Preview Round 16 Lions vs Bulldogs Thursday June 30th @ 7:20 PM Brisbane Time @ The Gabba

[briztoon]

Berry on a wing is so wasted. Such a bad move, especially against Dees last week. One big inside mid who has the size to tackle and match up to Viney, Oliver, Petracca and we go stick him in the wing. Atrocious.
If Fagan wants to win with this mob against finals bound teams, Berry plays at the center. Period.

Berry’s right shoulder (the one he has strapped) is rooted. He wouldn’t last one quarter playing inside mid.

That is why he’s playing wing.

 

[Shaq attack]

Going to be an interesting game for sure. Starts by not shitting the bed at selections, Tunstill and T.Berry were horrific selections especially when Matho, Prior, Ah Chee were all available and would have provided significantly more. Would love to see Fort in for Hipwood, structurally it makes us much better and Fort is a reliable kick for goal as well.

I also doubt if having three left footed tall forwards is ever going to work.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Berry’s right shoulder (the one he has strapped) is rooted. He wouldn’t last one quarter playing inside mid.

That is why he’s playing wing.

Seems to be have been holding up better lately with a couple of huge tackles

 

[M Malice]

Not to mention the huge kick in the guts the players would endure should that happen as well....players hurt from big loss's just as much (if not more) than supporters do.

Goes without saying... hopefully their confidence hasn't taken too big a hit after the Demons demolition, if it happens again on Thursday night I could see us falling completely in a hole and missing finals, only 2 wins between us and the Tigers(9th) and Saints(10th).

 

[dlanod]

Goes without saying... hopefully their confidence hasn't taken too big a hit after the Demons demolition, if it happens again on Thursday night I could see us falling completely in a hole and missing finals, only 2 wins between us and the Tigers(9th) and Saints(10th).

We might only be two wins ahead but the chasing pack also have games against each other and good teams.

We'd likely need to lose to all of GWS, St Kilda, Carlton, and Richmond to miss completely in addition to Melbourne and the Dogs given that's the basis of the discussion.

 

[Viceregal]

We have seen these guys apply a pressure fueled blowtorch to the opposition which made them look as poor as we did on Thu evening - naturally we have not made it an ongoing hallmark of our game, showed an inclination to do it for a whole game, nor exhibited one iota of it vs the Demons who were relatively un-bruised in the showers after the game.

We can do it and look better when we do do it - why we didn't and why we didn't start doing it not sure but we needed to play differently and not play like we are on top when we are under the pump.

 

[davemc_lions]

interesting watching the VFL game on the weekend
We played Ah Chee through the centre not wing.
Find it interesting we play guys like Dev and T Berry also through centre in VFL

Then play then in a different spot in the main side.
I would of liked them to try someone different and mix things up against the demons.
T Berry played wing or half forward and Dev played a run with role.

For me I worry the dogs do what the demons, Freo and Hawks did to us carve us up through the centre.
Zorko will help although rather player Bailey forward then mid. He more dangerous a lot of weeks then our other forwards.

 

[M Malice]

We might only be two wins ahead but the chasing pack also have games against each other and good teams.

We'd likely need to lose to all of GWS, St Kilda, Carlton, and Richmond to miss completely in addition to Melbourne and the Dogs given that's the basis of the discussion.

Yer I'm being overly pessimistic after returning from my gruelling trek to find my beloved Lions had been the victim of an MCG butchering.

 

[missfinland]

Berry’s right shoulder (the one he has strapped) is rooted. He wouldn’t last one quarter playing inside mid.

That is why he’s playing wing.

I'm not saying his shoulder isn't buggered, but i reckon he played out there on Langdon's wing as he was the only player on the list that has the tank to run to the level's Langdon does.

 

[mpal6]

We have seen these guys apply a pressure fueled blowtorch to the opposition which made them look as poor as we did on Thu evening - naturally we have not made it an ongoing hallmark of our game, showed an inclination to do it for a whole game, nor exhibited one iota of it vs the Demons who were relatively un-bruised in the showers after the game.

We can do it and look better when we do do it - why we didn't and why we didn't start doing it not sure but we needed to play differently and not play like we are on top when we are under the pump.

I dont know.. I've been contemplating whether its a mixture of Fagan's "best forward line, we'll win if we get it there enough times" sort of morphing into "we have the scoring power, we can take it easy on other aspects ". Or it could be that 9-1 winning streak, 3 tall forward line last year making us believe the rest of the comp will stand still while we win one with our 3 talls coming back to form..

It just feels like players were in this false sense of security that a deep run in finals is a given this year. Top of the ladder at bye didn't help either. Supporters like us were hoping after a sub-par first half of season we'll click into gear for second half. May be players thought what they're doing is good enough for a Premiership. Answer is some where in the middle of all of my dribble here.

In a way this shellacking is good news, might wake a few of them up that nothing can be taken for granted.

 

[martinson]

I dont know.. I've been contemplating whether its a mixture of Fagan's "best forward line, we'll win if we get it there enough times" sort of morphing into "we have the scoring power, we can take it easy on other aspects ". Or it could be that 9-1 winning streak, 3 tall forward line last year making us believe the rest of the comp will stand still while we win one with our 3 talls coming back to form..

It just feels like players were in this false sense of security that a deep run in finals is a given this year. Top of the ladder at bye didn't help either. Supporters like us were hoping after a sub-par first half of season we'll click into gear for second half. May be players thought what they're doing is good enough for a Premiership. Answer is some where in the middle of all of my dribble here.

In a way this shellacking is good news, might wake a few of them up that nothing can be taken for granted.

The other option is that maybe we're just not quite good enough and when we drop our intensity we really struggle.

 

[KissKiss]

I'm not saying his shoulder isn't buggered, but i reckon he played out there on Langdon's wing as he was the only player on the list that has the tank to run to the level's Langdon does.

He was and actually shut him down pretty well. Langdon had a pretty down game. Both gave each other a bit too much space at times but neither punished the opposition. Berry put in a lot of unrewarded running

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

Lots of factors, but I think you've gotta acknowledge that giving Max the sole captaincy was a major factor in Melbourne turning it around. He oozes confidence and Viney is too redline to be a consistent, calming force. You could argue that Zorko is similar to Viney, but against Dees I thought there was a noticable lack of on-field leadership with no Zorko and Harris under the pump.

this why Lester should of been picked , leadership.
This week with Zorks back , not as imperitive.
If no Zorks , Lester must be an in.

 

[McIvor]

Saw this article posted on FB which we also have to contend with = the Dogs as a whole and certain umpire pets - The 2022 Free Kick Ladder after Round 15

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

How often does the best player on the field not want to be the leader? Neale is awesome, but are teams better off when their awesome player is also the leader by nature?

Obviously just naming Neale leader doesn't work, and it's not his thing.

It's not the same, and it's a bit circular, but I'm thinking Ablett was was by far the best gc player, but he wasn't a leader. So their best player on the field was named leader and the team lacked cohesion and aggression.

Do players look to that best player and expect leadership even when someone else is the named leader. And when a different player is the leader, does the best player still draw the attention and set the tone for the rest of the players?

probably a rubbish thought expressed poorly.

Lol , I got what you were getting at in a circular fashion.
For mind you need good communicators positioned around the park in particular at the defensive end.
I think we lack a bit here. Although Robbo, Zorko are pretty good in this regard.
Look at the Suns game yesterday and their defender Tony the moustache twirler Oleg Markov was quite vocal , and pointing to areas on the park to his fellow defenders, this is what I'm on about.
Harris is out of form so maybe he is pretty quite, but someone back there needs to start steering the ship a bit.
Get vocal.
Have I mentioned Maybe get Lester back in.
Ok yes I am Lester.

 

[3KZ is Football]

Fagan seems to think that the best place for Lester is as an emergency. Well this is an EMERGENCY - Andrew’s is out of form, Adams is a disaster with the ball in hand, Payne panics and Answerth butchers it by foot. Our defence leaks goals at the best of times, but we just got done by ten goals. Ringing any bells Chris? Think it might be worth making some changes in defence? What do you think Fages? More mulligans perhaps? Think it might get better by magic? Time to wake up.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Fagan seems to think that the best place for Lester is as an emergency. Well this is an EMERGENCY - Andrew’s is out of form, Adams is a disaster with the ball in hand, Payne panics and Answerth butchers it by foot. Our defence leaks goals at the best of times, but we just got done by ten goals. Ringing any bells Chris? Think it might be worth making sone changes in defence? What do you think Fages? More mulligans perhaps? Think it might get better by magic? Time to wake up.

One of the funniest posts of all time

 

[martinson]

One of the funniest posts of all time

He does have a point though Nathan ,most of them are ordinary unreliable kicks.

Not that Lester's much of a kick either.

The difference between Hawthorn winning some flags and not was piercing kicks out of defence.

We don't have the answers to that on our list at present.

The games Zorko played in defence were a bit of an eye opener in the difference it makes when someone can consistently hit a long target.

 

[Nathan Barley]

He does have a point though Nathan ,most of them are ordinary unreliable kicks.

Not that Lester's much of a kick either.

The difference between Hawthorn winning some flags and not was piercing kicks out of defence.

We don't have the answers to that on our list at present.

The games Zorko played in defence were a bit of an eye opener in the difference it makes when someone can consistently hit a long target.

I'm happy with Kiddy, Starce and Rich. Wouldn't include Lester as a good kick though

 

[CarterS]

I'm sitting on the fence. Midfield needs a shake up but at the same time I'd be hesitant to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Could shuffle names around but its more about strategy. Be more accountable, hard to argue with Shinboner/King clips. Saying that I would prioritise tackling and put Berry/Zorko into the middle more often. Give Matho and Robertson more of time. Can't wait for Thursday.

Not sure about Tunstill and T Berry. How far off is Lohmann? I'd put him straight back in when he's ready.

 

[martinson]

The way footy has evolved presuming potential draftees have the requisite physical attributes ,which many of them do , the first thing I'd be looking at after whether they have some capacity to get the ball is whether they can hit targets under pressure. Elite kicks are like gold these days.

They always have been. But the pace of the game now means you have to able to kick under more pressure .A lot of them can't at all.

 

[RoyBoy17]

Fagan’s presser had me really worried that we have our head in the sand. I guess team selection also backs that up but he said towards the end something along the lines of ‘I’m considering whether to mulligan the game’ as opposed to addressing it thoroughly with the playing group. If we don’t as a club look into exactly what we did in preparation for that game and address our team structure and work ethic more broadly in general, citing games like hawthorn and freo as well, then that is not a high performance environment. I’m not saying rip shreds off players. We can still be direct, honest and respectful in giving any type of feedback. That’s the art of man management. But we need to get serious because teams in the bottom half are improving and sooner than later we will be left languishing in the bottom half again.

Big game this week. All we want is the right attitude from the whole playing group. Not effort in small doses and players hiding when the going gets tough.

 

[martinson]

Fagan’s presser had me really worried that we have our head in the sand. I guess team selection also backs that up but he said towards the end something along the lines of ‘I’m considering whether to mulligan the game’ as opposed to addressing it thoroughly with the playing group. If we don’t as a club look into exactly what we did in preparation for that game and address our team structure and work ethic more broadly in general, citing games like hawthorn and freo as well, then that is not a high performance environment. I’m not saying rip shreds off players. We can still be direct, honest and respectful in giving any type of feedback. That’s the art of man management. But we need to get serious because teams in the bottom half are improving and sooner than later we will be left languishing in the bottom half again.

Big game this week. All we want is the right attitude from the whole playing group. Not effort in small doses and players hiding when the going gets tough.

I'm hoping he wasn't serious and just being evasive in that presser because if he wasn't it was poison.

 

[BuntonRules]

Tom Berry is not up to it. Unfair to expose Tunstill at this stage. Prior and Ah Chee are automatics.

 

[3KZ is Football]

One of the funniest posts of all time

I aim to please.