Review Round 1, 2021 - Brisbane Lions vs. Sydney
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I think so.
Funny how perceptions change depending on whether a person is in our camp or not
I commented on the night that when we were fighting back late in the 2nd quarter that Zorko had lifted his game, overall he wasn't fantastic but I agree with you he was nowhere near our worst.
25 years on
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I think the swans kick into the fifty was a taken from a lot closer, therefore was a lot more accurate.
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Gregg Swann is a smart operator. We are lucky to have him. He is a big part of why the club has risen from the bottom of the ladder (& ordinary administration) to one of the most respected and destination clubs in the competition. FYI, he doessn't run the footy department.
Danny Daly is one of the smartest footy brains in the business. With his finance background, becoming the new GM of footy was the obvious choice & thus far reports from some out of the club I know say he's doing an excellent job.
Noble leaving is something the club didn't want but Dave left on good terms with ambitions of becoming an AFL Coach. Nothing more to add there.
You must have some strong and different contacts in the club to make those statements. (do you?) Swanny & Donald Trump comparison is unique. Danny Daly & a stooge is just as unique. You wishing you were wrong is something I am positive you will be rewarded with. (& NO, you are NOT right)
P.S. This is not an official club statement. All the above is simply a personal opinion & not a direct statement from Club Officials.
Couple of points:
1. I think we were underdone for fitness. Lot of puffing and hands on knees. Perhaps the lighter loads for key players played a part here.
2. We were very tall and top heavy for night footy particularly in the wet. Easy to defend the big contested marks and our tall targets. So our game-plan fell apart a bit.
3. There were a lot of little things that just pissed me off about our sloppiness. The fumbling ok it was wet but there were so many times where swans took an uncontested mark in their defensive 50 and our players would stand about 10meters away from where they took it lock their feet in the ground and look at the umpire as if to say here is ok?? This made it absolutely piss easy to move the ball out of defence as one of our players is essentially standing in no mans land with his feet in quick sand. Need to get up and ON the actual mark and put pressure on the kick. This happened four or five times right in front of me and i couldn't understand it?
1. I think we were underdone for fitness. Lot of puffing and hands on knees. Perhaps the lighter loads for key players played a part here.
2. We were very tall and top heavy for night footy particularly in the wet. Easy to defend the big contested marks and our tall targets. So our game-plan fell apart a bit.
3. There were a lot of little things that just pissed me off about our sloppiness. The fumbling ok it was wet but there were so many times where swans took an uncontested mark in their defensive 50 and our players would stand about 10meters away from where they took it lock their feet in the ground and look at the umpire as if to say here is ok?? This made it absolutely piss easy to move the ball out of defence as one of our players is essentially standing in no mans land with his feet in quick sand. Need to get up and ON the actual mark and put pressure on the kick. This happened four or five times right in front of me and i couldn't understand it?
Anyone know how Tommy Berry is going? Back when he was in the 1s, he definitely had his faults, but his defensive 2nd, 3rd and 4th efforts were unquestionable. If he's in any type of reasonable form, I'd be considering him as an option. Defence and effort. That's where we lost it.
Think Sydney adjusted to the rules better. Even more than previous, you have to be switched on inside D50 or its really easy to get a 15m kick to a better position.
Think Sydney adjusted to the rules better. Even more than previous, you have to be switched on inside D50 or its really easy to get a 15m kick to a better position.
We lose one game and not only are many of our players not up to scratch but the admin now has no clue.
Some people need to get a life.
Fagan has taken us as far as he can, great person to lay the foundations of the club. It is now time to get someone who can actually coach and not just rely on talent. No plan B when something goes wrong besides chucking players out of position.
Half the team looked like they wanted to be else where. Time to drop Ah Chee and Birchall for players who actually want to defend.
Half the team looked like they wanted to be else where. Time to drop Ah Chee and Birchall for players who actually want to defend.
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His form thus far into the season has been average.
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I have been to many training sessions this year and his kicking is not getting any better.
In the current climate with the new rules, if you can’t kick you can’t play IMO.
Every team that won this week, won or drew the marks inside 50 stat. And we were bottom of the league for uncontested possessions by quite some way.
I also want to point out the great game Tom Hickey had. He tied for the league lead in clearances, and was top 5 in contested possessions. Yet he and Oscar had exactly the same number of hit outs, and Sydney only had four more hit outs than us all game. That shows you rucks can have a big impact on the game, but hit outs aren't particularly important. I don't think Hickey's dominance was all on Oscar, more a general failure in tackling and pressure on the middle.
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Getting a coach that can coach. Groundbreaking stuff
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Need to get rid of all of our coaches, they all suck.
The more I think about it, the more I believe there was/is something going on with some of the mids, particularly McCluggage and Neale.
I sit front row, top tier right above the opposition interchange bench, and have a real good view of the Lions players as they interchange, receive treatment, and line up on the wing.
Neale looked really frustrated at times, and if I had to guess is either not at full fitness or still carrying an injury of some type.
He appeared to me to play outside the contest more than I would have expected.
Hugh seemed lost and unsure of positioning at times during play, or where to move the ball when he did get it.
Last year he usually played just outside the contest, ready to receive the first or second handball out of the contest.
Saturday, he played much more a wing role, one kick away from the contest, either wide, forward or behind the play.
It’s was really noticeable that our three attendees at centre bounces were often much smaller than the opposition.
We were often out bodied and out muscled trying to win the ball. When we did win the ball, it was more through agility and our smaller, nimble players being able to coral a loose ball and have half a step or step on their opponents.
My concern is when Neale and Zorko are both at the centre bounce, and potentially carrying niggles that affect their power, we’re going to lose out to much bigger oppositions.
I sit front row, top tier right above the opposition interchange bench, and have a real good view of the Lions players as they interchange, receive treatment, and line up on the wing.
Neale looked really frustrated at times, and if I had to guess is either not at full fitness or still carrying an injury of some type.
He appeared to me to play outside the contest more than I would have expected.
Hugh seemed lost and unsure of positioning at times during play, or where to move the ball when he did get it.
Last year he usually played just outside the contest, ready to receive the first or second handball out of the contest.
Saturday, he played much more a wing role, one kick away from the contest, either wide, forward or behind the play.
It’s was really noticeable that our three attendees at centre bounces were often much smaller than the opposition.
We were often out bodied and out muscled trying to win the ball. When we did win the ball, it was more through agility and our smaller, nimble players being able to coral a loose ball and have half a step or step on their opponents.
My concern is when Neale and Zorko are both at the centre bounce, and potentially carrying niggles that affect their power, we’re going to lose out to much bigger oppositions.
Do you not allow for the possibility that we've really over achieved with the list we have ?
Maybe he's taken us further than anyone was entitled to.
TheFrequency
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Concerning how many votes Daniel Rich has in player of the round - yes, we had very few serviceable players, however re-watch the game and he was absolutely disgraceful defensively. Constantly gambling with his positioning, which, despite his 'good' first quarter - had a hand in the majority of their goals. Midfield pressure plays a large part in this, however Rich is not even close to being strong enough in the air to be able to pay his opponent so little respect. Speaking to one of the Swans players and they singled him out as someone they could target all night because "he wasn't in the same postcode as his opponent".
Lyons has been fantastic for us also, however re-watching the game its quite obvious to see why he's at his third club - when the ball isn't going his way he is next to non existent defensively
Lyons has been fantastic for us also, however re-watching the game its quite obvious to see why he's at his third club - when the ball isn't going his way he is next to non existent defensively
Well said Mighty Lions!
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This would be very common for defenders who are required to distribute the ball.
I don't think there's any doubt Neale is carrying something. Seemed really ginger early and not too keen to get involved in scrimmages until he warmed up a bit. Overall just lacked his normal zip. He tried hard as the game wore on but I think we have to face up to the fact that if Neale is subdued we have to find other ways/people to make the play. Berry looked much the same as he did last year but it's only one game in and hoping he for one can step it up a bit.
A very disappointing match from us on the weekend and one which caused concern for many of us. It is not just that we lost but rather the way we lost. We were miles off the pace of the game, our structures both offensively and defensively were just not competitive and the effort just seemed not to be there.
Over the last couple of year every time we have moved Berry off the ball for long periods we have suffered for it. That was again the case on the weekend. Why? One reason is that he provides a big body but personally I think it is because he is one of the few mids that runs hard defensively. Last year he had Bailey running with him and between the two of them they papered over the cracks. On the weekend our midfield just did not work defensively (or offensively actually) and the Swans were swanning through the middle of the game without pressure above to pick out wide open targets.
Neale padded his stats in the last quarter when the game was gone but was absent of effort or impact the first three quarters. Lyons pretty much the same in the first half and his running generally was very very poor. Zorko actually put in an effort and got a bit of the ball but I would not start him onball at the clearances. I do not mind the frustrated frees he gave away in the last. He actually put in although I his defensive running was not top shelf. McCluggage had a poor game and apart from his 3 goals so did Bailey. Bailey looked great in the preseason but he had very little impact apart from the goals and gave away too many silly frees.
But the mids were not alone. The Swans got quite a lot of forward pressure on our backs. Where were our forwards? Again nowhere. Coleman was pretty much alone in working to actually put some pressure on. Charlie looks bigger and is a much slower and poorer runner and worse player because of it. He did not create separation offensively and put in no defensive effort. Our bigs thought there job was over once we no longer had the ball.
The Swans were severely outsized up forward in this game and our midfield became obsessed with bombing it long. This allowed the Swans to settle into a pattern and neutralise the threat. It was not conditions for overhead marking but we just kept bombing it time and again. None of our forwards got separation and none of our mids lowered their eyes.
The backs were exposed because of the lack of pressure upfield. We have a relatively slow backline and when there is time and space to work in they can be found out. Generally we do not have a good one on one defensive unit. Payne was the newbie but got found out with guys being able to lead into acres of space in front of him. Andrews actually had to do a job and was not able to influence the game as he usually does. Birchall is a liability defensively and his work going forward was ordinary. Ah Chee gave us nothing both offensively and defensively. Starcevich was much the same and a couple of times handed over his man to poor old Payne in bad situations (see the Heeney goal). Rich is better when he can play loose on a nonthreat but he was caught out several times on the weekend.
Oscar was convincingly beaten on the day but his stats were not bad. He just did not have the game that Hickey did. Oscar has games where he just loses his positioning and he learns quickly and makes adjustment. Hopefully he does that. I don't think he is ever going to be a dominant ruck but I do think he can break even.
Quite a few are calling for Sharp to be dropped. Personally I hope he gets another game. He was good in the first quarter but rarely sighted after that. When we went behind I think the focus went onto getting our bigger names into more prominent positions and that did not work very well. One of the huge things to come out of that game was our lack of run. Dropping out best runner seems counterintuitive. The coaching staff just need to use him better and show him what to do. Personally I give him another game this week and get him to shadow Isaac Smith, neutralise him and work him hard the other way when we get the ball. Go head to head and let him learn that way.
Over the last couple of year every time we have moved Berry off the ball for long periods we have suffered for it. That was again the case on the weekend. Why? One reason is that he provides a big body but personally I think it is because he is one of the few mids that runs hard defensively. Last year he had Bailey running with him and between the two of them they papered over the cracks. On the weekend our midfield just did not work defensively (or offensively actually) and the Swans were swanning through the middle of the game without pressure above to pick out wide open targets.
Neale padded his stats in the last quarter when the game was gone but was absent of effort or impact the first three quarters. Lyons pretty much the same in the first half and his running generally was very very poor. Zorko actually put in an effort and got a bit of the ball but I would not start him onball at the clearances. I do not mind the frustrated frees he gave away in the last. He actually put in although I his defensive running was not top shelf. McCluggage had a poor game and apart from his 3 goals so did Bailey. Bailey looked great in the preseason but he had very little impact apart from the goals and gave away too many silly frees.
But the mids were not alone. The Swans got quite a lot of forward pressure on our backs. Where were our forwards? Again nowhere. Coleman was pretty much alone in working to actually put some pressure on. Charlie looks bigger and is a much slower and poorer runner and worse player because of it. He did not create separation offensively and put in no defensive effort. Our bigs thought there job was over once we no longer had the ball.
The Swans were severely outsized up forward in this game and our midfield became obsessed with bombing it long. This allowed the Swans to settle into a pattern and neutralise the threat. It was not conditions for overhead marking but we just kept bombing it time and again. None of our forwards got separation and none of our mids lowered their eyes.
The backs were exposed because of the lack of pressure upfield. We have a relatively slow backline and when there is time and space to work in they can be found out. Generally we do not have a good one on one defensive unit. Payne was the newbie but got found out with guys being able to lead into acres of space in front of him. Andrews actually had to do a job and was not able to influence the game as he usually does. Birchall is a liability defensively and his work going forward was ordinary. Ah Chee gave us nothing both offensively and defensively. Starcevich was much the same and a couple of times handed over his man to poor old Payne in bad situations (see the Heeney goal). Rich is better when he can play loose on a nonthreat but he was caught out several times on the weekend.
Oscar was convincingly beaten on the day but his stats were not bad. He just did not have the game that Hickey did. Oscar has games where he just loses his positioning and he learns quickly and makes adjustment. Hopefully he does that. I don't think he is ever going to be a dominant ruck but I do think he can break even.
Quite a few are calling for Sharp to be dropped. Personally I hope he gets another game. He was good in the first quarter but rarely sighted after that. When we went behind I think the focus went onto getting our bigger names into more prominent positions and that did not work very well. One of the huge things to come out of that game was our lack of run. Dropping out best runner seems counterintuitive. The coaching staff just need to use him better and show him what to do. Personally I give him another game this week and get him to shadow Isaac Smith, neutralise him and work him hard the other way when we get the ball. Go head to head and let him learn that way.
Gadzorks
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Need to get rid of all of our coaches, they all suck.
And the players. Obviously can't play and don't care.
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If they were coached though they might never play a bad game
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But if the players could play, the coaches would never need to coach.
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