Review Round 9, 2026 - Brisbane Lions vs. Carlton

[3KZ is Football]

Lester was best on for me.

We were talking about him during the game - will be a shame if he retires this year.

Given he asked Joe last year about how did he know it was time to retire gotta think it's a possibility.

Lester will play next year. He is every bit as important as Harris Andrews in defence. Andrews and Lester are the contemporary version of Michael and Leppitsch. I have said this before, but Lester has an enormously high football IQ and this complements his outstanding football skills. He is absolutely vital in directing teammates in the transition of the ball out of defence and he is often involved in our goals from the back half, especially when he breaks the corridor open with a precision pass or by running up the guts.

At 33 years of age, Lester continues to show incredible strength, skill, dedication and commitment on the field. He is a role model for our younger players to look up to.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Just shows why you cant take the foot off the pedal. We slacked off in the third and let them get some confidence up. Now they are feeling good and everything is coming up well for them

We switched off and this is what happens when you do so.

Games like this are the reason I can never relax at games. And enough of the time that drives people near me at games bonkers - including me!

But it's the Leigh Matthews rule all the way for me. Plus 1, to be safe! And I can't see that changing any time soon.

Oddly enough, most of our wins have still had what I would describe as a "game sealing goal", even by that relatively high bar. Friday's game was the first that didn't quite reach that mark, although it was close: Lachie's goal to put us 17 ahead came with 2:09 to go.

We did reasonably well to steady and wrestle the game back on our terms every time Carlton got a little too close for comfort. But it was like a cat playing with a mouse. It's a high wire act and other nights the mouse will get away.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Bez, Gallop and Dizzy for Curtin, Joyce and one of Linc or McKenna with Fletcher going down back

I'd lean towards dropping Linc but its a very tough call

I’d keep McKenna in - he’s creative in the forward 50. Linc looked sore today, perhaps still carrying last weeks injury. Plenty of season for him to regain a place in the side.

Listening to the 3AW post match review on Spotify yesterday, it was reported that Linc had more hamstring tightness. Two weeks in a row, I was surprised he played at all on Friday night. Maybe we really are starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel with regards to our personnel.

 

[Grasshopper17]

I think Logan Morris is our most important player at the moment. With Oscar and Hippy injured we would be in a world of pain without Logan. Watching his movements last night at the game - he is so smart. 6 disposals for 4 goals 1 behind.

Our average score with Logan in the team this season is 113.

Without Logan it's 60.

Incredible to think he's already one of our most important players, if not THE most important.

 

[Tom14]

Our average score with Logan in the team this season is 113.

Without Logan it's 60.

Incredible to think he's already one of our most important players, if not THE most important.

I don’t disagree but this is the definition of small sample size skewing things given the only game he missed was the swans game.

 

[Denno]

Lots of soccering off the ground from Will on Friday night. Well, attempted soccering off the ground. I don't think he's the next Messi. When he's on his game he's putting his head over the ball in those situations.

I wonder if his elbow is troubling him a bit more than we realise, and he's protecting it from copping a hit when reaching to pick the ball up??

 

[Grasshopper17]

I wonder if his elbow is troubling him a bit more than we realise, and he's protecting it from copping a hit when reaching to pick the ball up??

Elbow, knee

 

[Paul Mac]

Thinking about our second half on Friday night MAYBE and i emphasize MAYBE our players went into preservation mode knowing we had a Thursday night game the next week. No way that would have come from Fages but maybe the players just thought they would cruise around and preserve as much as they could for the following week. Only my opinion.

 

[3KZ is Football]

Lester was best on for me.

We were talking about him during the game - will be a shame if he retires this year.

Given he asked Joe last year about how did he know it was time to retire gotta think it's a possibility.

I think we will win the flag again this year and the temptation of being in one of the truly immortal sides will get him back in 2027 for the “FOUR-PEAT”!

 

[beatnik]

What he said - Fagan's press conference was how I felt - The season is a marathon, you tuck away the wins and on the points and they get you to the finals. We had enough ball and enough shots to win comfortably so onwards and upwards with a win.

No injuries on the night - Gardnier and Berry back next week, possibly Gallop and I get what **** didn't mention him as he is in protocols still.

Yes we had a little sleep after half time. Sitting at the Gabba it seemed our backline lost its cohesion which is understandable with all the changes so far this year but supply from up the ground into their forward 50 had less pressure on it and for a team with pretty poor disposal they started hitting target and Harris was getting caught out trying to be the leader/organiser and being accountable 1 on 1. Next week he will have some familiarity around him - all good.

Fair weather sailor - when things are going great they are great, times get tough they crumble - Bailey. If he gets offered $1.7 good luck to him. Being at the ground I saw him twice get run around and he just dropped the head and didn't chase, it was very noticeable. Lachie Neale really did put the team on his back in the last Qtr, when you see Lachie running the ball out of the back line (like in the grand finals) you just know we are going to win.

To be there and hear the crowd calling out "Lester" and "Froggy" as he repelled attack after attack and to hear "Bruuuuuce" as he backed himself in was fantastic. They are, respectfully, journey men but god they were great and deserve all the credit they got. In every team you have your stars and you want them surrounded by good role players, in lester and Bruce we have 2 very dependable ones, I cheer them.

Kiddy Coleman was fearless and I feel he is back - playing some very solid dependable footy now he is a pleasure to watch.

All in all, we had a little sleep, were flailing around trying to get our foot back on the accelerator but found it in the end next to the break peddle and pressed it when needed.

Bless and dismiss, one step closer to the finals.

Agree

The way some people carried on in the third qtr was excessive…we have six first choice key position players out and we’ve won 7 out of the past 8 games

We’re going to have bad quarters, that’s when we should cheer loudest

 

[Gadzorks]

I think we will win the flag again this year and the temptation of being in one of the truly immortal sides will get him back in 2027 for the “FOUR-PEAT”!

I think that will be a consideration for Lachie and zac as well.

Not saying it will happen but if the coaches and players can keep the hunger, our list demographic opens the possibility you mention (i can't say it. I'm a jinxer).

That's attractive to the competitive beast 'we don't want anyone else to feel the joy of winning a premiership' players (definately Lachie) and to quality free agents that want even one oppotunity. And the cycle continues.

Geelong-ish but hopefully better.

End of year contracts, trades are going to be interesting.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I think that will be a consideration for Lachie and zac as well.

Not saying it will happen but if the coaches and players can keep the hunger, our list demographic opens the possibility you mention (i can't say it. I'm a jinxer).

That's attractive to the competitive beast 'we don't want anyone else to feel the joy of winning a premiership' players (definately Lachie) and to quality free agents that want even one oppotunity. And the cycle continues.

Geelong-ish but hopefully better.

End of year contracts, trades are going to be interesting.

I didn't expect Lachie to be playing so well given the marriage breakup, talk of him leaving at the end of the season, and that he's about to turn 33. I don't think we'd be where we are on the ladder without him playing so well.

It may be unrealistic, but I'd love him to play as long as possible and finish his career at the Lions.
The guy is an absolute superstar and for some reason seems to fly a bit under the radar with all the talk of Naicos and The Bont being the best 2 players in the AFL. Oh, that's right, he doesn't t play for a vfl club.

 

[Whatamark]

I didn't expect Lachie to be playing so well given the marriage breakup, talk of him leaving at the end of the season, and that he's about to turn 33. I don't think we'd be where we are on the ladder without him playing so well.

It may be unrealistic, but I'd love him to play as long as possible and finish his career at the Lions.
The guy is an absolute superstar and for some reason seems to fly a bit under the radar with all the talk of Naicos and The Bont being the best 2 players in the AFL. Oh, that's right, he doesn't t play for a vfl club.

let alone he should be brownlow x 3 ... [vfl/cfl sigh]

 

[davemc_lions]

Seems Voss gone..
Wonder if he told the players at half time and we got the coach bounce

 

[braddsey]

Seems Voss gone..
Wonder if he told the players at half time and we got the coach bounce
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I’d like to thank Vossy for waiting until after the Brisbane game. He’s still a Lion at heart.
(I doubt he would break the news at halftime).

…or maybe he just wanted one more company funded business trip back to Brisbane.

Edit: according to TheAge, the decision was made before last weeks game… so we may have got some element of coach bounce!

 

[p4p1]

I don't think Harris, or many of our backs, were aided by the lack of midfield pressure on the ball coming inside 50.

One thing I noticed when watching bits and pieces from the game yesterday tho... At one stage, I think it might have been the first goal of the last quarter, McKay marked on a short lead despite the close attention of Andrews. Harris attempted to spoil with his right fist despite McKay being on his left, so his left fist was in a far better position to spoil. Does Harris always spoil with only his right? I must say I've never really noticed either way but that stood out to me a bit.

I wouldn't be surprised if most players spoiled almost exclusively with their dominant hand.

There was a player in the 70s/80s who played for South Fremantle in the WAFL called Basil Campbell who was very adept at using either hand to spoil. Was very proficient at the 1-2 technique where you use the 1 to hit the oppo player in the back of the head and the 2 to hit the ball away from him. It was pretty effective.

 

[p4p1]

Agree

The way some people carried on in the third qtr was excessive…we have six first choice key position players out and we’ve won 7 out of the past 8 games

We’re going to have bad quarters, that’s when we should cheer loudest

7 of our best 25 players out. You could argue Annable makes it 8 out of best 26. We have been lucky that the games have been against Carlton and Essendon but it makes it a lot tougher than it probably would have been.

 

[davemc_lions]

I’d like to thank Vossy for waiting until after the Brisbane game. He’s still a Lion at heart.
(I doubt he would break the news at halftime).

…or maybe he just wanted one more company funded business trip back to Brisbane.

Edit: according to TheAge, the decision was made before last weeks game… so we may have got some element of coach bounce!

Just read that if one person knows it no longer a secret