21 minutes ago, picket fence said:

I think Mathew Jefferson will be better than JVR in time Dazzle. He is one who times his leaps well and takes impressive grabs. Donf get put of by his pionts tally in this game. Most were near misses. I would be almost tempted to play one or both and give T. Mac the flick, he is cooked!

Yeah Jefferson was really impressive. Must admit I was worried when we picked him up in the draft as I didn't know if his frame could stand up to the rigours of AFL footy.

But after yesterday, I was blown away by some of his contested marking against the bigger bodies. His stats read as kicking 0.5, so the fact he's putting himself in a position to score will hold him in good stead moving forward. 

I'm buoyed.  Unlikely viewpoint yes, but...

Humid, warm conditions, bounce of the ball, ordinary umpiring - just wasn't our night.  Having said that I thought we were going to get up all night.  Yes I did.

We have steel.  Brisbane do not.  

Don't win a flag in round 2.  

Tough competition.  

 

On 3/25/2023 at 9:40 AM, Fork 'em said:

Had our deficiencies exposed for the comp to see.
Have the balls to run at us and we look powerless.
Collingwood with their relentless run and ball use will eat us.
 

Take 

May

Pickett

Salem

Max 

equivalent out of Collingwood then compare!

I think we got shell shocked and went back to old habits.

Ive said this before (and been proven wrong), but if we play slow contested footy and continue to bomb it in to our F50 we will struggle again this year.

We are great defensively but terrible offensively.

Brisbane exposed our lack of skill and poise, and I am not sure we can support all of our inside mids in the one side of they can't hit targets.

I know we've trained for faster crisper ball movement and I know and trust goody will back the boys in, but my gut is telling me bring in the kids if they can keep poised and find targets.

Did clarry or Viney hit any targets before 3qtr time? That's our fatal flaw.

28 minutes ago, Cheap Seats said:

Did clarry or Viney hit any targets before 3qtr time? That's our fatal flaw.

Didn’t look like he hit a target all night but Viney miraculously went at 68% efficiency.

He had just one score involvement which was one less than Harmes.

On 3/24/2023 at 11:23 PM, SPC said:

Our midfield still pick and choose when to dig in.. been an issue for a year now. 

Tell that to Oliver, try’s guts out every minute of every game

1 hour ago, D4Life said:

Take 

May

Pickett

Salem

Max 

equivalent out of Collingwood then compare!

Not sure about Salem, a few too many health & injury issues for over a year now & will have to earn his spot after another injury to be in the best 23

31 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Didn’t look like he hit a target all night but Viney miraculously went at 68% efficiency.

He had just one score involvement which was one less than Harmes.

Yeh we need better if we are at the pointy end of the season.

But early to write the boys off but it will be an interesting watch as the season developes.

And I'm not interested in stats v the worst it's against the good sides that counts 

4 hours ago, leave it to deever said:

Who would you have replace Harmes?

Good question. Maybe Hibbo JJ or Dunstan. All did well in the twos. 
Would like to see JVR in to see what he can do and give him a bit of time to settle in. Could be the sub maybe. 

Loved Sparrow’s game after the restart. Goody to Clarry after the game ‘do not worry, you are worth more than many sparrows’. Apologies to Jesus & Luke but it is a Sunday so some scripture may be appropriate.

21 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

Goodwin in his presser said we didn't handle the conditions well, but also mentioned that the centre square is on a cricket pitch which we don't often play on.

We haven't played on the Gabba this early in a season since 2018, when we beat Brisbane, but they were a bottom 4 side that year. Since then, the earliest we've played on it was Round 15 2019 (June), with all our other games July or August.

I have zero idea whether playing on it 4 months after the cricket season makes any difference as compared to playing on it weeks after cricket, but it sounds like Goodwin thinks it might have. If it did, I have no idea how, but anyway.

I'm not using this as any sort of excuse, by the way. We knew about this fixture since December. 

100%.  As soon as I heard Goody’s comments, I knew this was a conditions affected performance more than anything else. The GABBA is a different venue early on in the season vs late in the season. It’s much more humid and slippery and the Lions play it very well. In fact the Lions have only lost at the GABBA before round 11 once in 3 years compared to 3 times in Rounds 15 and later over that same period.

Edited March 26, 20232 yr by At the break of Gawn

We are just really panicky and fumbly for a team that is built around contested ball and has so many players in their physical prime. The only way to overcome this is to apply enough pressure on the oppo that we get some clean ball running away from forcing turnovers. We haven't been a good pressure side since 2021...we seem to have forgot the magic ingredient. Geelong copied our 2021 game style last year and included the full ground pressure that we left behind...and looked street's ahead of everyone. A bit like us in 21.

Like to admit it or not, we've been done for hardness in the air and around the contest by multiple teams over the last 12 months...it's up to the players if they want to go down that way or step it up and make the most of this window of opportunity that we have.

That first quarter was played at breakneck speed and I'm not sure but it looked like there was a slightly slippery deck. It was chaos and to Brisbane's credit they got the jump they needed and also to start the second half. Credit to the Lions they responded with the intensity that they were meant to bring last week. 

No excuses but there was a bizarre set of circumstances in this game that went against us, it had the feeling of Freo at the G last year. If we're going to bring performances and in particular contested ball performances like that then I'm glad it's now and not later in the season. 

The big debate is chaos vs control and I do wonder if in that first quarter we could have tried to slow it down more with slower movement. I know we love the faster play but there will be times to control the tempo. Very hard to turn on and off like a tap though.

6 hours ago, Billy said:

Tell that to Oliver, try’s guts out every minute of every game

My only knock on Oliver is he just needs to slow down before he kicks it.

11 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Jordon would be my pick also.

JVR was crashing picks yesterday and his follow up work at ground level is far superior to Tmac. 

 

His brother kicked 2 for Claremont colts today in their last pre season hit out by doing exactly the same thing. Pressure with second efforts at ground level were exceptional. Missed a few set shots but was rewarded with 2 for his hard work 

Edited March 26, 20232 yr by Pennant St Dee

7 hours ago, Billy said:

Tell that to Oliver, try’s guts out every minute of every game

Ive had the weekend at friends in Ballarat and have thought quite a bit about Friday night and have a few things to comment on 

1 That was the worst performance under Goody that I can recall for three quarters, and can I ask the question, Ive seen training which replecated into 2 impressive pre season hitouts and last weeks win. In training I have seen hardly any "Bombing into the forward line " But sheeeeit was it evident on Friday. Why was that??

2 Question? Have some players got ahead of themselves?

3 Viney, although underdone played like the Viney of old which means "The Rugby player in him came out" and he displayed little Leadership when Max went down

4 T Mac in my book is COOKED, he is SLOW and has the Turning circle of 5 Titanics going around a solitary Ice cube in the Ocean, Just watch the replay, he just cannot turn. His place after two shocking games must be in Jeopardy

5 Petty played his worst game since his first Debut game years ago. Pushed under it , outpositioned just look rank. He is better than that but Friday was a stinker.

6 James Harmes, would be very nervous this week and could be replaced by someone like Dunstan or Jordan

7 Fritsch played well for 3 BUT needs to create more pressure as a forward.

8 Judd Mc Vie will be a player but got sucked into the vortex on occasions.

9 We will need another pinch hit Ruckman and I think it might be either Shackey Attackey OR Joel Smith this week.

10 Clarry is an out an out champion but was uncharaterisically rushed with some disposals. 37 Possesions at what 68 % I'll take it and this wasn't a usual game. but as I said he is a champion!

11 Melsham did close to Zero when give n his chance, Time to blood Youth!

Ins and outs

I think the selectors will roll the dice to a degree and I would go with the following ins

May, Pig, SHACKEY ATTACKEY ( If Fit) OR Joel Smith and or even lets Blood EITHER Matt JEFFERSON ( WHO CAN TAKE A GRAB) OR JVR and possibly Jordan and or Dunstan.

Outs Max, T MAC, Harmes, Melksham and maybe Judd Mc Vie

I have more to say but nothing more to add.

Go Dees .P.F

Edited March 26, 20232 yr by picket fence

Just a shocker of a night with the last 12 mins helping our percentage.

Hard to find good players and Harmes, Melksham and Petty very poor.

Only round 2, Max back in 6-8, so try not read too much into an off night!

Not enough people talking about how hot it was.

I'm from Darwin, and I know heat. It was stinking on Friday. I was at the ground, and sweating away in the stands, can only imagine what it was like running on the field. On way home after the game the temp was 27C (at 11pm) and it was still humid as anything.

For sure they had an off night - didn't help when Gawn went down - but I think it was an aberration.  And really, it's a reminder of what it takes to stay on top. Better to have these reminders early in the season, and store it as steel for later in the year, when it really counts.

Bad night, teams have them. Let’s see how they back up this week 

10 hours ago, At the break of Gawn said:

100%.  As soon as I heard Goody’s comments, I knew this was a conditions affected performance more than anything else. The GABBA is a different venue early on in the season vs late in the season. It’s much more humid and slippery and the Lions play it very well. In fact the Lions have only lost at the GABBA before round 11 once in 3 years compared to 3 times in Rounds 15 and later over that same period.

I was up in Brissy a few weeks back and it was very sticky. Had some colleagues over from SE Asia and they said it felt like home just a bit cooler. I guess that could explain the fumbles.

But the contested possession count … how do we explain the lack of grit? Is it really Gawns injury? I mean I understand if it is, but that also concerns me that we could be that easily distracted. 
 

 

Tom MacDonald’s epic fall from being the messianic missing link to DL whipping boy must be an all time record plunge over the popularity precipice.

Does he get the Jack Watts cat o’ nine tails  an Oscar or a Gordon Ramsay nomination?

Edited March 26, 20232 yr by Tarax Club

8 hours ago, picket fence said:

Ive had the weekend at friends in Ballarat and have thought quite a bit about Friday night and have a few things to comment on 

1 That was the worst performance under Goody that I can recall for three quarters, and can I ask the question, Ive seen training which replecated into 2 impressive pre season hitouts and last weeks win. In training I have seen hardly any "Bombing into the forward line " But sheeeeit was it evident on Friday. Why was that??

2 Question? Have some players got ahead of themselves?

3 Viney, although underdone played like the Viney of old which means "The Rugby player in him came out" and he displayed little Leadership when Max went down

4 T Mac in my book is COOKED, he is SLOW and has the Turning circle of 5 Titanics going around a solitary Ice cube in the Ocean, Just watch the replay, he just cannot turn. His place after two shocking games must be in Jeopardy

5 Petty played his worst game since his first Debut game years ago. Pushed under it , outpositioned just look rank. He is better than that but Friday was a stinker.

6 James Harmes, would be very nervous this week and could be replaced by someone like Dunstan or Jordan

7 Fritsch played well for 3 BUT needs to create more pressure as a forward.

8 Judd Mc Vie will be a player but got sucked into the vortex on occasions.

9 We will need another pinch hit Ruckman and I think it might be either Shackey Attackey OR Joel Smith this week.

10 Clarry is an out an out champion but was uncharaterisically rushed with some disposals. 37 Possesions at what 68 % I'll take it and this wasn't a usual game. but as I said he is a champion!

11 Melsham did close to Zero when give n his chance, Time to blood Youth!

Ins and outs

I think the selectors will roll the dice to a degree and I would go with the following ins

May, Pig, SHACKEY ATTACKEY ( If Fit) OR Joel Smith and or even lets Blood EITHER Matt JEFFERSON ( WHO CAN TAKE A GRAB) OR JVR and possibly Jordan and or Dunstan.

Outs Max, T MAC, Harmes, Melksham and maybe Judd Mc Vie

I have more to say but nothing more to add.

Go Dees .P.F

Time to switch Tmac and Petty. Both need a change and Petty is nervous without May and Tmac needs to play with the ball in front of him.

Harmes unless he tags to be dropped and JJ or  Schache to be promoted, 

Melksham must earn his place and 200 games.

 

18 hours ago, pinkshark said:

I'm buoyed.  Unlikely viewpoint yes, but...

Humid, warm conditions, bounce of the ball, ordinary umpiring - just wasn't our night.  Having said that I thought we were going to get up all night.  Yes I did.

We have steel.  Brisbane do not.  

Don't win a flag in round 2.  

Tough competition.  

 

No they’re not, but they can be set up. 
 

Comments like these are up there with “Pies won’t be able to play like that every week” after they beat the Cats in rd 1, to which I responded they don’t have to. The same applies to us, we have Lions and Swans back to back, Swans are fast starters, we need to shut them down early whilst getting off to a good start ourselves. Losses to two other top 4 hopefuls would be s disastrous start to the season.

17 hours ago, Billy said:

Tell that to Oliver, try’s guts out every minute of every game

Exactly - can’t do it alone. 

9 hours ago, DarwinDee said:

Not enough people talking about how hot it was.

I'm from Darwin, and I know heat. It was stinking on Friday. I was at the ground, and sweating away in the stands, can only imagine what it was like running on the field. On way home after the game the temp was 27C (at 11pm) and it was still humid as anything.

For sure they had an off night - didn't help when Gawn went down - but I think it was an aberration.  And really, it's a reminder of what it takes to stay on top. Better to have these reminders early in the season, and store it as steel for later in the year, when it really counts.

Yep I mentioned this earlier. My hands couldn’t stay dry and I was in the stands.  Very very humid