The positives thread

[Kernel Kurtz]

For me, Barrett has done nothing wrong so far this year. Love his work ethic and the way he tackles like a man possessed. Great recruit and one that will have a significant role in our rise up the ladder in the next 2-3 years.

I was a little worried when we let Green go and didn't go for Ainsworth that we had lost a goal kicking small forward.
Hey no worries we have gained Green's goal kicking qualities and plus a massive tackling upgrade and pressure acts with Barret.

 

[Fatcat08]

AFL Team of the week - 18 clubs - 22 spots to fill - 3 of them Lions! (Zorko (centre), Taylor (forward), and Beams (bench))

It was 14 teams actually. But the general vibe still stands though

 

[chopperduck]

Im a fan of Barrett as well. Ive really enjoyed him up forward this season, has a hard edge and brings some pressure, but he has also been able to kick a few goals which is really pleasing. Is a midfielder really, so id expect him to continue developing thatside of his game to do some mid roatations, but i do see him as a HF at senior level.

 

[Viceregal]

It was 14 teams actually. But the general vibe still stands though

I sit corrected but thank you

Can we use that Taylor is in and Bont is not to revisit the Rising Star on the WB board? Assuming we want a holiday from posting of course ...

 

[M Malice]

I have posted this before, I see Lewy Taylor as a Brent Harvey type, Lewy will be an AA level player within a few years IMO.

 

[Hollow Knight]

I have posted this before, I see Lewy Taylor as a Brent Harvey type, Lewy will be an AA level player within a few years if he played for a Victorian club.

FTFY.

 

[M Malice]

Had to be in the positives thread, said some great things young Sam.

 

[Milux]

Had to be in the positives thread, said some great things young Sam.

Sam skinner is a big lad. Never realised how big he is.

 

[LongLion]

Sam skinner is a big lad. Never realised how big he is.

He sure is that. Big hopes for him to fill the CHB spot moving forward

 

[Biggies]

I have posted this before, I see Lewy Taylor as a Brent Harvey type, Lewy will be an AA level player within a few years IMO.

Haven't yet checked and feeling a little too lazy to look it up Jason, but out of interest how do Lewys first few seasons compare with Boomers first few?

 

[Nunez]

Haven't yet checked and feeling a little too lazy to look it up Jason, but out of interest how do Lewys first few seasons compare with Boomers first few?

Similar. Worth noting Harvey was in a finals quality North outfit when he started.

 

[luthor]

Sam skinner is a big lad. Never realised how big he is.

More importantly, comes across as a good guy who loves the club.

Super impressive speaker as well

Really looking forward to him running out in the Ones soon

GO SAM!!.

GO LIONS!!

 

[Panthera]

A big week has given Brisbane Lions hope for the future, writes Jon Ralph
JON RALPH, Herald Sun
June 15, 2017 6:32pm

AFL basket case Brisbane has just enjoyed one its best weeks since it knocked off Carlton in a final in 2009.

It’s not a high bar for a team that has finished better than 10th only once in the past 13 years, but a win over Fremantle and extending the contracts of bookends Josh Schache (until 2019) and Harris Andrews (2021) was massive.

The good vibes are about to continue and, critically for a club desperate to tap into the local market, it will involve Queensland players.

The Lions this year will secure another 200cm academy selection in Connor Ballenden, a New Zealand-born ruckman and forward who moved to Brisbane when he was four and is playing in the NEAFL and for the Allies in the under-18 national championships.

A likely first-round draft pick, he will beautifully compliment Schache (199cm), Eric Hipwood (202cm) and Stefan Martin (199cm).

Brisbane’s big week started with Josh Schache’s re-signing. Picture: AFL Media
Hipwood, a brilliant homegrown prospect like 202cm Andrews, is locked away until 2019. But with huge salary cap room and an inclination to use it to prepay contracts, the Lions are working to sign him for even longer.

It would be a huge coup because the teen from Maroochydore can do extraordinary things on the football field.

The Herald Sun this week reported huge opposition interest in key defender Daniel McStay, but the Lions are confident he will sign a new deal.

And, to cap their “land of the giants” recruiting coup, 195cm key defender Jack Payne is an impressive, draft-eligible academy prospect.

He will be taken a little further down the draft, but the Lions’ key position depth could scarcely be better.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan recently made it clear he wanted a system under which the league’s easybeats rebounded more rapidly.

The Lions are working to extend Eric Hipwood’s contract. Picture: Getty Images
The Lions, with only one final since bottoming out after their 2001-04 dynasty, certainly fit that criteria.

Chief executive Greg Swan said they will continue attacking the draft. They possibly could have four picks inside the top 20, with one likely to be needed for Ballenden.

For a team that has won 16 of its past 63 games, the wheel is slowly starting to turn.

“Hipwood and Andrews are 200cm-plus kids and they are hard to come by, so it’s good to have them homegrown,” Swan said.

“It’s exciting. It allows us to continue to build Queensland content on our list, which helps the go-home factor, and it’s good for the Lions but it’s also good for the code these kids are coming through.”

Securing Harris Andrews’ signature was also huge for the Lions. Picture: Darren England
The AFL and Lions co-fund $600,000 of investment into their academy each year, and have plans to expand it to include a women’s academy.

But none of it matters if you can’t keep your stars, which made Schache’s re-signing so important.

“It stunned everyone that we got him re-signed,” Swann said.

“It gave the place a real lift and then we won and we had a couple of other boys re-sign and hopefully we get a couple more soon.”

“We are on the right path. With the confidence from that win last week, the place has been really buzzing.”

 

[dlanod]

I've finally figured out why we recruited Frost...

 

[Forward We Go]

A big week has given Brisbane Lions hope for the future, writes Jon Ralph
JON RALPH, Herald Sun
June 15, 2017 6:32pm

AFL basket case Brisbane has just enjoyed one its best weeks since it knocked off Carlton in a final in 2009.

It’s not a high bar for a team that has finished better than 10th only once in the past 13 years, but a win over Fremantle and extending the contracts of bookends Josh Schache (until 2019) and Harris Andrews (2021) was massive.

The good vibes are about to continue and, critically for a club desperate to tap into the local market, it will involve Queensland players.

The Lions this year will secure another 200cm academy selection in Connor Ballenden, a New Zealand-born ruckman and forward who moved to Brisbane when he was four and is playing in the NEAFL and for the Allies in the under-18 national championships.

A likely first-round draft pick, he will beautifully compliment Schache (199cm), Eric Hipwood (202cm) and Stefan Martin (199cm).

Brisbane’s big week started with Josh Schache’s re-signing. Picture: AFL Media
Hipwood, a brilliant homegrown prospect like 202cm Andrews, is locked away until 2019. But with huge salary cap room and an inclination to use it to prepay contracts, the Lions are working to sign him for even longer.

It would be a huge coup because the teen from Maroochydore can do extraordinary things on the football field.

The Herald Sun this week reported huge opposition interest in key defender Daniel McStay, but the Lions are confident he will sign a new deal.

And, to cap their “land of the giants” recruiting coup, 195cm key defender Jack Payne is an impressive, draft-eligible academy prospect.

He will be taken a little further down the draft, but the Lions’ key position depth could scarcely be better.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan recently made it clear he wanted a system under which the league’s easybeats rebounded more rapidly.

The Lions are working to extend Eric Hipwood’s contract. Picture: Getty Images
The Lions, with only one final since bottoming out after their 2001-04 dynasty, certainly fit that criteria.

Chief executive Greg Swan said they will continue attacking the draft. They possibly could have four picks inside the top 20, with one likely to be needed for Ballenden.

For a team that has won 16 of its past 63 games, the wheel is slowly starting to turn.

“Hipwood and Andrews are 200cm-plus kids and they are hard to come by, so it’s good to have them homegrown,” Swan said.

“It’s exciting. It allows us to continue to build Queensland content on our list, which helps the go-home factor, and it’s good for the Lions but it’s also good for the code these kids are coming through.”

Securing Harris Andrews’ signature was also huge for the Lions. Picture: Darren England
The AFL and Lions co-fund $600,000 of investment into their academy each year, and have plans to expand it to include a women’s academy.

But none of it matters if you can’t keep your stars, which made Schache’s re-signing so important.

“It stunned everyone that we got him re-signed,” Swann said.

“It gave the place a real lift and then we won and we had a couple of other boys re-sign and hopefully we get a couple more soon.”

“We are on the right path. With the confidence from that win last week, the place has been really buzzing.”

Hippy signed until end of 2019.....why would Lions focus on re-signing him atm when we have others that need to sign a contract now?

 

[Davemonkey]

Hippy signed until end of 2019.....why would Lions focus on re-signing him atm when we have others that need to sign a contract now?

Why not? Probably a no-brainer and in the stress of the Schache situation it was probably a nice piece of work for the team to hammer out. Like any commercial environment there are competing priorities but also dead spaces between negotiations and an individual member of a team knuckling down and doing their part. That's when you do the quick and easy stuff like the contract for the kid that wants to stay and his management is being reasonable.
Its like in a footy game when the ball has been locked in the Forward 50 for past 5 minutes and fullback doesn't have a lot to do other than mind their forwards and make sure the ball doesn't come out over the back. Or something. Footy analogies aren't really my thing.

 

[Dylan12]

Hippy signed until end of 2019.....why would Lions focus on re-signing him atm when we have others that need to sign a contract now?

Probably same reason as to why we re-signed Harris Andrews.

 

[Dalions]

Hippy signed until end of 2019.....why would Lions focus on re-signing him atm when we have others that need to sign a contract now?

Shows confidence in the direction of the club and will hopefully allow others to commit more easily.

 

[MSB ROYS]

Hippy signed until end of 2019.....why would Lions focus on re-signing him atm when we have others that need to sign a contract now?

There is more money available in the salary cap next year, which is a one-off as it will be absorbed in subsequent years, so may be there is some front loading going on?

 

[Forward We Go]

Why not? Probably a no-brainer and in the stress of the Schache situation it was probably a nice piece of work for the team to hammer out. Like any commercial environment there are competing priorities but also dead spaces between negotiations and an individual member of a team knuckling down and doing their part. That's when you do the quick and easy stuff like the contract for the kid that wants to stay and his management is being reasonable.
Its like in a footy game when the ball has been locked in the Forward 50 for past 5 minutes and fullback doesn't have a lot to do other than mind their forwards and make sure the ball doesn't come out over the back. Or something. Footy analogies aren't really my thing.

Ok..I hear what you say....Hippy is 19 years old and will still be 19 after the season is done & dusted for us........ What price do you put on his worth over & above 2019 taking into account he has shown good promise/potential so far in his second year of AFL footy? I am fascinated at how they come to a value of him based on his career thus far.

 

[Kevvo]

Hippy signed until end of 2019.....why would Lions focus on re-signing him atm when we have others that need to sign a contract now?

That was my instinct too, but a recent interview I heard with David Noble makes me think it could actually be a thing.

As Noble described it, the path of the new CBA (20 per cent in the first year then say 2 per cent each year after that) is having a big inflationary impact on contracts being negotiated this year. Added to that, since the overall cap is jumping 20 per cent and clubs are scrambling to figure out how to pay the minimum 95 per cent , it means having to re-negotiate with contracted players to shift some future contract value forward into this year.

The way Hipwood is going, he's likely to get a pretty big pay bump in 2019. We might be keen to renegotiate with him to front end some of that increase into this contract and maintain a slower rate of increase from 2019 onwards.

EDIT: so picking up your more recent post, we might think that it is hard to value him this far out from 2019 but we have to pay someone and he's as good a chance as anyone to be worth a bump.

 

[Dalions]

Hippy signed until end of 2019.....why would Lions focus on re-signing him atm when we have others that need to sign a contract now?

Might also keep those pesky Victorians at bay.

 

[Deddy]

You have two absolute rippers in Berry and McCluggage. Both great footballers and better blokes. You guys should be stoked.

Will be keeping a close eye now on Brisbane. Rebuilds are never easy but with these two you definitely have taken a few steps in the right direction.

Said it straight after the draft and think the boys have validated my thoughts. They just keep on building, will have been a huge positive for you guys. Really looking forward to watching them develop this season and beyond.

Both loving it in Brisbane too so don't think there will be a go home issue. Horses mouth.

 

[Forward We Go]

Might also keep those pesky Victorians at bay.

Careful, I believe Hippy was born & bred in Melbourne and has a lot of family down there.

 

[Dalions]

Careful, I believe Hippy was born & bred in Melbourne and has a lot of family down there.

So lets keep them at bay.