Review Round 14, 2025 - Brisbane Lions vs. GWS

[Eochu]

Don't worry if figuring out why they lost doesn't make you feel better.

Your brain chemistry should return to baseline soon.

In the meantime, remember this team won a premiership less than a year ago. They lost a key defender at the end of the first quarter, were up by 20 points at one point and ultimately lost this game by less than two goals. Huff this copium until you feel better.

 

[Nathan Barley]

I mean that’s the crux of the issue. Being the reigning premiers sets a level of expectation but how many premiers go on to win two in a row? Especially in the modern era.

It’s incredibly difficult. Teams like GWS come into today knowing they have to be perfect, they amp themselves up for the challenge.

The competition is so even and we’ve been at the top for a decent period, teams know how to play against us. We’ve lost two games against solid opposition, who look at us as a benchmark and we were a bit below our best, it happens.

You're only considering 2 games but you have an issue with people overreacting to 1 loss

Need to look back over the whole season and look at the issues that have been consistent over 3 months of footy

 

[Nathan Barley]

It's a numbers game. There are what at least double the small players to tall players. So the chances of injuries will be to a small. Occasionally a big guy will go down and it will suck but it's less likely than the other way around

But which one hurts more; and injury that throws out your structure or being a bit slow down back or in the forwardline?

GWS definitely didn't look slow despite having the taller team

Goes back to a pet peeve of mine that apparently if we have an extra tall we're too tall or an extra small then we're too small. Why doesn't it apply to our opposition?

 

[Tom14]

Sky not falling but pretending we only got beaten because of accuracy is just delusional. Low effort performance with many not even prepared to jog at times. 28 tackles for a game is pathetic

Ding ding ding.

Intensity was awful for about an hour. Woke up briefly when the game was pretty much out of reach.

It was way too easy for them to transition out of defence and the running from the half forwards and mids was deplorable.

 

[Comeback Lions]

The key areas to fix from today are centre clearances (-8) and tackles (-14). Only 5 tackles in the forward 50. We’re letting them rebound too easily and that leads to goals. Can’t carry both Lohmann and Cameron, who don’t win enough contests and don’t tackle enough. Shagga should come in next week for one of them at least. The defensive structures at the centre bounce need work, so we’re at least putting pressure on if we don’t win the clearance. Fix those two areas and the goal kicking will right itself sooner or later.

 

[Sproj]

We'll come good but we need an injection from some of the twos and a rocket up Charlie and Lohmann.

I'd say drop Charlie and Lohmann and give Levi a break.

Bring in Marshall, Beecken and Doedee or Gardiner or whomever.

 

[deklares]

Sky not falling but pretending we only got beaten because of accuracy is just delusional. Low effort performance with many not even prepared to jog at times. 28 tackles for a game is pathetic

I mean we had 9 more scoring shots so for all our other deficiencies we generated enough opportunities to win. The fact we didn't means the difference was accuracy.

 

[Ohitsthatguy]

Well pretty easy to see how we lost that one.

18 behinds.

 

[Toffee Lion]

You're only considering 2 games but you have an issue with people overreacting to 1 loss

Need to look back over the whole season and look at the issues that have been consistent over 3 months of footy

I mean my issue doesn’t pertain to just today or this little stretch, it’s the constant whining & nitpicking that has occurred all year.

Players getting slagged left & right who only a late last year were lauded. Everyone knows we can play better, doesn’t mean they aren’t trying.

 

[Nathan Barley]

I mean we had 9 more scoring shots so for all our other deficiencies we generated enough opportunities to win. The fact we didn't means the difference was accuracy.

Jesus.....

 

[Nathan Barley]

I mean my issue doesn’t pertain to just today or this little stretch, it’s the constant whining & nitpicking that has occurred all year.

Players getting slagged left & right who only a late last year were lauded. Everyone knows we can play better, doesn’t mean they aren’t trying.

My concern is that it took something special to go on the run we did last year and that likely required the hunger of a small grand final loss.

We can't be relying on that level of effort every year. Need to find some consistency

 

[deklares]

Jesus.....

Nah I'm not. But if you still have life in the keyboard you've beaten to a pulp today during the game thread like you do on a weekly basis, care to elaborate?

 

[Nathan Barley]

Nah I'm not. But if you still have life in the keyboard you've beaten to a pulp today during the game thread like you do on a weekly basis, care to elaborate?

I'm sure it had nothing to do with us applying no pressure on their ball carrier

How many out the back goals did they kick compared to us? Unpressure running into an open goal I'm talking about

I'd say the amount of behinds reflects ball movement much more than quality of the kicks for goal

 

[McLuggages]

Can we talk about Levi? He loses almost every 1-1 he goes for in the air and on the ground, and hasn't laid a tackle in 3 games. His posessions generally put a team mate under pressure and if they don't they have zero hurt factor. He's one of a few weak links letting us down.

He's incredibly smart and skillful but not quite ready. Put him in the twos and see if he can't lift for finals.

 

[Toffee Lion]

My concern is that it took something special to go on the run we did last year and that likely required the hunger of a small grand final loss.

We can't be relying on that level of effort every year. Need to find some consistency

I agree with this and certainly fear that our chance of B2B is looking quite low now but both Adelaide & GWS were very winnable.

My personal hope is we can do a Collingwood and reset into 2026 with hopefully a key forward signing like Allen, a new ruck and less injuries (Most doubtful here).

For this year, if we can reset a little off the bye and pinch Top 4, I’d still like our chances come finals. All this team needs to do is peak at the right time but we certainly aren’t peaking right now.

 

[JB42]

Charlie Cameron

23

Charlie Cameron

Age

31

Ht

180cm

Wt

76kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.1

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.2

5star

G

1.5

5star

D

9.6

2star

K

7.9

3star

HB

1.7

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.7

3star

G

1.9

5star

D

9.6

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.2

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.2

4star

does not want to do the hard things like chasing or tackling anymore. His primary role is to chase and pressure, he has not chosen to/or is incapable of doing it anymore. Time to call it. Cameron out.

Levi Ashcroft needs to play some seconds football. Looks tired. Only runs one way. No second efforts. There were times today where as a wing, he ran forward looking for a cheap touch and watched the Giants transition it back and just walked back to his position. Plays like a private school boy. Needs to pay his dues, do the team things and earn a spot in the side.

Will Ashcroft won't chase or tackle and his dump kicks are killing us.

 

[martinson]

I mean my issue doesn’t pertain to just today or this little stretch, it’s the constant whining & nitpicking that has occurred all year.

Players getting slagged left & right who only a late last year were lauded. Everyone knows we can play better, doesn’t mean they aren’t trying.

Every player on every team tries.

Keeping up the intensity and effort over the course of a game to win it is where you need to be often enough to have a successful season. We've been deficient in that area in many games this year but good enough to get away with it sometimes.

Hardly anyone's been whining and nitpicking as far as I can tell. If we're here to be in contention this year just putting forward the reasons why we may not be.

Effort wasn't there for portions of today's game and that's what cost us and allowed them to snag so many easy entries.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Ah Chee, Ashcroft, Berry, Bailey and McCluggage kicked 2 goals and 11 behinds between them.

Mostly all pressured shots on goal or low percentage set shots (outside 50 or on the boundary line). I think only Berry missed an easy one

So let's direct our goal kicking issues towards those who missed

 

[deklares]

I'm sure it had nothing to do with us applying no pressure on their ball carrier

How many out the back goals did they kick compared to us? Unpressure running into an open goal I'm talking about

I'd say the amount of behinds reflects ball movement much more than quality of the kicks for goal

I didn't say there weren't other deficiencies aside from accuracy. The fact we generated those 9 extra scoring shots says that in spite of our lack of pressure on the ball carrier, the opportunities were there. Opportunities they didn't take and it's been an issue for years.

 

[StevoJenkins]

The good:

• Starce got through a game
• Fort was pretty good outside of one kick
• Zorko made good decisions for a change

The bad:

• Payne. Joyce or Gardiner play next week (nothing against either of those two, but Payne ain't playing).
• All of our smalls are out of form
• The midfield only has 3 quarters in the tank, if that
• No contested markers in the forward line, but we keep bombing it and burn free players
• Umpiring is ****ing awful, literally not paying stuff they paid 60 seconds ago
• Our players keep getting held without the ball, but the umps are completely unwilling to pay free kicks to us. It's almost as if the AFL is making the team pay for winning the granny. All over the ground, every week, all I see is us getting roughed up or held repeatedly without the ball.

What we need to fix in the bye:

• Three words - Goal kicking coach. Surely someone out there is willing to teach these guys how to kick.
• Fitness. Need to figure out a way to put in a four quarter effort.
• Better awareness. Can't keep holding up play or burning a player in a better position. Players seemed to either not make themselves available or just didn't see the clear free player to kick to.

Don't know how we do those last two, but good luck to the coaching panel. Can't seem to win convincingly at home.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Cadman and Hogan 5 contested marks each

 

[McLuggages]

Levi Ashcroft needs to play some seconds football. Looks tired. Only runs one way. No second efforts. There were times today where as a wing, he ran forward looking for a cheap touch and watched the Giants transition it back and just walked back to his position. Plays like a private school boy. Needs to pay his dues, do the team things and earn a spot in the side.

Agreed. Also backs out of contact.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Agreed. Also backs out of contact.

Which is why I get surprised when some on this board think he needs to play in the middle and attend centre clearances

 

[dlanod]

Brisbane at the gabba is the ultimate issue here. We haven't rocked up at the ground once this season. This won't change until it's addressed.

Fagan has the perfect plan. Finish 7th. We'll be unstoppable.

 

[Brizzys Squizzy]

And yet some people on here act like we are in the doldrums. You can’t win every game, poor kicking today cost us, not much else.

Also took a miracle game from GWS to kick as straight as they did, it happens.

The sky is not falling.

Our kicking has been a problem for long time , but have to slightly disagree with the nothing else bit. Our offensive pressure and midfield defensive efforts are terrible and a huge concern at the moment.