dlanod
Moderator
- Sep 14, 2006
- 52,399
- 81,189
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- Moderator
- #1
Date– Saturday, August 29
Time – 2:10 pm
Venue – Aurora Stadium
Weather - 12° Partly cloudy
Preview by blackpowerlappin
It was sometime around the end of the draft and final list lodgements when I received one of numerous phone calls from the ferrals I call mates who are Collingwood flogs. For the thousandth time I was advised we could have Beams and we can go and get….. and that he wouldn't run two ways and that Pendlebury, Swan made him look better, than he was, yada, yada, Throw in Christiansen, Robinson, natural improvement and I was chock a block full of excitement for 2015.
The question was, How was I gonna survive until round 1 when we flog those Collingwood campaigners. This was a cert, I loaded up at Sportsbet- very much in the same style and confidence as the infamous Bulldogs Rd 1 clash. I was that excited and pumped whilst driving through the Northern suburbs of Melbourne, that I began anthem’ing, and fist pumping to “We Built this City”. We built this midfield I was thinking to myself, how we gonna fit these midfielders in was going to be my catch cry to me mates who weren't Lions.
Fast forward to Rd 21, I'm paying out on a couple Jim Beams, Corona Slabs and even lattes after the Ferals will finish on top of us.
Onto matters at hand and this is a very critical round 21 encounter, critical as it is Supercoach GF week. Thank jesus, the apostles, Mother Mary and the Holy Spirit that this game really won't count much for the Hawks. They're going to Western Australia for the first week of the finals, they got a percentage the Greeks would dance for and they have the most perfect opposition to combat, us! We are more than happy to accommodate the Hawks with a team of kids which should enable them to run in second gear throughout the game. We must have come to a draft arrangement with the silvertails (Carlton) prior to the Melbourne game as I can't possibly fathom why they were happy to hammer the Dees unless they have their target sewn up.
Its been interesting watching the Fox Footy boys pinpoint and analyse the way to beat the Hawks - the bubble stuff, the two standing on the mark bizo, the stopping them from marking the ball 100 times, and the “you have score over 100 pts” to beat em scenarios. They will not have to worry about any of that stuff from us this weekend. At our best, and with our best 22 fit and firing I reckon we have the ability and attributes to do all those things for periods of time but unfortunately this season and the one before has robbed us of knowing what our best really is. This year was worse than last year with injuries and lack of continuity to our best players robbing us, in particular most of our Key position players and most of our best midfielders for significant periods. Players like Rich, Redden, Hanley, Rockliff, both Beams, Christiansen, Harwood, Green, Mayes and Aish have all had significant periods out and really haven't looked at their best at all on their returns. There’s probably a few I have forgotten. Our KPFs, may not be stars but as with any team they are important to structures and most importantly can provide you with easy goals that reward the work up the ground. For the Lions we have missed that most of the year and the lack of Tall targets makes the game style look hopeless at times and leaves us averaging under 10 goals a game.
I’m in the camp that believes we are better than our ladder position represents, but the frustration for the Lion faithful is we really don’t know what our best can be.
The Hawks have the game that all of us aspire our teams to play and nothing will change that this weekend. We will struggle to hold Roughy, Gunstan and Breust and it may get offensive or delicious, which ever side of the fence you sit, if Cyril turns on the footy pr0n like he did a couple of weeks ago. Oops I forgot to mention Puopolo, Smith, Mitchell, Lewis, and S Burgoyne who has been hurting us since ’04. I am pretty sure we haven’t beaten the Hawks for at least 5 years, so I will be tuning in hoping for a competitive effort.
At the Lions we currently have a developing back line that lacks the strength, but with blokes like Gardiner, Clarke, Andrews, Paparone and an old timer like Merrett in the KPD stocks we think we are developing a competitive key position group. We have some great ball users like Rich and Hanley that ideally would help us to launch the run and gun style that best suits us but we will need to wait for next year now to see that become a consistent feature of our game. There is no doubt we could do with some more running defenders and mids with elite kicking to compliment our best style of game.
The Hawk midfield is as accomplished as it gets, probably lacks a bit of pace outside Hill and Smith but we all are very clear on how good they are and have been. This game will be another one in the development workbook for our group. With the huge off season it appears we are about to endure it will be interesting to see who we have on the books next year. One thing we do know is there will be a few more stay at home Queenslanders and at least an elite KPF and KPD or two drafted.
For the Hawks, a word of warning. This year appears to be similar to the 04 season for the Lions. An extra interstate trip in September due to games lost to Richmond and Port will count against you in the end, especially if you come up against pace.
My thoughts on this one is a valiant 70 point loss to the Lions. Hopefully the flood gates don’t open until the last quarter.
Time – 2:10 pm
Venue – Aurora Stadium
Weather - 12° Partly cloudy
Preview by blackpowerlappin
It was sometime around the end of the draft and final list lodgements when I received one of numerous phone calls from the ferrals I call mates who are Collingwood flogs. For the thousandth time I was advised we could have Beams and we can go and get….. and that he wouldn't run two ways and that Pendlebury, Swan made him look better, than he was, yada, yada, Throw in Christiansen, Robinson, natural improvement and I was chock a block full of excitement for 2015.
The question was, How was I gonna survive until round 1 when we flog those Collingwood campaigners. This was a cert, I loaded up at Sportsbet- very much in the same style and confidence as the infamous Bulldogs Rd 1 clash. I was that excited and pumped whilst driving through the Northern suburbs of Melbourne, that I began anthem’ing, and fist pumping to “We Built this City”. We built this midfield I was thinking to myself, how we gonna fit these midfielders in was going to be my catch cry to me mates who weren't Lions.
Fast forward to Rd 21, I'm paying out on a couple Jim Beams, Corona Slabs and even lattes after the Ferals will finish on top of us.
Onto matters at hand and this is a very critical round 21 encounter, critical as it is Supercoach GF week. Thank jesus, the apostles, Mother Mary and the Holy Spirit that this game really won't count much for the Hawks. They're going to Western Australia for the first week of the finals, they got a percentage the Greeks would dance for and they have the most perfect opposition to combat, us! We are more than happy to accommodate the Hawks with a team of kids which should enable them to run in second gear throughout the game. We must have come to a draft arrangement with the silvertails (Carlton) prior to the Melbourne game as I can't possibly fathom why they were happy to hammer the Dees unless they have their target sewn up.
Its been interesting watching the Fox Footy boys pinpoint and analyse the way to beat the Hawks - the bubble stuff, the two standing on the mark bizo, the stopping them from marking the ball 100 times, and the “you have score over 100 pts” to beat em scenarios. They will not have to worry about any of that stuff from us this weekend. At our best, and with our best 22 fit and firing I reckon we have the ability and attributes to do all those things for periods of time but unfortunately this season and the one before has robbed us of knowing what our best really is. This year was worse than last year with injuries and lack of continuity to our best players robbing us, in particular most of our Key position players and most of our best midfielders for significant periods. Players like Rich, Redden, Hanley, Rockliff, both Beams, Christiansen, Harwood, Green, Mayes and Aish have all had significant periods out and really haven't looked at their best at all on their returns. There’s probably a few I have forgotten. Our KPFs, may not be stars but as with any team they are important to structures and most importantly can provide you with easy goals that reward the work up the ground. For the Lions we have missed that most of the year and the lack of Tall targets makes the game style look hopeless at times and leaves us averaging under 10 goals a game.
I’m in the camp that believes we are better than our ladder position represents, but the frustration for the Lion faithful is we really don’t know what our best can be.
The Hawks have the game that all of us aspire our teams to play and nothing will change that this weekend. We will struggle to hold Roughy, Gunstan and Breust and it may get offensive or delicious, which ever side of the fence you sit, if Cyril turns on the footy pr0n like he did a couple of weeks ago. Oops I forgot to mention Puopolo, Smith, Mitchell, Lewis, and S Burgoyne who has been hurting us since ’04. I am pretty sure we haven’t beaten the Hawks for at least 5 years, so I will be tuning in hoping for a competitive effort.
At the Lions we currently have a developing back line that lacks the strength, but with blokes like Gardiner, Clarke, Andrews, Paparone and an old timer like Merrett in the KPD stocks we think we are developing a competitive key position group. We have some great ball users like Rich and Hanley that ideally would help us to launch the run and gun style that best suits us but we will need to wait for next year now to see that become a consistent feature of our game. There is no doubt we could do with some more running defenders and mids with elite kicking to compliment our best style of game.
The Hawk midfield is as accomplished as it gets, probably lacks a bit of pace outside Hill and Smith but we all are very clear on how good they are and have been. This game will be another one in the development workbook for our group. With the huge off season it appears we are about to endure it will be interesting to see who we have on the books next year. One thing we do know is there will be a few more stay at home Queenslanders and at least an elite KPF and KPD or two drafted.
For the Hawks, a word of warning. This year appears to be similar to the 04 season for the Lions. An extra interstate trip in September due to games lost to Richmond and Port will count against you in the end, especially if you come up against pace.
My thoughts on this one is a valiant 70 point loss to the Lions. Hopefully the flood gates don’t open until the last quarter.
