- Aug 17, 2012
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- Brisbane Lions
There is a bit of an "Urban Group Think Myth" forming about how our forward line functioned without McStay which needs to be debunked.
McStay missed rounds Rounds 9 and 10, this is the period where our forward line apparently, according to the group think, didn't function. Well in Round 9 we kicked 14.7.91 and beat Essendon by 63 Points, which suggests to me that our forward line functioned admirably. What was "not pretty" about that scoreline? It was in fact our second highest score this season.
The next week sans Dan we had our infamous 4.17.41 game against Richmond, which we lost by 41 points. As Fagan and others pointed out, we still managed 21 scoring shots and while we may never have won, it was poor kicking that cost us that week, not the absence of Dan McStay.
DERRINALPHIL has focused on two games in particular where Dan McStay was playing and it is interesting to look at how our forward line went with him in the team and not playing well. DERRINALPHIL has also focused on McStay’s poor marking, a concern that Brownie echoed early in his call of the game on Sunday. Anyway, in Round 13 we kicked 6.14.50 and then after our bye we kicked 6.6.42, a mere point above our Richmond losing score. In both instances the presence of an out of touch McStay hasn't been of any real benefit. We won those games, but we won very ugly.
Now on the upside - Dan McStay had a very good game last round, albeit against a team that is currently 15th on the ladder. In fact, it was clearly his best for the year. The challenge he faces, and where he has struggled, is in maintaining his form and particularly reproducing it against top sides. Let's be real, Dan McStay isn't going to be dropped, so I sincerely hope, as do all Lions supporters, that he can play as well as he did against Sydney next round against Carlton and more importantly, against top flight opposition like Geelong, Richmond and Port Adelaide. We are clearly a better side when Dan is playing well.
Ah the good old using selective stats to suit your argument.
Here are the ones that McStay also played in.
Round 2: 12.9 beating Fremantle (21 shots to 19)
Round 3: 10.14 beating Eagles (24 shots to 14)
Round 4: 10.23 beating Crows (33 shots to 11)
Round 5: 12.13 beating Port (25 shots to 18)
Round 6: 6.10 losing to Geelong (16 shots to 18)
Round 7: 13.10 beating Giants (23 shots to 18)
Round 8: 7.11 beating Melbourne (18 shots to 14)
Rounds 9 & 10: Beting a hapless Essendon who are probably the worst side in the competition. and against Richmond where we were outmarked time and time again by Richmond's defenders, simply because our forwards couldn't provide a contest, but sure blame inaccuracy purely on that one.