Review Round 1, 2024 - Fremantle vs. Brisbane Lions

[rye]

this team has a lot of soul searching to do in the next two weeks

 

[iBeng]

Only just saw this


So can probably assume he's a 5050 for Collingwood...

 

[MSB ROYS]

Only just saw this


So can probably assume he's a 5050 for Collingwood...

Agree, but our backline is the least of the problems. Try everyone forward of that bar a couple of players.

 

[Gadzorks]

Both games we started strong then couldn't rally when opposition get going.

I'm convinced that tactically and skills we are fine, but the bodies just aren't ready and can't execute. Not because they are slack, but because playing the gf meant preparation was delayed by almost two months. Holiday time is protected (justifiably) so the finals time eats into pre season.

I expect the break now means these first two games are essentially preseason for us and the pies.

Will be intense easter game, then the season starts in earnest.

Go lions. Hard road ahead, but you got this.

 

[mpal6]

I’ll go glass half full (just for contrast).
We only lost to Carlton by a point last week. It could have gone either way in the end.
Freo came out with a point to prove after re-signing the coach.
We have a couple of weeks to regroup for a home game against Collingwood who we’ll be playing on the back of 3 x 6-day breaks.
We follow up the Collingwood game against North Melbourne at a neutral venue.

At round-4 we’ll have stabilised at 2-2, and things will start to click for the boys. No worse than 2023.

Collingwood game will be no gimme. Teams usually struggle to get going after bye.

 

[JasRulz63]

It feels like we don't have any on field leaders that will take it upon themselves to step up and do something to try and change the momentum. Doesn't need to be anything extraordinary, but even something like a hard contested ball win, gut running to provide an option, working hard to impact the contest/defensive play.

It still often feels like Zorko is the main one that will take it upon himself to try and shift the momentum (felt like he tried to step up in the last), but at 35 we can't expect him to keep doing it.

 

[Sproj]

Wonder if Lachie liked what he saw from Freo today and will ask for a trade again…if we got a good return…we should entertain it.

 

[briztoon]

Wonder if Lachie liked what he saw from Freo today and will ask for a trade again…if we got a good return…we should entertain it.

Why?

It’ll just get eaten up in matching father son & academy bids.

 

[briztoon]

Anyone thinking of a mini rebuild, and hitting the draft, should understand that there’s a pretty decent likelihood that our next 4 drafts will see us just drafting academy kids & Levi Ashcroft.

 

[Bucking Beads]

I’m filthy with how we’re playing. It’s embarrassing. Some real changes need to be made for our next match. The talent is there but once again are they prepared to work hard enough to turn this around. Is there enough role players in this side?

 

[mikey127]

Want to throw this out there.

How many games can people recall from our women's team where you have walked away dissapointer with their effort? Mot mamy if any. Send Craig Starcovich and Bre Koenen in to give our boys a good talking too

 

[Ceebee]

Either Fagon goes or I will quit bigfooty FOREVER!

Oh dear , that would be devastating for all on Big Footy who is Fagon ?

 

[Ohitsthatguy]

"I am Fay-gon. As overlord, all will kneel trembling before me and obey my brutal command. End communication."

 

[brisbanelions]

I'm not sure how you can continually tap it to an opposition player as a ruck, especially at a centre bounce. Isn't there a plan for every one. Now I know my experience in the ruck is at a level or two down, but we had a simple plan every time. Left hip, behind, forward, big fist etc.... If the oppo ruck was a bit tall it was a case of trying to minimise his taps, everyone man up and be ready to scrap in tight.

I will be brutally blunt. Oscar is not good enough as a tap ruckman nor is he good enough around the ground and i am not basing my opinion on last nights game but over a lot of his games. He constantly gets beaten around the ground. Apart from many things the lions need , they need a ruckman who can take marks around the ground , competes, taps to his players advantage , not try and simply bash the ball out of the ruck and inspires his team mates. Example of uninspiring football is when he let the opposite ruckman easily take a mark in the forward line and kick a goal.For that reason alone I would drop him. Oscar looked amateurish and disinterested.NO EFFORT at all to compete,looked like he simply gave up.An appalling effort Oscar and for that reason ,needs to be dropped.An example needs to be set by Fagan right now that performances like that will and should not be tolerated.

The question is does Fagan have the balls to do it? One word sums up your performance Oscar- INSIPID!!!!

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

Both games we started strong then couldn't rally when opposition get going.

I'm convinced that tactically and skills we are fine, but the bodies just aren't ready and can't execute. Not because they are slack, but because playing the gf meant preparation was delayed by almost two months. Holiday time is protected (justifiably) so the finals time eats into pre season.

I expect the break now means these first two games are essentially preseason for us and the pies.

Will be intense easter game, then the season starts in earnest.

Go lions. Hard road ahead, but you got this.

You have to keep positive right.
But you know what I've seen enough from this group, and I am coming to the conclusion that we simply are not that good or we aren't great when it comes to learning how to be well rounded footballers.
Look at bailey when tackling a player front on , how many times , he still runs straight at a player full speed only for them to sidestep him, such a waste of effort, just hasn't learned any skills here , and that's why he looks like a downhill skier, just ineffective when it's his time to stop players. Bailey is not alone with this over running either, it's mind boggling.
And this is only one aspect of defending.

The biggest worry is , the way we have relied or won games on individual briliance , not collective ball movement, it's fools gold.
eg. kidd'y 1st class kicks over the tops of defenders, Charlie when he has a chance, up forward.
How many games last year did we win and after the game you were thinking the other side played better when it camed down to ball movement , but just fell over at their inside fifty kicks and we won cause we had first class brilliance to score.
Think of Richmond when they were in their window, well oiled machine, easy for second tier players to play roles when coming into their system .
New players coming in our side, just would be so unclear on what their roles are ,poor game plan , that's on our coaching staff.
I think if Fagan can"t get someone in to help him turn our plan into something that is worthy but also easier for players to know their roles then we won't be winning anything of note.

As I mentioned in the pregame thread we needed somebody like Zorks to stand back up to lead us, that midfield was a shambles.
The other thing I mentioned in the pregame thread was keep Rayner forward of center and let him run midfield duties there.
But he was friggan useless even there.
Probably because he was trying to be in the centre of the park or in defence, who knows.
Or is he just a spud, I blame our system, or confusing roles.
How many years do you give a coach to get high calibre players to work together like a MACHINE.
Time for a new approach.

 

[JB42]

At the game you could see why a 3 tall set up is preferred - plenty of ball in Q2 but no targets in F50 with 1 tall. Big O’s decision making was appalling. Rayner and Bailey a distance off being real midfielders.

Rayner is a forward. He should only pinch hit in the middle. He gives a stronger contest in the air than either Eric or Joe and is good at getting first hands on it and creating for others. I think the forward line functions well when Cam is the third tall. Maybe that is simply what he is and attempts to turn him into a midfielder are futile.

 

[KissKiss]

Not defending Os form but some of the clean taps he got went straight to Freo players and he looked confused as to why we had no representation. So I’m guessing some of the mids weren’t where they were supposed to be. Bailey was one.

Yeah I thought O looked poor especially when he got the ball and just kept blind hacking away at it. But there were several times where he got a clear hit out to a specific spot and noone was there. O was turning around looking confused.

Maybe it was missing Neale but it was really clear there is a total disconnect between him and the mids at the moment.

 

[Lion_LegacyXL]

View attachment YouCut_20240318_084744307.mp4

 

[FFB1]

Want to throw this out there.

How many games can people recall from our women's team where you have walked away dissapointer with their effort? Mot mamy if any. Send Craig Starcovich and Bre Koenen in to give our boys a good talking too

LOL. That's like sending Dean Vickerman and Chris Goulding over to the USA and giving the Washington Wizards players a rev up.

 

[Pride of lions]

Rayner is a forward. He should only pinch hit in the middle. He gives a stronger contest in the air than either Eric or Joe and is good at getting first hands on it and creating for others. I think the forward line functions well when Cam is the third tall. Maybe that is simply what he is and attempts to turn him into a midfielder are futile.

I agree. It is now pretty obvious that Rayner will never have the tank to be a genuine midfielder. He tries to conserve energy by dropping off his opponent and his lack of defensive pressure then opens us up through the corridor. Bailey is much the same unfortunately.

 

[Quigley]

One thing which I haven't seen mentioned was our tackling the first two weeks. It has been terrible. The opposition is just walking through arm tackles time after time. We need to start teaching these guys how to tackle and in Qld there should be plenty of people who could teach them.

The midfield was woeful generally yesterday. There was a significant lack of skill and running power. We just waived Freo through the midfield whenever they got the ball. Lyons got a bit of the ball but he didn't do much with it and was an absolute liability in defence. Watch the game and see the number of times his opponent just casually runs away from him. He should not be in the team anymore if we are serious.

I would put Sharp in for the next game. At least we know he can run and will make it harder for the opposition to move the ball as easily. He is also just as good with the ball as the other options we are playing.

 

[braddsey]

Collingwood game will be no gimme. Teams usually struggle to get going after bye.

Agree with that - but if we regroup correctly and play positive football and get the season back in track we should be 2-2 in 3 weeks.

 

[jjami15]

Well, it is only 2 games in but from what is observed we are far from it. We have the class as shown by our previous years but there is an over reliance on the same players time and time again. Disappointingly the next tier have not come on. However what is evident is that we are off mentally. All it takes is a small drop off and you get beat. It is hard to be on all of the time and I suppose from the last few years of trying to go the next level they are possibly burnt out. You see it all of the time, maybe this is our year. Are we fit enough? I don't know as I am not in the club but I do believe reading somewhere that we did not do as much running this year due to the heat and there was more game situation training. I wonder if the club have ever thought of doing more evening/night training during the pre-season to alleviate that issue. Red Flags everywhere at the moment. It will be interesting to see how the playing group reacts.

 

[McIvor]

I will be brutally blunt. Oscar is not good enough as a tap ruckman nor is he good enough around the ground and i am not basing my opinion on last nights game but over a lot of his games. He constantly gets beaten around the ground. Apart from many things the lions need , they need a ruckman who can take marks around the ground , competes, taps to his players advantage , not try and simply bash the ball out of the ruck and inspires his team mates. Example of uninspiring football is when he let the opposite ruckman easily take a mark in the forward line and kick a goal.For that reason alone I would drop him. Oscar looked amateurish and disinterested.NO EFFORT at all to compete,looked like he simply gave up.An appalling effort Oscar and for that reason ,needs to be dropped.An example needs to be set by Fagan right now that performances like that will and should not be tolerated.

The question is does Fagan have the balls to do it? One word sums up your performance Oscar- INSIPID!!!!

Yeah but Oscar is a good bloke —— the likely defence no doubt.

Spot on post.

 

[McIvor]

Rayner is a forward. He should only pinch hit in the middle. He gives a stronger contest in the air than either Eric or Joe and is good at getting first hands on it and creating for others. I think the forward line functions well when Cam is the third tall. Maybe that is simply what he is and attempts to turn him into a midfielder are futile.

One obvious criticism of Cam when playing forward which call it natural instinct or whatever is that he invariably contests for the same marks and crashes packs that our key forwards are flying for ultimately meaning no one marks it. Yes he occasionally pulls off the speccy but like late against Carlton it’s detrimental to the team.

To be fair, Linc is also guilty of this on occasions