Preview Round 21 2021, Fremantle vs Brisbane Lions, Optus, Sunday 8th Aug 5:10pm AEST

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M Malice

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Look, I agree that with our current formline, we're a longer shot than we were a month ago, but that's how quickly form changes. Can turn it around in a fortnight. Fair to say our complacency should be obliterated by now too. These sort of windows don't last long - writing off a season before the finals is just a strange idea.

Have a few weeks to get some form, get some players back, and finish around 6th.

W1 final against someone like the Dockers or Eagles, at home, which we should be favourites for.
Then week 2, 3 and 4 you're in the same boat as 5 other teams - win out or drop out. Won't be any gimmes from there (though I'd love to run into Port in the finals - think we've got their number), but that's what happens in finals.
Spot on spotthedog1, Mark Stone and Harris Andrews on the Roar Deal both said the problem over the last month has been a lack of pressure and intensity from the boys, they can still turn that around. My only concern would be whether their confidence has taken too big a hit, if confidence goes that can be bloody hard to turn around, IMO it is a fragile thing.
 
May 20, 2015
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I feel we should be talking about the coaching staff this game rather than beating up on players and think who is in or out. We are all agreed we are missing some spark, some mojo, some desire. We have show even over the last 5 weeks that we can turn it on and our good is very good but just being delivered in short bursts. I feel now we will see what the coaching team is like, the turn around is to come, collectively, in the player's heads. How does Fagan and team turn this around? he certainly has tried yelling at them, they tried some positional changes last week late in the game to mix things up. We do often talk about players being home in their own beds and into their usual routine, I think being away where the group can be observed and the amount of contact hours lifted substantially is good for the coaches to find the solution. I'm still of the belief we are a chance at the Cup but we have to turn this around now.
 
Apr 4, 2015
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I feel we should be talking about the coaching staff this game rather than beating up on players and think who is in or out. We are all agreed we are missing some spark, some mojo, some desire. We have show even over the last 5 weeks that we can turn it on and our good is very good but just being delivered in short bursts. I feel now we will see what the coaching team is like, the turn around is to come, collectively, in the player's heads. How does Fagan and team turn this around? he certainly has tried yelling at them, they tried some positional changes last week late in the game to mix things up. We do often talk about players being home in their own beds and into their usual routine, I think being away where the group can be observed and the amount of contact hours lifted substantially is good for the coaches to find the solution. I'm still of the belief we are a chance at the Cup but we have to turn this around now.
I'd like to think we're some hope at the cup but I honestly don't think we're good enough if you look at say the 5 or 6 least proficient players in our team . Plus we'd need all our guns firing anyway which is a big ask the way they're going.

But we can certainly win a home final. The week after is more problematic depending on whom and where.

I'd love Adams and Gardiner back. Every time Adams has gone down its taken ages longer than predicted and Dizz has a chronic injury so we're just hoping he'll be right up to speed as well.

Just being realistic.
 

M Malice

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I'd like to think we're some hope at the cup but I honestly don't think we're good enough if you look at say the 5 or 6 least proficient players in our team . Plus we'd need all our guns firing anyway which is a big ask the way they're going.

But we can certainly win a home final. The week after is more problematic depending on whom and where.

I'd love Adams and Gardiner back. Every time Adams has gone down its taken ages longer than predicted and Dizz has a chronic injury so we're just hoping he'll be right up to speed as well.

Just being realistic.
Interesting, I have heard said before that you can judge the strength of a team by the standard of their bottom 6 players, if we assume Gardiner and Adams both come in for finals(hypothetically for Lester & Madden) I would have the following as our bottom 6 >

Jarrod Berry(on current form), Grant Birchall, Tom Fullarton, Callum Ah Chee, Jack Payne, Nakia Cockatoo(??).

Not a bad bottom 6 overall IMO.
 
Apr 4, 2015
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Interesting, I have heard said before that you can judge the strength of a team by the standard of their bottom 6 players, if we assume Gardiner and Adams both come in for finals(hypothetically for Lester & Madden) I would have the following as our bottom 6 >

Jarrod Berry(on current form), Grant Birchall, Tom Fullarton, Callum Ah Chee, Jack Payne, Nakia Cockatoo(??).

Not a bad bottom 6 overall IMO.
A premiership bottom 6 ?

Na.

If they're all fit and play to their best , maybe.
 

M Malice

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A premiership bottom 6 ?

Na.

If they're all fit and play to their best , maybe.
Having a look at the Tigers premiership team from last year, bottom 6 IMO >

Marlion Pickett, Jack Graham, Jason Castagna, Nathan Broad, Kane Lambert, Daniel Rioli.

You're probably right, some very good role players in that 6.
 

Berrygood

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When a team gets a jump on us, or gets a few goals lead we seem to have this one or two step hesitancy when going for the man or ball. Instead of just committing and going for it, we hold off just a fraction looking to tackle or anticipating a hand ball. As an example of this on the weekend Bruest was chasing a ball to the boundary, Starcevich was right on his heals, he held off one step expecting Bruest to pick the ball up and was then going to drive him over the line. That split second gave Bruest the opportunity to bat the ball back to another hawk and led to a goal. I'm not singling Starce out, it's happening all over the field. Is it a drop in confidence in some of those around them when there's scoreboard pressure, are they worried about the consequences of going in hard and the ball or man still getting away? The same thing was happening at the start of season, then, when we committed, went for it our pressure and form and wins improved.

We gotta stop falling off tackles too. Again is that a commitment thing or just poor technique? A bit of cross code training here in the pre season might be a good idea.

Are there other factors causing our form slump? Is it too much uncertain travel, the constant covid testing and quarantine, a lack of time on the training track, half the squad on the road, half at home not getting game time? Has the pressure of expectations caught up? What ever it is, I can't see this slump ending soon. We are a real chance to lose all three remaining games, games we should win, unless something changes.

I do really hope it all clicks against Freo and our season gets back on track.
 
The weird part is we have the cattle to get this done and go deep in finals. I strongly believe we can get to a prelim if we're serious and bring pressure from the first bounce. I get very annoyed when I see hands on hips and dropped heads 5 minutes in. Absolutely kills me watching us act that way.

Boys need to watch our AFLW Lions games a bit. For all their lack of skill, the girls absolutely gave it a red hot go every single game this season. Pressure, chase, tackle, there was nothing easy in their game style but there was no let up all over the ground.
 
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The weird part is we have the cattle to get this done and go deep in finals. I strongly believe we can get to a prelim if we're serious and bring pressure from the first bounce. I get very annoyed when I see hands on hips and dropped heads 5 minutes in. Absolutely kills me watching us act that way.

Boys need to watch our AFLW Lions games a bit. For all their lack of skill, the girls absolutely gave it a red hot go every single game this season. Pressure, chase, tackle, there was nothing easy in their game style but there was no let up all over the ground.

Yep, agree. Very disappointed to see the collective heads drop as soon as we get 2 goals kicked on us.

What else does Tom Berry need to do to get a game? At least he is someone that will give his 110% everytime.
 

I'm just a couch supporter, but the greats have spoken.
Time for the boys to stand up and be accountable.
 

briztoon

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What else does Tom Berry need to do to get a game? At least he is someone that will give his 110% everytime.
Tom’s got all the athletic tools, but his disposal by hand, and especially by foot, leaves a lot to be desired.

His best position is in the midfield, but he’s a fair way down the pecking order, just ahead of Ely Smith.
 
Apr 4, 2015
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I'm just a couch supporter, but the greats have spoken.
Time for the boys to stand up and be accountable.
Blacky summed up Charlie in a nutshell.

Everyone knows we have to get numbers around the ball ,win contested footy and overall lift our workrate. The answer is easy. Implementing it is the hard part when Neale is half banged up . We just lack another classy strong inside mid . Not one on our list either . CEY and Matho aren't up to it . Hopefully Rayner can come back as an improved player.
 
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I am a cricket tragic, having a full set of Wisdens and a room of 1800's cricket books. Cricketers have talked about form for two hundred years but we footy fans don't. During cricket season my coaches would always talk about watching the ball. Never did I hear that from any footy coach.

I reckon we are out of form and we need to start watching the ball.
 

LionsMaw

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Late sub in for my first preview;

After the game was moved earlier in the year to the GABBA due to COVID it seems the shoe is on the other foot with Brisbane in lockdown for at least the week and WA having crowds at the footy. It is no easy task to travel to Perth and play either WA side and last time we played Freo there in 2019 Walters hit the post after the siren to give them the win.

LAST TIME WE MET: Round 8 Lions 14.11 (95) to 10.11 (71)

We got on top of them early leading by 21 at quarter time and 34 at the half, Charlie lit it up kicking 3 goals 5 and taking 11 marks to put in his best performance of the year and who can forget this piece of magic by McCluggage.

View attachment 1194433

LAST WEEK

Lions:
Disappointing game overall papered over the cracks in the last quarter with a too little too late charge to give us a sniff late. The game was lost early with a lack of pressure around the ball, combined with poor ball movement gave us too much to do after giving up a big start. Hawks also made us look silly a few times breaking tackles and strolling the ball from D50 to F50. On a positive note McStay looks like he's put his goal kicking woes behind him (touch wood) kicking 4 straight taking his tally to 21 goals 7 for the year and Cockatoo hit some juicy corridor kicks and showed some glimpses of the player he can be.

Freo: Got over the line by 4 point in a nail-biter against the Tigers to keep their finals hopes alive and hopefully kill the Tigers chances. They shot themselves in the foot early kicking 2 goals 6 in the first quarter and could of put the game to bed if they had of converted their gettable chances. Andrew Brayshaw continued his outstanding year with another BOG performance with 39 touches 12 tackles and 8 clearances.

CHANGES

Lions:
No injuries for us but would like to see Prior in for Birchall and Robertson in for Madden
Freo: Will have 1 forced change with Banfield concussed but are unlikely for change a winning side

WHO WINS

Freo need to keep winning to stay in the finals hunt and on their home deck, with a vocal crowd the Lions will be in for a tough game especially if we don't bring our pressure around the ball and put a stamp on the game early.

I'd like to see Dev Robertson come back into the team as we have seen him do jobs on opposition players and Brayshaw was susceptible to a tag early in the year with Carlton and the Hawks keeping him quiet. Hopefully Charlie can find some form and play a similar game to earlier in the year and build some confidence running into finals.

Need to go back to the fundamental of our game style and bring the manic pressure and ferocity at the contest and hopefully the rest will build from there.
LIONS BY 21 with Charlie and Daniher to kick 4 a piece. 🦁🦁🦁🦁


Am gonna go super optimistic and say us by 60pts. The boys (hopefully) feel terrible after that boring, apathetic car crash last week and come out and monster a freo side buoyed by a win over everyone's least favourite recent flag winners. I'm also going to pick my 5 players now who I think will have blinders:

1. Zorks
2. Clug
3. Linc
4. McStay
5. Charlie
Honourable mentions, Harris, Lyons, Bailey. Other honourable mentions, the R.O.T.T.

ETA: Lachie not playing
 
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bato

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Does Lachie actually have gastro or is he not wanting to disclose a potential injury?
 
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