Preview Grand Final 2024 - Sydney Swans / South Melbourne Bloods vs Brisbane Bears/ Fitzroy Lions - The Big Dance

[The King!]

Fort is a decent ruckman for what it's worth too

 

[BloodySwan]

Lions cannot be underestimated. Dual Brownlow medalist, brilliant FF & FB, strong support throughout the middle, the best small forward in the comp (sorry Paps but you're number 2).

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

Rowie will easily shut down a moon-boot wearing clearly hampered Lachie Neale

9

Lachie Neale

Age

31

Ht

178cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

27.0

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

15.5

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.7

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

28.3

5star

K

13.9

5star

HB

14.4

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.0

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

4.6

2star

HB

7.4

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.0

3star

CL

0.4

3star

.

 

[Wheresbuddy]

I agree. But then I remember thinking the same thing about the bulldogs in 2016 where they fell over the line against GWS and it looked like they played their Grand Final. We need to be cautious, especially since Brisbane seem to be on top of the free kick ladder.

Dogs though had a very partisan crowd, didn't have to travel and were helped massively by the umpiring. In retrospect, they were riding a massive VFL / Victorian / Melbourne fairy tale all the way to the flag. Brisbane won't have this and things will be 50 / 50 when the first bounce takes place.

 

[Cadsky]

Just saying technically Heeney hasn't lit up grand final day (yet) Mills was in his first year in 16 and he was ok in 22 , not sure we can dismiss him as a big game player.

2022 finals was great for 2 weeks and was one of our best in 23 etc.

People don't want to play injured players then I get that. But seems to be a suggestion Mills is basically average anyway which surprises me.

I don't think that's the case. I think the suggestion is that Mills is completely underdone and has been underwhelming so far this season. At his best we all know how good he is, but he seems far from his best. So taking the captaincy out of the equation, should he be played ahead of a fully fit Fox is really the question.

 

[bloodsbigot]

Yep - at the start of the year I said my only concern was scripted umpiring and we face the free kick leaders next week. That being said, we should also be cautious playing underdone or injured players like we did in spades in 2016 which also didn’t help.

The only thing different this time around which I take solace in is the fact we won the qualifying final and had an extra week off and haven't needed to leave Sydney at all.
Unlike 2016 where we lost our qualifying final against GWS in a brutal game and had to play Adelaide and then travel and beat Geelong in the preliminary.

Also heard Brisbane just got back home from Melbourne last night at 2am. So they'd still be buggered today, whereas we're out casually training today. To top it off Brisbane is heading to Melbourne Wednesday.

All signs look good so far, but I hope the team is cautious and knows not to be overconfident.

 

[bloodsbigot]

Dogs though had a very partisan crowd, didn't have to travel and were helped massively by the umpiring. In retrospect, they were riding a massive VFL / Victorian / Melbourne fairy tale all the way to the flag. Brisbane won't have this and things will be 50 / 50 when the first bounce takes place.

I'm confident of a win, but with these injury concerns and the fact they're atop the free kick ladder I'm getting PTSD.

It helps massively that their ruck is injured. We've already won the opening round as far as I'm concerned.

 

[The King!]

I don't think that's the case. I think the suggestion is that Mills is completely underdone and has been underwhelming so far this season. At his best we all know how good he is, but he seems far from his best. So taking the captaincy out of the equation, should he be played ahead of a fully fit Fox is really the question.

The comments were about him not being a big game player and failing in prior years and being selfish as a player were the ones I found odd though.

But yeah if Mills is fit even this interrupted year he has been better than Fox.

Fox had some average games this year, though Brisbane was one of his best.

Ive got no issue with your comments about Mills I quoted at all, but the suggestion he is average in general innprior years is nonsense imo.

 

[bloodsbigot]

Fort is a decent ruckman for what it's worth too

Why do you say that?

 

[The King!]

Why do you say that?

Why do I say anything

Was actually the wrong thread , but still if he plays he is decent, Grundy will have to work hard

 

[caesar88]

The start will be everything. First 20-30 minutes is where we will win it or lose it.

 

[Benmacca33]

Any thoughts on who lions would replace Payne with if he doesn’t come up he’s more likely to miss than McDonald I’d say

 

[Maddo11]

Rowie will easily shut down a moon-boot wearing clearly hampered Lachie Neale.

Nobody easily shuts down a dual brownlow Medallist

But if he can put in a herculean effort and sit on neale all day while collecting clearances and maybe a goal or two then there could be a Normie on offer

 

[bloodsbigot]

Why do I say anything

Was actually the wrong thread , but still if he plays he is decent, Grundy will have to work hard

Im just asking what you're basing it on. Heard it from a bunch of lions supporters that he's a decent backup ruckman, but they're biased lion supporters. I'm assuming since he's a 31 year old b-tier ruck playing in vfl he can't be that good?

He looks like a twig and he weighs way less than Grundy.

 

[kickthething]

I find it surprising people honestly don't think Mills improves the side.

He is a better player than Fox for a start. Each to their own.

I am talking Callum Mills 2024 version. His limited football has been well below CAllum Mills of other seasons. Tell me where he improves what is happening, particularly with the injury. As Captain, I fully expect him to make a captains call and not play.

 

[Punts]

Any thoughts on who lions would replace Payne with if he doesn’t come up he’s more likely to miss than McDonald I’d say

He was fine last night?

 

[Jack2Jack]

Stats say first qtr is the big danger, not anything we didn't know. Their 1st qtrs are powerful. Middle quarters we have it over them if we're still in the match. Obviously they've played an extra game which slightly skews the stats.
Our accuracy is poor early while our opponents have been very accurate, both those things completely flip in the middle qtrs


Swans

Quarter	W	D	L	For	Against	%
1st	10	1	14	66.76 (472)	90.65 (605)	78.02
2nd	16	1	8	97.57 (639)	48.78 (366)	174.59
3rd	18	1	6	103.91 (709)	66.61 (457)	155.14
4th	17	0	8	89.71 (605)	68.74 (482)	125.52
Total	61	3	36	355.295 (2425)	272.278 (1910)	126.96

Lions

Quarter	W	D	L	For	Against	%
1st	22	0	4	107.89 (731)	56.64 (400)	182.75
2nd	14	0	12	82.82 (574)	77.58 (520)	110.38
3rd	14	0	12	75.97 (547)	72.60 (492)	111.18
4th	12	2	12	83.79 (577)	87.69 (591)	97.63
Total	62	2	40	347.347 (2429)	292.251 (2003)	121.27

 

[Wheresbuddy]

Im just asking what you're basing it on. Heard it from a bunch of lions supporters that he's a decent backup ruckman, but they're biased lion supporters. I'm assuming since he's a 31 year old b-tier ruck playing in vfl he can't be that good?

He looks like a twig and he weighs way less than Grundy.
View attachment 2118333

The attached photo was taken with my son and his mate last year (used AI to delete them). He is not broad across the shoulders like Sweet or Meek that's for sure.

 

[Wheresbuddy]

 

[Dan87]

Word of the week, write it on the wall

Fearless

Don't be so scared of losing it you don't win it

 

[tombomb]

I dunno if he will be commentating on 7 but not having to listen to Luke Darcy say 'Jezza' 475 times is a big plus for Saturday.

 

[TasSixer]

I dunno if he will be commentating on 7 but not having to listen to Luke Darcy say 'Jezza' 475 times is a big plus for Saturday.

Don't normally like him but thought he was alright in our QF

 

[Dubai Quacker]

I find the most fascinating aspect to be who JJ goes to.

Sometimes Horse sends him to the most damaging rebound defender (think Clarke at Freo).

Sometimes he sends him to a prime mover in the midfield (think Butters in the prelim).

I suspect Parker goes to Zorko.

Which leaves me none the wiser as to JJ’s target.

Starcevich is probably the Lions most important rebounder (setting Zorko aside), Wilmot next in line.

Or will he look to annoy McLuggage?

I really have no idea this week & I can’t recall who JJ played on when last we played the Lions.

 

[Bloods86]

The comments were about him not being a big game player and failing in prior years and being selfish as a player were the ones I found odd though.

But yeah if Mills is fit even this interrupted year he has been better than Fox.

Fox had some average games this year, though Brisbane was one of his best.

Ive got no issue with your comments about Mills I quoted at all, but the suggestion he is average in general innprior years is nonsense imo.

Don't really agree on Mills being better than Fox this year. After a month of struggling, Mills played a couple of good games. Fox has been thrown around, but had some pretty good games as a defensive forward early on and yeah, against Brisbane he was good in/from defence against a team in full flight.

After a great game against Brisbane and being criminally left forward against Port, he was out injured after the Pies.

 

[The King!]

Don't really agree on Mills being better than Fox this year. After a month of struggling, Mills played a couple of good games. Fox has been thrown around, but had some pretty good games as a defensive forward early on and yeah, against Brisbane he was good in/from defence against a team in full flight.

Mills has been thrown around a bit too though, feels like we are setting the bar lower for Fox imho.

I mean both are good and will do the job if asked.

May come down to matchups