Review Round 13, 2025 - Adelaide vs. Brisbane Lions

[M Malice]

To be fair to Dev, he did the setup handball for Answerth to kick the sealer against Essendon. He was losing his feet but desperately got after the ball and to his intended recipient. It didn't come off this game but it happens.

Dev needs a bigger job than be running around as a small forward which is not even a spot he plays in 2s as far as I'm aware. Next time we could give Dunkley a break and see if Dev could tag Dawson as a change up.

Agree, being sub for a string of games and getting on late is hardly a decent opportunity for Dev to show his wares.

Unfortunately for Dev I think his time with us is up, he will finally see the writing on the wall, with Sam Marshall showing some good signs and the highly rated Daniel Annable coming in 2026 he will ask to be traded.

I can't envision us extending his contract this time.

 

[Happy_Neale]

To be fair to Dev, he did the setup handball for Answerth to kick the sealer against Essendon. He was losing his feet but desperately got after the ball and to his intended recipient. It didn't come off this game but it happens.

Dev needs a bigger job than be running around as a small forward which is not even a spot he plays in 2s as far as I'm aware. Next time we could give Dunkley a break and see if Dev could tag Dawson as a change up.

Dawson would eat Dev for breakfast unfortunately. Would not be able to go with him for any period of time

 

[knaf]

I feel for Dev - coming on in the final quarter in a tense period, not having played a full game in the seniors for a very long time. He’s no doubt going to be nervous and over eager to do the right thing - which typically results in doing the wrong thing.
Unlikely he’ll get another full game in the seniors, there’s too many other players ahead of him.
I really hope he gets another chance in a less stacked side next season and makes a career for himself. Prior and Sharp are both getting games at the clubs they’ve gone to. Not exactly setting the world on fire, but doing the job. No doubt Dev can do the same.

I agree with your observation on Prior and Sharp. Watching most reserves games over the last few year, I thought that Dev was clearly a better player, yet posters continually go with “not afl quality” in their assessment of Dev. What does that mean? He is a hard at it inside mid who does not have great disposal. Playing him as sub isnt doing him any favours. But we can’t criticise the coach and selection process because they took us to a premiership last year.

 

[Nathan Barley]

I feel for Dev - coming on in the final quarter in a tense period, not having played a full game in the seniors for a very long time. He’s no doubt going to be nervous and over eager to do the right thing - which typically results in doing the wrong thing.
Unlikely he’ll get another full game in the seniors, there’s too many other players ahead of him.
I really hope he gets another chance in a less stacked side next season and makes a career for himself. Prior and Sharp are both getting games at the clubs they’ve gone to. Not exactly setting the world on fire, but doing the job. No doubt Dev can do the same.

Dev doesn't have the same flexibility as those guys. Unfortunately he's kind of a one trick pony and hasn't shown enough improvement in other areas of his game

Not sure how his kicking can still be as bad as it was when he was drafted

 

[M Malice]

I agree with your observation on Prior and Sharp. Watching most reserves games over the last few year, I thought that Dev was clearly a better player, yet posters continually go with “not afl quality” in their assessment of Dev. What does that mean? He is a hard at it inside mid who does not have great disposal. Playing him as sub isnt doing him any favours. But we can’t criticise the coach and selection process because they took us to a premiership last year.

Our midfield is stacked with quality, the majority of players in the competition who are in their clubs regular mid rotations would not get games with us in the midfield unless you are an elite mid eg. Bontempelli/Dawson etc.

No blight on Dev in being unable to nail down a mid spot in our current midfield.

 

[Nunez]

Bruce is the ideal sub. He isn't quite there in a best 22 role, but coming on as sub against tiring opponents means he can make the most of his fitness and weapons.

 

[Ceebee]

Does anyone know why McKenna is out of favour at the moment?

 

[mpal6]

Does anyone know why McKenna is out of favour at the moment?

Was meant to post this yesterday. No idea why he isn't in the lineup. One possible reason is we want to continue with Levi on the line up so we have pushed Fletcher back to cover Starce i.e there is no place for McKenna.

 

[Section 5]

Does anyone know why McKenna is out of favour at the moment?

I am not sure where we play him other than sub this year with our depth.

Even with Kiddy, Starch & Doedee out of the side the club chose Fletcher to fill that back spot
He was trailed forward this year as we had less depth in that area.
McLachlan now likely ahead of him and Reville can come into the wing/forward with Bailey then staying more forward

McKenna OOC next year and i think he may return home to play out his career in Gaelic Football.
He is 29 and had a good AFL career with 127 games.
He got the ultimate prize of playing in 2 GF and winning one.

 

[mpal6]

It’s the fact we kicked 0.8 from a million inside 5Os, to 5.0. Doesn’t matter how well we played, we choked harder than some adult movies I’ve watched. That last quarter was horrendous.

I would be upset if there wasn't a million inside 50s. If we completely dropped the bundle and coasted along to a defeat, that would be genuine alarm bells to be honest.

Contested possession - won
Clearances - won
Inside 50s - won
Controlled the game for 3 quarters
Tried our very best to win the last quarter too

All metrics are on the positive and we would've been deserving winners for the game/gamestyle we played on friday.

 

[Happy_Neale]

It’s the fact we kicked 0.8 from a million inside 5Os, to 5.0. Doesn’t matter how well we played, we choked harder than some adult movies I’ve watched. That last quarter was horrendous.

Your use of the letter O in number 50 really bothers me

 

[lioninthesand]

Some

Hilarious. This is one of those weeks where if you said the result at the start, after our effort vs Essendon and Adelaide vs the Swans everyone would be leaping over themselves to take it

But because of how it played out over the last three hours instead it's embarrassing, pathetic, shambles, etc etc etc.

We had every chance to get it through in the last but just because the commentators are shitting all over us that doesn't make it true - we were fighting a Lyons-esque flood so it's not like we were getting clean shots time and again.

I agree. The response here has been largely over the top.

We were fantastic, super proud of the effort. To stay in the hunt, on the road, in shit conditions, againts a good side was great.

Yeah we didn’t convert in the end, but that’s footy. There’s been games we’ve won because the oppo let us off the hook, it was our turn to fumble the game.

We are in good order - the boys will take confidence from that.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Does anyone know why McKenna is out of favour at the moment?

Was meant to post this yesterday. No idea why he isn't in the lineup. One possible reason is we want to continue with Levi on the line up so we have pushed Fletcher back to cover Starce i.e there is no place for McKenna.

Have either of you watched him in the VFL this year?

 

[knaf]

Have either of you watched him in the VFL this year?

This

 

[Section 5]

Your use of the letter O in number 50 really bothers me

 

[Berrygood]

One learning that I hope comes out of this game is that when we play a team with 3 strong tall fwds we may need to play Gardiner as the 3rd tall defender instead of Lester or even Doedee. Lester n Fletcher were just out muscled buy Tex n Co a few times. Gardiner stronger n more robust. Horses for courses sometimes.

 

[Sunny Land]

Crows defended well. Makes for awful footy to have your whole team in an oppositions defensive 50 all game but it worked. Stifled a lot of the Lions small forwards.

Hipwood needs a training block. In my 30 odd years of supporting this club he’s arguably the worst player I’ve seen to somehow still get games. And that’s including spuds like Lisle and Close.

And you have the cheek to call someone else a troll!!!

 

[braddsey]

One learning that I hope comes out of this game is that when we play a team with 3 strong tall fwds we may need to play Gardiner as the 3rd tall defender instead of Lester or even Doedee. Lester n Fletcher were just out muscled buy Tex n Co a few times. Gardiner stronger n more robust. Horses for courses sometimes.

…and yet Walker kicked 1.1. Thilthorpe kicked 1.1. Fogarty kicked 0.0, and they took 11 marks between them.
So while our boys may have been out muscles 1-on-1, they bring other things to the game that Gardiner doesn’t offer.

 

[Happy_Neale]

Hipwood needs a training block. In my 30 odd years of supporting this club he’s arguably the worst player I’ve seen to somehow still get games. And that’s including spuds like Lisle and Close.

Shithouse comment

 

[mpal6]

…and yet Walker kicked 1.1. Thilthorpe kicked 1.1. Fogarty kicked 0.0, and they took 11 marks between them.
So while our boys may have been out muscles 1-on-1, they bring other things to the game that Gardiner doesn’t offer.

Agreed. I expected one of their talls to get off the chain but the fact that we kept them to 2 goals in total shows our Andrews / Payne / Lester defensive setup work pretty well together.

If anything Starcevich would've helped in terms of playing against Keays or Rachele, at least keeping one quiet.

 

[mpal6]

Have either of you watched him in the VFL this year?

He was rated as in peak condition during pre-season but his selection has been patchy. When Starce went down there was a window where we needed pacey half back but he was still going in and out of side or as a sub. Not sure what's the go there but if he's sulking it up in 2s that's not going to improve his chances.

 

[martinson]

Dev was a bit stiff. He had zero chance of nailing that around the corner but the Adelaide player ran off the mark before play on was called and he kicked it straight into him. Should've been a 50 and Dev could've been a hero.

I think it was Berry who was just as close to the OOB as Dev and he should've run in to grab the ball because the last player you'd want taking that kick is Dev. Dev's other chance to goal was a very poor execution of snap. He looked a bit crestfallen , he could've won the game for us.

 

[Ceebee]

Have either of you watched him in the VFL this year?

No .

 

[Section 5]

…and yet Walker kicked 1.1. Thilthorpe kicked 1.1. Fogarty kicked 0.0, and they took 11 marks between them.
So while our boys may have been out muscles 1-on-1, they bring other things to the game that Gardiner doesn’t offer.

Agreed. I expected one of their talls to get off the chain but the fact that we kept them to 2 goals in total shows our Andrews / Payne / Lester defensive setup work pretty well together.

If anything Starcevich would've helped in terms of playing against Keays or Rachele, at least keeping one quiet.

To be fair it was not a good night for talls in general.
The conditions were not great to start with so that is a big help for defenders as long as they don't infringe.

Hippy, Morris & Gallop all 0.0 to go with Fogarty 0.0

 

[Sherrinator]

Dev was no good but gallop did nothing. He gets a pass because it’s his debut and a tough night for a key forward but think he’s a way off being a contributor.

Gallop was pretty good. Our small forwards have got to learn how to be ready to crumb the ball. Problem is they all think they are tall forwards and try to mark it.