2013 Pre-season Discussion

[whatboutbob]

Only 126 days to go...

Link

THE AFL has announced that it will continue with a round-robin format for the 2013 NAB Cup, although the fixture for the pre-season competition won't be revealed until the end of October.

As in 2011 and this season, the 18 clubs will be divided into six divisions.

Each division will gather at a single venue for its round-one matches, which will be shortened lightning premiership-style games.

The competition will begin on the weekend of February 15-17, with three divisions playing their round-one games at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Patersons Stadium in Perth and AAMI Stadium in Adelaide.

The other three divisions will play their shortened matches on the weekend of February 22-24.

The venues for those games are Etihad Stadium, Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast and the Blacktown International Sports Park in western Sydney.

 

[POBT]

Has there been any info from the club about when the boys start back at training?

 

[irel]

Monday 5 November 2012: Brisbane Lions pre-season training commences

Wednesday 7 November 2012: Brisbane Lions high altitude training squad depart for Flagstaff, Arizona

 

[patfullfankezz]

5th of November our pre-season training starts.

7th of November (24 years for PFK!) is when the main group head off to Arizona.

Hopefully on the 5th or the 6th there will be a public training session, I love going to the preseason training for my birthday!

 

[Grimreepah]

125 days...

 

[Haso]

Remember remember the 5th of November.

 

[ZoBlitz]

Remember remember the 5th of November.

I am shocked, shocked, that the club is showing such disrespect to Guy Fawkes day that they are starting preseason on this date. I expected that kind of thing under Bowers...

 

[blueiris]

Any idea, who would be going to Arizona, guessing it's the leadership goup. But could improve the fitness of some of our younger players in Redden, Rich, Beams, Green, and Zorko,

 

[chopperduck]

Pretty sure the club said its players 5+ years and the leadership group, was 18 players, 19 now including Moloney IIRC.

 

[Quigley]

I am shocked, shocked, that the club is showing such disrespect to Guy Fawkes day that they are starting preseason on this date. I expected that kind of thing under Bowers...

Maybe they are planning fireworks.

 

[Old Den]

Maybe we are getting Dawes.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/chris-dawes-set-to-explode.537820/

 

[whatboutbob]

With Carlton v Richmond set for March 28, does that mean the Lions have lost their Easter Thursday slot?

 

[Elixuh]

Hopefully on the 5th or the 6th

5th and 6th are going to be terrible! (apart from your birthday of course)

 

[iBeng]

 

[Ray Button]

This talk about injuries has raised an issue with me - I think that at the moment the Lions have an inordinate amount of depth in the senior 40, plus a few rookies that can contribute at senior level. The playing season of a few pre-season games, plus 22 rounds, plus (hopefully) some finals means that the club might look at player rotations to ensure that they get to the end of season relatively fresh (eg Geelong 2011).

Question: does anyone know just how much, if any, respite does a player get by playing in the Bs instead of the As? Has any of the players ever indicated that spending a game or two in the Bs is actually beneficial, or are these games just as hard in terms of physical effort. I'm not talking skill-levels here.

Is it considered that injuries are more likely in the lower level due to the lesser skills of the other players involved?

Should players rotated out of the As actually not play at all in the Bs to ensure a proper rest?

 

[whatboutbob]

With Carlton v Richmond set for March 28, does that mean the Lions have lost their Easter Thursday slot?

Ah, well this explains it:

THE Brisbane Lions have demanded the AFL schedule a prime-time blockbuster at the Gabba next year as compensation for the club losing its traditional Easter Thursday fixture.

An early Easter in 2013 means the Lions cannot host a match on March 28, the night before Good Friday, as the ground would have only just been released by cricket and would not be ready for football.

The Sheffield Shield final is scheduled for Friday, March 22 to Tuesday, March 26 and all major cricket grounds in Australia are booked as a precaution.

 

[Toffee Lion]

Ah, well this explains it:

Glad that there is reasoning behind it after all and also that we demanded a blockbuster in return.

 

[POBT]

Are we in a position to "demand a blockbuster" when the reason we lost ours was because our ground wasn't available? Who is the stadium hire agreement with - the AFL or the club?

 

[Toffee Lion]

Are we in a position to "demand a blockbuster" when the reason we lost ours was because our ground wasn't available? Who is the stadium hire agreement with - the AFL or the club?

Considering that we have a contract I believe that warrants us a blockbuster of some sorts.

 

[jackess]

Is Easter Thursday really a blockbuster? It's not like Anzac Day, etc. But we need more exposure outside of Queensland to help with sponsorship, membership, etc.

 

[Toffee Lion]

Is Easter Thursday really a blockbuster? It's not like Anzac Day, etc. But we need more exposure outside of Queensland to help with sponsorship, membership, etc.

For us it would be, the money it would bring in would be more then most normal games at the Gabba.

Since we're not Richmond, Essendon, Collingwood or Carlton we will never get true 'Blockbuster' games unless we're top 4.

 

[POBT]

Considering that we have a contract I believe that warrants us a blockbuster of some sorts.

But the AFL do the scheduling - how is it the AFL's fault that our ground isn't available? Genuine question.

 

[ZoBlitz]

I remember, back in 2000 or maybe earlier, that they have played pre-season games at the Gabba. How were they able to do that? What's changed since then, cause the cricket would have been on at that time of year?

 

[Happy_Neale]

But the AFL do the scheduling - how is it the AFL's fault that our ground isn't available? Genuine question.

On the flip side, why should we be held accountable for the ground not being ready? The AFL has contracts with the grounds to make sure all clubs get the best deal, surely there should have been some sort of deal whereby the ground could be used for cricket but still ready for Easter Thursday.

 

[Quigley]

But the AFL do the scheduling - how is it the AFL's fault that our ground isn't available? Genuine question.

I think the AFL has a contract with the Qld Govt that they have to schedule the Easter Thursday at the ground. If the AFL is unable to deliver on the agreement then I am sure the Govt could demand that a game of like attractiveness be scheduled.