What is going on at the Lions

[Jane]

They were 3rd last year. This year not a chance at making the finals.
They are playing as a group of individuals. What is happening off the field.Plenty I hear.Problems big time with their coach.
Shame that. They look like losing their Captain, due to problems off the field.
But no one is asking questions.
Oh well, the AFL will have one less team in a few years. They made a loss last year, if they keep losing, they will be in receivership.
Maybe Southport can merge with them.

 

[john]

A friend of mine was speaking to a high profile Lions player when they were in Melbourne.He said that their are numerous problems, this guy was pissed off majorly with the coach, apparently he was not alone.
Maybe Matthews will leave,as well as Drum , Ports coach as well. It is mid season I suppose and the underacheivers always get a look in now.
Seriously. I have heard t may come odwn to players or the coach at Brisbane, the players feel so strongly about the matter. High profile players, not the extras.

 

[gocatsgo]

From an outsider looking in, there doesn't appear to be much wrong with the lions.

They have played 8 away from home and that means a hell of a lot travelling, fatigue has to become a factor at some stage.

Before last night, the only game they had lost at home was to Essendon.

Maybe we should start giving Richmond some credit, they are very very good and are a certainty to make the finals, perhaps even top 4.

I have absolutely no doubt that the Lions will beat the Eagles next week.

 

[Daniel]

Specifically, what is it that has the players reportedly disgruntled with Matthews? I thought he had done good things with the Lions and they were operating smoothly. I suppose it just goes to show that outsiders really have no idea on what is happening inside a football club.

 

[Chris]

Travel has nothing to do with the Lions troubles. They are conditoned to travelling, so what its done in the 1st half of the season. Thats a bonus for them.Any coach worth his salt would use that as motivation.
I went to the match on Saturday night. They seem to have no team rules.A rabble.Like the Lions of 98, when they had massive off field problems.
I have heard rummblings about dissent in the player ranks.Whether this is true or not.No one will ever know.

 

[Roylion]

Gee Jane, I thought my 1999 financial report said the Lions made a slight profit last season. Put simply they had $20.6 million revenue in 1999 against $20.5 million expenditure in 1999. Their turnover was $20.8 million, which has been a huge increase from the paltry $4.6 million the then Bears recorded in 1992. This year projections are expected to reach $23 million in turnover. Hardly a club that will go into receivership. The Lions made a profit in 1996, a slight loss in 1997 and a profit in 1998.

If a couple of players are disgruntled with the coach (which is highly unlikely according to my sources), then they should take a good hard look at themselves. Matthews is the AFL/VFL Player of the Century, a premiership coach and coached them to the preliminary final last season. I know for example Steven Lawrence speaks very highly of Matthews and his coaching methods and the coaching staff.

The reason for the Lions poor showing in 2000 thus far is a shocking draw in the first half of the season, a longer injury list and several inform players of last year, such as Jarrod Molloy sadly out of form. I thought they played with a fair bit of passion and committment against Richmond, hardly a sign of a team that is disgruntled with the coach.

 

[Pessimistic]

The sad part is media buffs were still picking them last week, one even thought they would make the GF ?

I know they have seven more games from ten at the gabba but they also need form to win, which they don't have

Who have they beaten who is doing well this season ?

If you wanted to pick a smokey look west to adelaide.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Roylion

Is the ongoing Scotland Yard investigation into what happened at last years end of season trip usttling the players ?

Its true what others have said - from what I have seen of the Lions this year they seem to be playing without alot of cohesion, almost like they are playing for themselves and not as a team.

Nowhere near as bad as '98 you understand, but you guys have your fair share of problems this year, no doubt.

.. Not that I have anything to brag about either !!!

 

[Darren]

I am a Lions member. They did have a profit of 100,000 last year.But didn't we get 400,000 more from the AFl for players.
This year they have more members.They also have a massive problem with their salary cap. They only have 37 on their list, because they can't afford any more players.
At the end of the year they have big name players out of contract. Voss,Leppa, Molloy, plus some they will probably let go. Champion, Lambert and Bradshaw.
Steve Lawrence may find the coaching methods suitable.I believe other players are experiencing problems, these include players who the club can not afford to lose who are out of contract, and thats not Bradshaw.
From a members point of view, I am sadly dissapointed with their form this year. They do appear to be playing for themselves.You are right bloodstained there.They lack cohesion as a unit. This could be due to the senior players playing in different positions, circumstances around the trading of Doc Clarke,blooding of young players. I can't see how travel can be an issue.If it is they need to get used to it, they are in a national comp for gods sake.They know they will play 11 away games each year, I would have thought a block at one end of the season would have been easier for them.I have no idea.But to go from 3rd last year to playing like this now is a joke.
Also roylion, they have 18,000 members in Brisbane, the Gabba holds over 37,000 people.On Saturday night they only got 30,000 people. They need to win matches well to get people to the matches. God knows how many people will turn up on Saturday night against the West Coast.I just hope we don't lose again.
Also from listening to others around us on saturday night, I am not alone in my concerns.
We keep kicking points.Yet we have a perfectly good ff in Bradshaw who has kicked 25 goals in 3 weeks in the reserves, but is out of favour with the match committee.Before he was dropped to the reserves he was the highest goal kicker for the team, and the most accurate. Yep darn right we Lions members are frustrated.

 

[Mick]

They sure do look like they are struggling this year.They are in 12th position, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to work out something is wrong.

 

[Lions supporter]

Obviosely, as has been mentioned earlier, the Lions problems are not all on the field -there is alot going on off the field - and this is obviosely shaking the boys up. This 'alleged' incident which occured in London is being kept hush hush - but i don't see why. Surely us supporters should know - if this 'alleged incident' is not true; the supporters would be 100% behind the player.
Can anyone shed any more light onto this incident?

 

[Jaffa]

Considering that this team won the Wooden Spoon in 1998, I would assume there is something wrong with the players.

They would've been the most talented team ever to come last. Maybe they just can't get their heads right.

When Matthews first brought Collingwood up in 1988, they went backwards in 1989 before winning the flag in 1990. Maybe next season they will be in a position to launch a serious assault on the flag.

 

[Shinboners]

The Lions are just one game (and admittedly a large chunk of percentage) out of the 8, but with plenty of home games in hand. Pretty much every team that is challenging for the finals apart from Essendon has had a bad month so far this season. Richmond lost 3 out of 4 early, North lost 2 our of their first 3, Carlton lost 4 in a row as have the Doggies, Hawthorn have been patchy and don't forget that Adelaide (who have the same 5-7 record as the Lions) lost something like 5 out of their first 6 and there are a few people out there ready to pencil in Adelaide for a finals spot. If the Lions can get 2 or 3 good wins in a row, then they've got the players to string together 5 or 6 wins in a row and make the finals. The only problem, a top 4 spot is probably just out of their reach. At the moment, I really wouldn't discount Hawthorn, Adelaide, Collingwood, or Brisbane from the finals just yet.

 

[john]

Thats probably true, but I don't think they are playing well enough, anywhere to win many at home.They are not the team they were last year.They have a lot of youngsters every week, they tend to not look where they are kicking, tending to long bomb it the anyne, hence Gale killed them in the last quarter.Last year, they have the faith in each other and the ability, to change gear, and game plan to suit the situation. This year, they are rudderless.No direction.
If it was the team of last year, that tenacity, I would agree, but alas I think they are at best 12 - 14 this year.
Which makes one wonder why it has occured.If it is true that senior players are experiencing problems with the coaching panel, then the club would have to address those problems.Maybe they are all egos, and believe their own press from last year.One thing you never hear in the media though is that the coach is admitting something is rong, and calling extra training sessions etc, like what happens at other clubs.Maybe because we are not in Brisbane we don't hear about it, and they are in crisis mode.

 

[Bernie]

Lions - this time last year 7 and 5 , now 5 and 7. Last year - won 10 in a row ( unusual ) including 2 home finals but eventually ran out of luck ( for want of a better word ) - injury, suspension etc. The other teams have done their homework and figured them out and, again due to some bad luck, ( draw, injuries suspension ) and salary cap pressures , the heat's on them. They should have beaten Hawthorn and Melbourne so they aren't that far away. It's not their year I guess.
To suggest that Michael Voss is leaving is pretty fanciful( a stir I suggest ) - if he had been playing on Sat. they might have got up.
Thay are just about last in contested marks and have NO talls - one v. young bloke carrying the ruck. The guy they miss is Clark Keating - he was excellent lasy year.
I think the Tigers are playing v. honest footy but Freo did beat them !

 

[Roylion]

Darren, I am a Lions member also.
The Lions didn't get paid $400,000 extra from the AFL. What they did get was an extra $400,000 allowance on the salary cap, if they wanted it. It's not the same thing.

I am also sadly disappointed with the Lions form this year. I think travel in such large blocks is an issue. Everyone knows the non-Victorian sides have to travel 11 times a year, but at least most of the time it is broken up with games at home and rarely do sides have to travel more than 2 weeks in a row. Until Round 5 this year, the Lions played three Ansett Cup matches + the first four rounds away from Brisbane. 6 times in the first 11 rounds they have had six day breaks. Now that normally might not be such a problem if you were playing a few games at home, but to be jumping on and off planes so often can hardly be a help in adequate preparation and building much needed confidence and skills early in the year.

The Lions intenary in the first 11 rounds was Melbourne, Melbourne, Melbourne, Adelaide, Home, Melbourne, Perth, Home, Home, Melbourne, Sydney. You're right... a block of home games at one end of the season would be easier for them, but that is yet to come. I also tend to agree with Bernie, in that after the first twelve rounds in 1999 we were 7-5 and now we are 5-7. With the draw, a worse injury list, more suspensions, less depth in our list, why are people so surprised as to where we are.
30,000 people at the Gabba on Saturday? Well that must be close to a record. Before this year 26,112 was the record, although I think Round 5 of this year stands as the official record at the moment. Even if you meant 20,000, the last four years average crowds have been 18,600, 19,500, 16,600 and last year 22,416. So 20,000 isn't that bad!

I agree Bradshaw needs a full game and has deserved it. Molloy is sadly out of form should be 'rested'.

 

[Shinboners]

Roylion

While the interstate sides do have to travel a lot, they will still get 2 to 4 chances a year to play at the MCG. On the other hand, if a Victorian club has to go interstate to play a final, they will play at a venue that they may have only played in once during that season. Subsequently, the home ground advantage of somewhere like the Gabba is probably worth 2 to 3 goals during the finals, more if their opponents haven't played there all year. Anothe thing. Didn't Leigh Matthews say last year that Brisbane should get more MCG games? Now, short of moving the MCG to Brisbane, that will involve travel.

I think the last Victorian side to have won a final interstate was Hawthorn in '91. So what you perceive to have lost during the home and away, you get back in bucketfuls during the finals.

 

[jennifer]

I am a loyal Lion.
Interesting point about the finals, I had never thought of it that way.
All the crap about travel being part of the Lions troubles this year is unbelievable.If they truly believe that, then we are a very very soft team, mentally and physically.
My team is not playing well. They are a shell of the team from last year. Look at Essendon and carlton, they have built on the dissapointments from last year. We have floundered.
I went to the reserves match the other night.
For the life of me I have no idea why Matthews hasn't played Bradshaw. He must be so frustrated that kid, what does he have to do to get a run in the seniors.
I think the problems started with the Lions when they traded Doc Clarke.Our problems are in the centre, we may win the ruck contest, but we dont win possession. Beau is very young and inexperienced. When you are relying on him to come up against the best ruckmentin the competition, you are always going to be behind the 8 ball.If you can't win 1st possession, you will always struggle.On Saturday night, he did a huge thump out of ruck, we got possession and then a goal. But this only happened once.
The midfielders worked well with Clarke, last year, it was a good team in the ruck with Keating and Clarke.

 

[molar]

Slightly of the topic I would to know how many of you Lion supporters follow Coburg/Fitzroy ?