it around. It always astonished that for a guy of Bell's size that he avoided the hard ball.

I think Basti also struggles in what role to play. Not quite strong/big enough to play inside but not quite quick/endurance/skills to play outside. He's a bit of an inbetween but not elite sort of player

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

Certain he will be clear on his role with Fagan in charge.

 

[Gibbo_88]

Sounds like the club is hopeful of a crowd circa 23K. Would be a great result considering the Eagles won't have many there.

Hopefully all those people can get tickets. I've had trouble on the ticketmaster website since Wednesday night, keeps coming up with error messages. Lions_Insider are you aware of this? Will hopefully be able to buy the tickets tomorrow at the game.

 

[Lions_Insider]

Hopefully all those people can get tickets. I've had trouble on the ticketmaster website since Wednesday night, keeps coming up with error messages. Lions_Insider are you aware of this? Will hopefully be able to buy the tickets tomorrow at the game.

Can you take a screenshot or share the exact problem you're having?

 

[snooplions]

Spotted this over on the West Coast board. The Eagles team named compared with their GF winning team.

Out: Lycett Cripps Kennedy Rioli Schofield Lecras

In: Hickey O.Allen Brander Petruccelle Waterman Sheppard

Also with Nic Nat and Gaff out.

 

[Tassie4ever]

I love both sports but would watch AFL if I had a choice for sure. There is no difference watching league on TV or at the game, in fact, TV is probably better. AFL is FAR better live.

This is oh so true.

NRL translates very well to TV as the focus around the ball is circumscribed, whereas AFL is truly 3-dimensional.

And the AFL ground is so much bigger. The movement of players across the ground is also much more in reaction to where the ball actually is. Not just in one line across the ground as in NRL, whether defensive or attack.

 

[3KZ is Football]

Great news the likes of Robertson and Taylor are no longer in our best 22. A sign that we really have much better depth this year. Robertson just makes way too many errors and Taylor doesn't do enough with the ball in hand to make up for his horrendous defensive efforts.

Both Taylor and Robertson are clearly outside our best 22, with many people pointing out their deficiencies late last season. That said, given that they are on our list, I would love to see them accept the challenge to improve their games in an effort to break back into the seniors. It would be great if they could. If they can’t, then they won’t be around in 2020.