Preview The return of the Brisbane Lions v Geelong Cats Preview (Round 3, Post-Alfred!)

[On the quiet]

He played last week and was poor Fort would have been better for ruck/fwd duties especially in the wet when Day can’t even take a mark on a dry day

Fort is unlucky, and I would have originally selected him over Day for the Swans game, as he was a GF player and deserved a R.1 spot. However, Fages has decided to give Day a few games, as mentioned in another post he just recently lost a parent

 

[Morbidly_Obese]

Time to call Joe and tell him to start getting ready for the mid-season draft.

 

[3KZ is Football]

I used to have a vent, can't afford it anymore. Meh.

Winning a Premiership the previous year will do that to you.

 

[JDavey]

I was at the game, we all picked him as our best because he was good even in the first qtr from down back. he is a bit of the forgotten kid at times but I'm sure the club is very happy with his progress. He seems to have really good poise and disposal, he may well stay down there. Like Ahh chee whom for the last few years was our most flexible player even within games maybe Jasper is following that trend. Haven't seen him as a forward yet but he is a good kick for goal with those longer range shots. We still have a top draft pick from last year Sam Marshall to come is as maybe a winger and another top prospect from our academy next year whom is also a midfielder in Annabel. I'm sure at this stage Jasper knows the more strings in his bow the better off he is - as does the club. He is a beauty though.

I feel like he has been forgotten (especially by media at large) which I guess is somewhat understandable given how the Ashcroft boys have come through. But I'm in the same camp as you, have loved everything I've seen him do so far and he seems to continue to develop each year. His kicking is beautiful, seems to be a great decision maker too - his contested game still appears to be a work in progress but I don't think it will ever be (or need to be) his 1 wood.

 

[Pacman82]

Have been honestly thinking there's a few teams out there that could probably vastly improve their performances without a coach on GameDay (not us). Captain/ViceCap situation

 

[Clarkythelion]

At the start of the season Fagan probably envisaged the forward line how it's shaping up this week. He may have had McCarthy on the bench but Day with Loman and Charlie around his feet is pretty much what the hints were about.

So, if this bloody rain (yes I'm a farmer and now complaining) finally clears and we have a dry ball at the Gabba we can judge what 'preferred option 1' is looking like, we wont decide on 1 game but we will get an idea.

 

[martinson]

Cameron and Lohman are big ins if they're good to go because it allows Rayner to play with the freedom he has when he plays best.

Also should help Day and Hipwood.

 

[Section 5]

Since the GF a few changes in the first 2 rounds.
Nothing drastic but changes in the forward, wing and defense.
Day being one with the team having to adjust.
If the rain stays, we won't see what this combination gives us till later on.

The wings have changed the first 2 games.
It has taken the Lions many years to get the good combination of Berry. Fletcher and Bailey relief wing/forward.

Enter Levi and they had to find a spot for him. Sub first game but got to actually play that day because of an injury.

In game two wings were Berry, Levi with Bailey moving back there after kicking 4 in the first game. Fletcher to defense.
I assume Fletcher stays in defense till Starch returns so that's another slight change.

Levi still learning this wing position. He will pick it up, but this is different to pure midfield.

 

[Gadzorks]

Have been honestly thinking there's a few teams out there that could probably vastly improve their performances without a coach on GameDay (not us). Captain/ViceCap situation

I think a lot of decisions during a game are made by our on field leaders.

Fagan is a hands of the levers coach - empower the players with knowledge and give the leaders real leadership.

At the very least, they are communicating what they are doing and what they think will work back to the coaches, and the coaches are listening.

 

[Pride of lions]

Cameron and Lohman are big ins if they're good to go because it allows Rayner to play with the freedom he has when he plays best.

Also should help Day and Hipwood.

It will be interesting to see if Rayner does show a bit more with Cameron and Lohmann back. He doesn’t look to be in peak condition to me, seemed to be taking a few shortcuts last week. Hopefully I am wrong.

 

[StevoJenkins]

Assuming Bruce will be sub from that list. Little rough on Shagga to only get one game but can't argue the ins. Bruce is probably more flexible for the sub.

Makes sense for McKenna to get full VFL game

Can't have Shagga in a forward line with Kai, Cal and Charlie. Too many smalls. He'll get his chance depending on what happens with Charlie in a few years, being 30+ now and all.

 

[KissKiss]

Can't have Shagga in a forward line with Kai, Cal and Charlie. Too many smalls. He'll get his chance depending on what happens with Charlie in a few years, being 30+ now and all.

I do agree, just a shame as he looks to be a decent player but will struggle to get game time with us. Teams like Carlton with their terrible small forwards must be looking at guys like him in jealousy.

 

[notliondown]

Looks like they have increased the chance of rain again today after winding it back yesterday - and with it back to decent falls too.

I just pray we don't over possess and try to finesse it like we did last year with the wet game and Geelong - it was the most frustrating game I think I have ever watched and I can't ever remember the crowd groaning the way it did that night.

After paying twice as much for these tickets because of the cancelled game I just hope we see a decent spectacle... It almost seems we play our only wet weather footy against the cats... I can't recall playing anyone else as much?

Brisbane by 6.

 

[MSB ROYS]

Raining already. Geelong - welcome to the Sunshine State .

 

[Grasshopper17]

St Kilda produced a master class last Saturday on how to bring down Geelong's defence. No long entries inside 50 from outside 70. Use the full width of the ground and try to hit shorter targets closer to goal by either foot or hand. And if you DO have to kick long inside 50, at least make sure it goes inside 20. Gives us a greater chance of scoring AND makes it easier to defend any turnover.

Obviously that goes out the window if it's a wet night. In that case it has to be everything in straight lines towards goal. Play for territory and lock the ball in.

And that sort of game is made for a bloke like Sam Day. High kicks down the line where you need a bloke to contest and be able to bring the ball to ground, where it will be slow going so his willingness to chase and pressure will come to the fore.

And if we lose our ruckman again fair dinkum you will NOT want to be the nearest Geelong supporter

 

[Nathan Barley]

St Kilda produced a master class last Saturday on how to bring down Geelong's defence. No long entries inside 50 from outside 70. Use the full width of the ground and try to hit shorter targets closer to goal by either foot or hand. And if you DO have to kick long inside 50, at least make sure it goes inside 20. Gives us a greater chance of scoring AND makes it easier to defend any turnover.

Obviously that goes out the window if it's a wet night. In that case it has to be everything in straight lines towards goal. Play for territory and lock the ball in.

And that sort of game is made for a bloke like Sam Day. High kicks down the line where you need a bloke to contest and be able to bring the ball to ground, where it will be slow going so his willingness to chase and pressure will come to the fore.

And if we lose our ruckman again fair dinkum you will NOT want to be the nearest Geelong supporter

Agreed. Don't know how people can't see the value of talls in a wet game. Even the dumbest commentators haven't mentioned it for 10 years. Can't afford to be weak in marking contests

What you can't do is play outside, softer mids. If it was a genuine wet games I'd consider playing Levi the sub and possibly bring in someone like Dev for Reville

 

[Grasshopper17]

Agreed. Don't know how people can't see the value of talls in a wet game. Even the dumbest commentators haven't mentioned it for 10 years. Can't afford to be weak in marking contests

What you can't do is play outside, softer mids. If it was a genuine wet games I'd consider playing Levi the sub and possibly bring in someone like Dev for Reville

Yeah I must admit I was thinking about Dev yesterday before the teams came out. I'm a bit surprised he's not even an emergency I must admit. He'd be ideal in pretty much any non-KP role backward of half forward in wet conditions I'd have thought. Probably more so than Bruce.

 

[Clarkythelion]

Yeah I must admit I was thinking about Dev yesterday before the teams came out. I'm a bit surprised he's not even an emergency I must admit. He'd be ideal in pretty much any non-KP role backward of half forward in wet conditions I'd have thought. Probably more so than Bruce.

I don't know but he has been moved to a back flank in reserve grade and maybe he is still learning some things about defence. Great for him the coaches are trying to give him an extra string in his bow even if it is to help his career next year.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Makes sense for McKenna to get full VFL game

 

[twhowler]

Radar has basically constant rain in Brisbane. Hourly forecast has that continuing until 6pm tomorrow when it gets lighter.

I know modern grounds drain well (drink!) but if the rain is constant it will be sodden for all or most of the game. Might be a slightly strange game in which it is wet underfoot but mostly dry in the air. Therefore contrary to the usual thinking on wet weather footy, skills will be even more important - if you can keep the ball off the ground you can go end to end pretty well. If it hits the deck it's hard to pick up and slippery.

I think we will be a bit wary of particularly risky kicks, but kicking efficiency might be THE most important metric of all

Definitely a game you don't want too many 1-2 handballs. Will and Levi hope you are listening!

 

[Nunez]

St Kilda produced a master class last Saturday on how to bring down Geelong's defence. No long entries inside 50 from outside 70. Use the full width of the ground and try to hit shorter targets closer to goal by either foot or hand. And if you DO have to kick long inside 50, at least make sure it goes inside 20. Gives us a greater chance of scoring AND makes it easier to defend any turnover.

Obviously that goes out the window if it's a wet night. In that case it has to be everything in straight lines towards goal. Play for territory and lock the ball in.

And that sort of game is made for a bloke like Sam Day. High kicks down the line where you need a bloke to contest and be able to bring the ball to ground, where it will be slow going so his willingness to chase and pressure will come to the fore.

And if we lose our ruckman again fair dinkum you will NOT want to be the nearest Geelong supporter

Please send me your seat number so I can come watch you get into a fight with Cats fans pls.

 

[ZoBlitz]

Lend him out to Southport for the week.

 

[KissKiss]

Yeah didnt realise there was a bye. It really sucks how many byes the VFL has. Makes it really hard for a lot of guys to get solid game time if they cant go down a level and play - especially if they had a few games as a sub

 

[T Rick]

After watching Fages' presser today, I watched the Chris Scott presser...Cats media do closed captions/subtitles for the journo questions - what a fantastic idea for us and the AFL. Really annoys me that most of the time we can't hear or understand the questions being asked in after game/before game pressers.

 

[martinson]

After watching Fages' presser today, I watched the Chris Scott presser...Cats media do closed captions/subtitles for the journo questions - what a fantastic idea for us and the AFL. Really annoys me that most of the time we can't hear or understand the questions being asked in after game/before game pressers.

A bugbear of mine as well.

With all the money in the game how the AFL allows every presser to go out without anyone being able to hear the questions is gobsmacking.