Preview Round 3: Brisbane Lions vs Collingwood Magpies, 1st April at Marvel Stadium, 5:40pm AEST

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Johnny Bananas

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20 rounds to go and you've thrown in the towel? Hopefully our players are more resilient. I think we should still make finals this year which will be valuable experience for our younger guys.
I haven't thrown in the towel. I'm just saying it's clear that we have real problems with our current structure and some changes need to be made. Keeping the game plan the way it was for the first six quarters of the season isn't going to get us where we want to be. Thankfully Fagan made several changes in the second half, like getting Neale away from the midfield (and hence the tag), so hopefully he's adapting.
 
There are some serious overreactions going on here.

Around this stage last year, Richmond were struggling and everybody was writing them off.

It is a very long season, and so far we've had one disappointing game and in the second one, we should've beaten Geelong in Geelong - a pretty rare thing to be able to do (or nearly do, as the case was due to umpiring).

I think we're going to be okay. The list we've got now, the gameplan we've got now, the coaching we've got now - they're all going to look a hell of a lot better after a couple of wins.

Maybe I'm an optimist. But I reckon we're in for a pretty good year still.
 
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Apart from actual ruckwork they could be handy. Ballenden is a great kick and Fullartons hands are quite good dishing the footy out.
This is where we're at with them. Neither at the moment can ruck much at all but both have assets particularly Fullarton who should make a decent player once he gets used to the tempo of the game with more experience under his belt.

Likewise Ballenden is a belter of a kick if he can manage to get his hands on it. Might have to get a bit creative with how we manage one or either of them with Oscar out. Daniher's the best ruck we have right now but it worries me that he'll get injured and/or take away from what he offers at F/F if our M/F provides opportunities.

Not an easy ask for the selectors this week.
 

briztoon

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Not sure we're making finals with our current game plan either. And even if we are, I doubt it wins the flag this year. What's the point in resisting change if it gives you no shot at a flag? At least embracing change gives us a chance next year.
Pretty much my line of thinking.
 

M Malice

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Most would have thought the Tigers were not much chance of a flag in 2017 let alone 3 of the next 4 after finishing 2016 in 13th position and bowing out in elimination finals in 2014-15... also Bulldogs 2016... or the 3peat Lions after the round 8 2001 thrashing they endured.

As a great man once said things are never as bad or as good as they seem.
 
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I haven't thrown in the towel. I'm just saying it's clear that we have real problems with our current structure and some changes need to be made. Keeping the game plan the way it was for the first six quarters of the season isn't going to get us where we want to be. Thankfully Fagan made several changes in the second half, like getting Neale away from the midfield (and hence the tag), so hopefully he's adapting.
Do we? What part of our structure was failing? Seemed more like application, concentration and effort in that first quarter and then execution with shots for goal later on. We are also missing our starting CHF and CHB who would be contributing to any structural issues.

To me it seemed more like a slow start after a shortened pre-season to me. Most teams who start pre-season later (i.e. go further in finals) tend to start slower and having said that, we almost (and should have) beat Geelong despite not playing our best apart from the last quarter.

Lachie got most of his possessions in the middle third of the ground (according to his heatmap) so not sure he was moved out of the midfield too much as you say, more that he got himself involved in the game a bit more in other ways. He's clearly restricted with injury at the moment anyway so the whole 'unable to handle a tag' narrative is a touch premature.

I think we'll get better by the week personally and we're still a chance to achieve something great this year, form and injuries notwithstanding.
 

Johnny Bananas

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Do we? What part of our structure was failing?
The part where we bombed it long to a contest aiming to feed off the crumbs, whereas the Cats sliced us open with speed and accurate kicking. I think they tired themselves out towards the end and we worked into it a bit better, but we also made some good tactical shifts as the game went on.
 

FFB1

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Biggest fear I have is not just losing and going 0-3. It’s losing and going 0-3 and Mason Cox pulling out another fluke 2018 prelim effort; made worse by him kicking a goal and signaling ‘sssssh’ whilst looking straight at me in the crowd. Stuff of nightmares.
Well he won’t be looking straight at me in nosebleed of level 3.
 
That seems a very defensive lineup.

E3E9CACC-F257-4EAB-94CC-865796FBABDC.jpeg
 

davemc_lions

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interesting Ballenden and Fullarton go against Grundy
Hopefully Ballenden worked on his ruck work.. Not been super impressed with Fullarton the last couple of games in the ruck.

Also Adams, Payne and Lester in the team.
We gone pretty tall.

As others said J Berry out still.

Good news for Dev rather get him in over Matho
Not so good news for Prior and Sharp.
 
Does the team selection seem a bit haphazard right now? Jaxxxxxxxxxon prior in for one game to replace an inside mid, then dropped for an actual inside mid.

Sharp out for a tall player.

Do Collingwood have that many talls? My lizard brain can't handle this
 

Squizz89

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Yeah, that is a pretty average looking team tbh.

Between quite a few players being out of form, now with a few injuries meaning so much inexperience in the team and with the week we’ve had, if we can win this one it may be one of our better wins we’ve had.
 

LIONS08

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I’m really not sure what the go is here. Fagan did say today that Payne could play ruck so that makes sense for Adams to come in... but why Ballenden also. After these changes I’m really not looking forward to this one at all.
 
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