- Feb 22, 2016
- 6,047
- 12,210
- AFL Club
- Brisbane Lions
Just watched the replay. My thoughts. We were pretty good, I don't think 'nerves' really played a part, we missed shots but no real sitters. Oscars and Hippys posters were deep pockets pings.. Berry's was a sitter but nothing to write home about in terms of yips. They missed plenty too. Our senior guys stood up and our younger Guys were all ok, no one shat the bed so to speak. Andrews was down on output but not everyone can fire every game.
I no longer feel like it was 'the one that got away' as much as I did originally. Here's why. They controlled 75% of the first 2/3rds of the game. We had 2 ten minute bursts, but they were systematically more drilled than us. The second 1/4 where they stopped a tsunami of momentum and steadied with 5 goals was pretty remarkable. They took a Mayweather approach to the fight, we looked like we were throwing alot of punches and we were the agresser but not many were landing. Don't get it twisted, this isn't the GWS we beat a few months ago, they are back and unfortunantly for us, we caught them on a roll. The are tough, talanted and finals hardened, they also had nothing to lose.
We also went 4 goals down... TWICE. In any game teams who go down by 30 points or more lose 95% of the time. To do it once, ok, twice though?
When you are down the whole game (which was a developing trend again) you are constantly playing with the score board in mind and your opponent. It takes energy. So whilst it felt we should have buried them in the 4th.. they were actually adjusted to our desperately trying to cut the margin and we were low on scoring gusto by that stage.
Yes, if a few things go our way, we could have won. Yes, the stat line suggests a 5-6 goal win. But.. We can't expect to give up 2 lots of 4 goals over the game, chase them back down TWICE then get lucky falling over the line. They are far more seasoned, they are back in form and they Maywesthered us. Full credit to them, one of the most gutsy wins you'll see in a final.
We are young and composure (which has been an issue all season) got us in some instances across both games.
Don't get me wrong, straight sets f***ing stings but I can't help but be content. Had we put in a stinker is be angry, but we didn't. The boys left it all on the pitch.
It was frustrating, I had a bad feeling from the moment the finals fixture came out it would be straight sets.. but once it was and the manner in which we played (not great but not horrible) it just doesen't feel that bad. We finished 5th, it sucks but that feels about right in terms of a reflection of where we are at.
I also think we were cooked. It goes to show how seasoned you need to be to go to another gear in September. We just didn't have the experience, maturity or bodies to battle on. Perhaps making finals and the Geelong win was our Granny. We certainly wernt 'just getting started' that's for sure. We were 'just hanging in, running on emotion and raw adrenaline' if anything. I feel as if we would have gotten belted in a prelim at the G. That was our final stand, win or lose.
Also the Cats Cats Tigers wasnt good in the end. Cats, soft kill to finish the season would have been preferable. We weren't ever about needing ro adjust to finals, we were about confidence and surge scoring.. playing 3 games in row were teams stifled us made us lose confidence in our scoring power. We were better off going in neieve to what was in store, then we wouldn't develop new patterns and have lost confidence in our surging style. The back to back Tigers thing sucked, we could have knocked the Pies, Cats or the Eagles off first week but the Tigers stole our mojo.
Also think there is benefit going into the pre-season with confidence from the 16 wins but the burn from straight sets to keep them hungry. I was never convinced we were a genuine top 4 side - so maybe a false prelim dawn would have left the boys a little bit too contented.
Things that killed us over the season killed us in finals - Yips, slow starts and FORWARD ENTRIES. With the amount of ball we get, if we could improve of forward entries, it'll go a long way.
I'm devestated about straight sets but I have the next 7-8 years in mind.
Umps sucked.
I no longer feel like it was 'the one that got away' as much as I did originally. Here's why. They controlled 75% of the first 2/3rds of the game. We had 2 ten minute bursts, but they were systematically more drilled than us. The second 1/4 where they stopped a tsunami of momentum and steadied with 5 goals was pretty remarkable. They took a Mayweather approach to the fight, we looked like we were throwing alot of punches and we were the agresser but not many were landing. Don't get it twisted, this isn't the GWS we beat a few months ago, they are back and unfortunantly for us, we caught them on a roll. The are tough, talanted and finals hardened, they also had nothing to lose.
We also went 4 goals down... TWICE. In any game teams who go down by 30 points or more lose 95% of the time. To do it once, ok, twice though?
When you are down the whole game (which was a developing trend again) you are constantly playing with the score board in mind and your opponent. It takes energy. So whilst it felt we should have buried them in the 4th.. they were actually adjusted to our desperately trying to cut the margin and we were low on scoring gusto by that stage.
Yes, if a few things go our way, we could have won. Yes, the stat line suggests a 5-6 goal win. But.. We can't expect to give up 2 lots of 4 goals over the game, chase them back down TWICE then get lucky falling over the line. They are far more seasoned, they are back in form and they Maywesthered us. Full credit to them, one of the most gutsy wins you'll see in a final.
We are young and composure (which has been an issue all season) got us in some instances across both games.
Don't get me wrong, straight sets f***ing stings but I can't help but be content. Had we put in a stinker is be angry, but we didn't. The boys left it all on the pitch.
It was frustrating, I had a bad feeling from the moment the finals fixture came out it would be straight sets.. but once it was and the manner in which we played (not great but not horrible) it just doesen't feel that bad. We finished 5th, it sucks but that feels about right in terms of a reflection of where we are at.
I also think we were cooked. It goes to show how seasoned you need to be to go to another gear in September. We just didn't have the experience, maturity or bodies to battle on. Perhaps making finals and the Geelong win was our Granny. We certainly wernt 'just getting started' that's for sure. We were 'just hanging in, running on emotion and raw adrenaline' if anything. I feel as if we would have gotten belted in a prelim at the G. That was our final stand, win or lose.
Also the Cats Cats Tigers wasnt good in the end. Cats, soft kill to finish the season would have been preferable. We weren't ever about needing ro adjust to finals, we were about confidence and surge scoring.. playing 3 games in row were teams stifled us made us lose confidence in our scoring power. We were better off going in neieve to what was in store, then we wouldn't develop new patterns and have lost confidence in our surging style. The back to back Tigers thing sucked, we could have knocked the Pies, Cats or the Eagles off first week but the Tigers stole our mojo.
Also think there is benefit going into the pre-season with confidence from the 16 wins but the burn from straight sets to keep them hungry. I was never convinced we were a genuine top 4 side - so maybe a false prelim dawn would have left the boys a little bit too contented.
Things that killed us over the season killed us in finals - Yips, slow starts and FORWARD ENTRIES. With the amount of ball we get, if we could improve of forward entries, it'll go a long way.
I'm devestated about straight sets but I have the next 7-8 years in mind.
Umps sucked.