Game Day Round -1, 2026 - Brisbane Lions vs. Western Bulldogs

[ZoBlitz]

I've started a dating site for chickens.

It's not my full time job.

I'm just doing it to make hens meet.

 

[moncon]

Let's go Lions!!!

 

[Nunez]

I've started a dating site for chickens.

It's not my full time job.

I'm just doing it to make hens meet.

 

[Hanley]

Very enjoyable to feel nervous about footy again!

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

Hi all. Go Lions.

Looking at Fort, a player who I thought was just a battler, but had a good final series.

Can he go to a new level? Can he be our new Ryan Lester

35

Ryan Lester

Age

33

Ht

190cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.9

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

7.0

4star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.7

4star

MG

170.4

3star

D

10.3

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

4.5

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

1.5

2star

MG

140.7

3star

D

12.6

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

5.8

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

0.6

3star

?

 

[Grasshopper17]

3 things I'll be on watch for tonight.

1. Pretty easy to measure: scoring from centre contests. We've been pretty leaky (Cam Bruce even vocalised this in an interview with Sam Edmund last Friday) without being able to put anything on the board ourselves. I believe it was 0 goals to 5 against the Suns. Can we keep the Dogs from coming out the front at will?
   
   
2. How does our forward line function? I believe in the short term our forward line will look more cohesive (and perhaps more prolific) when Morris and Gallop are our main men.
   
   I believe Oscar will take a bit of time to co-ordinate his movement inside 50 with those two, so they aren't competing for the same marks etc. He'll also take a bit of time to read the cues from our midfielders and they his.
   
   Having said all that, if Oscar is able to string together a consistent run of games our forward line will become much more potent with him in it. It just may take a bit of time; we need to remember that we have not yet played a match with those 3 as our key forwards, except against ourselves.
   
   
3. I was gonna leave it at those 2 but then I went to the NRL last night and I got a first hand experience of this.
   
   Despite the forecasts all through the week, it was a perfect night and the ground looked in sensational nick. Yet one team handled the ball like a football while the other handled it like a cake of soap. I got home and I was absolutely drenched.
   
   It was just so humid and I think we need to expect more of the same tonight. The common perception is that our guys are all suited to these conditions because "we train in it all the time".
   
   But this certainly has not been the case this summer; while it has been hot at times it has not been particularly humid until really the last week or so. On the other hand the Dogs seem to have a bloody good record in wet and slippery games over the last few years.
   
   So I think it will be a huge challenge tonight to be able to adapt the way we want to play to the conditions, because generally our preferred method(s) do require near-perfect conditions.

Don't get me wrong I'm pumped to get along to the footy tonight, but my expectations, short term at least, are far more tempered than most on this forum it seems.

 

[MSB ROYS]

Go Lions! Kick the winning score... please.

 

[M Malice]

Hi all. Go Lions.

Looking at Fort, a player who I thought was just a battler, but had a good final series.

Can he go to a new level? Can he be our new Ryan Lester?

I wonder how the new ruck rules will suit Forty? Seems like it will be better for more athletic rucks with a good leap, dare I say like TDK and ZZ.

 

[Toffee Lion]

Can't believe we're no longer the reigning 2024 champs...2025 went so fast.

Oh well, we're still the reigning 2025 champs now.

 

[BrainOfMorbius]

33rd season as a member loading...

Two more years until I reach unobtanium level membership

 

[briztoon]

My phone keeps telling me it's not raining today. The on/off drizzle outside says otherwise.

 

[Hollow Knight]

I fear an ambush.

 

[Hollow Knight]

33rd season as a member loading...

Two more years until I reach unobtanium level membership

I’m still salty they phased out physical membership cards and the really visually distinct tiered membership lanyards the year I hit platinum.

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

See yus at the footy
Better check the train is working tonight
Or it’s a bus trip from carindale
Better check the team out , so many new faces

Let’s go Lions

 

[Viceregal]

Will see you all in the review thread so as.not to get spoilers from the real time viewers ... in any case GO LIONS!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Elixuh]

Hoping for an entertaining game and that we don’t accidentally unfurl the white flag and get reamed by bevvo and his bleach white veneers.

 

[briztoon]

I fear an ambush.

My daughter says we'll win, as I'm not going to the game.

Following on from last years jinx. Every game I went to, we lost. Every game I stayed home, we won.

 

[Nunez]

My daughter says we'll win, as I'm not going to the game.

Following on from last years jinx. Every game I went to, we lost. Every game I stayed home, we won.

Very selfless of you to stay home despite a strong desire for Brisbane to tank.

 

[briztoon]

Very selfless of you to stay home despite a strong desire for Brisbane to tank.

Be first or be last.

There's this kid called Arki Butler...

 

[Section 5]

My phone keeps telling me it's not raining today. The on/off drizzle outside says otherwise.

Rainfall since 9am today

 

[Mr Ripper]

Still heaps of tickets available for tonight. This is... disappointing?

 

[Elixuh]

Still heaps of tickets available for tonight. This is... disappointing?

Likely because the weather has been drifting between predictions of no rain and monsoonal rain aka Simon Black’s 300th.

 

[Section 5]

Tickets still available but not all that many really
Price drop from $110 about 4 days ago to whenever they dropped them to the price now of $39 to $55

The total attendance will be more about the members and sold tickets not turning up because of the possible chance of rain
Let's see how the numbers end up. Blues Gabba opening round in 2024 was 33,367

 

[Grasshopper17]

Still heaps of tickets available for tonight. This is... disappointing?

As have been the prevailing ticket prices. The club would do well not to bite off the hand that feeds it.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Footy time!