Hi Lions fans, last year I posted Brisbane's season preview and it generated some good discussion. You can check out that out here (sadly, it turned out to be a bit optimistic).
In that spirit, I thought I'd come back and post the 2016 season preview for the Lions.
Genuinely interested in finding out your realistic aims, what has you excited and your feedback on the preview.
I've posted the whole thing here, sans images, to comply with the BigFooty anti-spamming protocols; hopefully that's okay for the mods. It's worth noting this preview was written and published before Justin Leppitsch's one-year contract extension.
I am not the author, but I've let him know I've posted the preview and he'll be here to engage!
2016 season preview: Brisbane
By Adrian Polykandrites
Last season
There were positive vibes about the future of the Brisbane Lions 12 months ago. After acquiring gun midfielders Dayne Beams and Allen Christensen, as well as unflinching bull Mitch Robinson after he was delisted by Carlton, the Lions were a popular pick to push for the eight.
A Saturday night showdown against Collingwood at the Gabba seemed the perfect opportunity for the Lions to make an early mark. But a 12-point loss – the final margin flattered the home side – in which new skipper Tom Rockliff suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung was only a glimpse of the horror to come.
Brisbane lost their next four games by 82, 79, 53 and 64 points. It was the third time in past five seasons the Lions were winless after five games. They managed only four wins for the season, including a stretch of eleven straight losses. Brisbane somehow only avoided the wooden spoon by virtue of a slightly better percentage than Carlton.
It was a testing season for Rockliff in his first campaign as captain. He missed rounds two and three due to the injury suffered against the Pies, was concussed without recording a stat in the round five clash against Queensland rivals Gold Coast, re-injured his ribs in round nine – costing him another four games – and had to rebuff accusations that his leadership style had rubbed his teammates the wrong way.
The mighty midfield the Lions hoped they had pieced together was rarely seen. Rockliff and Beams each missed six games and line-breaking Irishman Pearce Hanley missed half of the season. The three of them lined up together only three times, the first of which wasn’t until round 15.
The Lions were so weakened and exposed at each end of the ground that they finishing second-last in both points for and points against – only Carlton were worse in both categories.
There weren’t many positives, but the emergence of teenager Harris Andrews was one of them. The 200cm stringbean key defender has plenty of work to do in the gym, but his ability to read the play was a feature, and he was far from disgraced in one-on-one contests. Marco Paporone also emerged as a promising defender, the 194cm 21-year-old averaging nearly 19 disposals a game.
And Robinson proved a nice addition, averaging more than 20 disposals and almost seven tackles a game on his way to one of a quartet who tied for the Lions’ best and fairest award.
Comings and goings
It’s more than troubling that Brisbane couldn’t stem the flow of talent that has seeped from the club in previous off-seasons. While the departure of 25-year-old tough midfielder Jack Redden to the West Coast Eagles stings more than injury-prone ruckman Matthew Leuenberger ending his time with the Lions after 108 games in nine seasons, the most damaging departure was that of 2013 number seven pick James Aish to Collingwood. Aish hasn’t shown a great deal in his short time, but to lose a top 10 pick after only two seasons hurts as much for the declining reputation of the Gabba as a place for talented players to stay as it does for the club’s on-field fortunes.
Former skipper Jed Adcock is now a Bulldog after being delisted, while veterans Matt Maguire, Brent Staker and Luke McGuane hung up the boots. Mitch Golby was cut loose after 56 games.
The good news is the Lions finally grabbed the key forward prospect they were crying out for. With the second pick in the draft they selected the highly rated Josh Schache from the Murray Bushrangers. Patience will be required, but the 199cm spearhead represents the fulcrum around which the Lions’ forward line will operate for the foreseeable future.
Promising key position player Eric Hipwood and classy midfielder Ben Keays joined the club out of the club’s development academy. Midfielder Rhys Mathieson and key position project player Sam Skinner were also acquired in the draft.
Former Geelong forward Josh Walker comes in to help bolster Brisbane’s lacklustre frontline, and 24-year-olds Tom Bell and Ryan Bastinac add experience to a young list. Bell, a strong-bodied midfielder, broke out as one of Carlton’s best performers in a bad team, and knows how to get forward-of-centre with the ball.
It’s worth noting that former Brisbane Bear Craig Lambert has rejoined the club as welfare manager. Lambert was held in high regard for his work with the young Giants in western Sydney, and now Brisbane will hope he can help their youngsters embrace the club. After all, if the Lions are ever to climb back into relevancy, they need to hold on to their young talent.
Strengths
The midfield remains the Lions’ strongest suit. In Tom Rockliff, Dayne Beams, Pearce Hanley, Allen Christensen, Mitch Robinson, the recently re-signed Dayne Zorko, Lewis Taylor, Daniel Rich, and recruits Tom Bell and Ryan Bastinac, Brisbane has a midfield rotation that can mix it with the best – if they can stay healthy.
Add to that the elevation of Stefan Martin into the elite ruck category, and there’s plenty for the Lions to work with in the middle of the park.
Brisbane bested Carlton twice last season and get two cracks at the Blues again, but the draw isn’t particularly kind for a team that finished 17th. Along with Carlton, Brisbane will face local rivals Gold Coast, Geelong, Port Adelaide and West Coast twice.
Rich looked sharp last year after coming back from knee reconstruction in 2013, and with another pre-season under his belt, he and his lethal left leg should be even more damaging.
Vice-captain Zorko is still more inconsistent than coach Justin Leppitsch would probably like, but the 27-year-old is now one of the game’s better attacking midfielders; he averaged almost 23 disposals and booted 18 goals last season.
Weaknesses
Brisbane managed only 70 points per game last season, and managed a dreadful run of 48, 49, 36 and 38 in rounds 14 to 17. And it is no wonder: Champion Data statistics had the Lions dead last when it came to winning one-on-one contests (21.3%) in the attacking part of the ground.
So bad was Brisbane’s forward set-up that small forward Josh Green was the only Lion to top 20 goals last season, leading the club with 25.
It’s not much better in the back half, where the Lions were 17th in one-on-one contests, and managed to concede a league-worst 50.5% of the time the ball entered their defensive 50.
A healthy Daniel Merrett should help in those areas, though at 31 time isn’t on his side, as should the development of Harris Andrews and Daniel McStay, who could find himself floating from one end of the ground to the other this season. But however you shake it, the Lions have a lot of work to do to reduce the damage after conceding an average of more than 100 points per game last season.
Given their midfield contingent, it’s surprising that Brisbane struggled to win contested possessions in 2015. Matching a theme for last season, the Lions were second-last in contested possession differential. Being beaten to the footy has been an ongoing problem – the club has finished in the bottom four in that category every season since 2010.
What to expect in 2016
The Lions enter the season with the youngest and least experienced list in the competition, so this season should be all about development. Expect the latest batch of draftees to see plenty of opportunities as Justin Leppitsch tries to find the pieces required to help return the Lions to finals action.
Stability is the key and it’s going to be as important off the field as on it. With losing comes increased scrutiny, which is something both captain and coach had to deal with in 2015. There were whispers around Leppitsch’s viability as coach last season, and if Brisbane gets off to a similar start to last year, expect those whispers to sound more like a chorus.
Brisbane starts the season with the most daunting trip in footy, a trip west to take on the Eagles, which could be symbolic of their season – it’s all about damage control.
Best 22
B: Marco Paparone – Daniel Merrett – Ryan Harwood
HB: Sam Mayes – Harris Andrews – Daniel Rich
C: Pearce Hanley – Tom Rockliff – Lewis Taylor
HF: Allen Christensen – Daniel McStay – Dayne Zorko
FF: Josh Walker – Josh Schache – Josh Green
FOLL: Stefan Martin – Dayne Beams – Mitch Robinson
INT: Tom Bell – Ryan Bastinac – Ben Keays – Rohan Bewick
Note: Justin Clarke not considered due to indefinite injury
The verdict
The fixture has a habit of looking difficult for bad teams, but even with that consideration, the early part of the season looks particularly daunting for the Lions. Their first five weeks includes three of the most difficult road trips in 2016: West Coast at Subiaco, Geelong in Geelong and a track meet with the Bulldogs at Etihad.
A home game against the Suns in round four shapes as the most winnable of their first 10 games.
But that’s about where the Lions are at as a team. The big names at the top end – Tom Rockliff, Dayne Beams, Pearce Hanley, Stefan Martin, Dayne Zorko – can distract you from what is a list comprised heavily of unproven players – and mentored by an as yet unproven coach.
There are some exciting youngsters to keep an eye on, but with such a heavy reliance on their top tier, the Lions are only a few injuries away from disaster.
Wins are likely to be few and far between, and how they fare in their two games against the Blues could well determine which team finishes lower on the ladder. Climbing out of the bottom four would be a minor miracle.
We have Brisbane finishing 16th.
In that spirit, I thought I'd come back and post the 2016 season preview for the Lions.
Genuinely interested in finding out your realistic aims, what has you excited and your feedback on the preview.
I've posted the whole thing here, sans images, to comply with the BigFooty anti-spamming protocols; hopefully that's okay for the mods. It's worth noting this preview was written and published before Justin Leppitsch's one-year contract extension.
I am not the author, but I've let him know I've posted the preview and he'll be here to engage!
2016 season preview: Brisbane
By Adrian Polykandrites
Last season
There were positive vibes about the future of the Brisbane Lions 12 months ago. After acquiring gun midfielders Dayne Beams and Allen Christensen, as well as unflinching bull Mitch Robinson after he was delisted by Carlton, the Lions were a popular pick to push for the eight.
A Saturday night showdown against Collingwood at the Gabba seemed the perfect opportunity for the Lions to make an early mark. But a 12-point loss – the final margin flattered the home side – in which new skipper Tom Rockliff suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung was only a glimpse of the horror to come.
Brisbane lost their next four games by 82, 79, 53 and 64 points. It was the third time in past five seasons the Lions were winless after five games. They managed only four wins for the season, including a stretch of eleven straight losses. Brisbane somehow only avoided the wooden spoon by virtue of a slightly better percentage than Carlton.
It was a testing season for Rockliff in his first campaign as captain. He missed rounds two and three due to the injury suffered against the Pies, was concussed without recording a stat in the round five clash against Queensland rivals Gold Coast, re-injured his ribs in round nine – costing him another four games – and had to rebuff accusations that his leadership style had rubbed his teammates the wrong way.
The mighty midfield the Lions hoped they had pieced together was rarely seen. Rockliff and Beams each missed six games and line-breaking Irishman Pearce Hanley missed half of the season. The three of them lined up together only three times, the first of which wasn’t until round 15.
The Lions were so weakened and exposed at each end of the ground that they finishing second-last in both points for and points against – only Carlton were worse in both categories.
There weren’t many positives, but the emergence of teenager Harris Andrews was one of them. The 200cm stringbean key defender has plenty of work to do in the gym, but his ability to read the play was a feature, and he was far from disgraced in one-on-one contests. Marco Paporone also emerged as a promising defender, the 194cm 21-year-old averaging nearly 19 disposals a game.
And Robinson proved a nice addition, averaging more than 20 disposals and almost seven tackles a game on his way to one of a quartet who tied for the Lions’ best and fairest award.
Comings and goings
It’s more than troubling that Brisbane couldn’t stem the flow of talent that has seeped from the club in previous off-seasons. While the departure of 25-year-old tough midfielder Jack Redden to the West Coast Eagles stings more than injury-prone ruckman Matthew Leuenberger ending his time with the Lions after 108 games in nine seasons, the most damaging departure was that of 2013 number seven pick James Aish to Collingwood. Aish hasn’t shown a great deal in his short time, but to lose a top 10 pick after only two seasons hurts as much for the declining reputation of the Gabba as a place for talented players to stay as it does for the club’s on-field fortunes.
Former skipper Jed Adcock is now a Bulldog after being delisted, while veterans Matt Maguire, Brent Staker and Luke McGuane hung up the boots. Mitch Golby was cut loose after 56 games.
The good news is the Lions finally grabbed the key forward prospect they were crying out for. With the second pick in the draft they selected the highly rated Josh Schache from the Murray Bushrangers. Patience will be required, but the 199cm spearhead represents the fulcrum around which the Lions’ forward line will operate for the foreseeable future.
Promising key position player Eric Hipwood and classy midfielder Ben Keays joined the club out of the club’s development academy. Midfielder Rhys Mathieson and key position project player Sam Skinner were also acquired in the draft.
Former Geelong forward Josh Walker comes in to help bolster Brisbane’s lacklustre frontline, and 24-year-olds Tom Bell and Ryan Bastinac add experience to a young list. Bell, a strong-bodied midfielder, broke out as one of Carlton’s best performers in a bad team, and knows how to get forward-of-centre with the ball.
It’s worth noting that former Brisbane Bear Craig Lambert has rejoined the club as welfare manager. Lambert was held in high regard for his work with the young Giants in western Sydney, and now Brisbane will hope he can help their youngsters embrace the club. After all, if the Lions are ever to climb back into relevancy, they need to hold on to their young talent.
Strengths
The midfield remains the Lions’ strongest suit. In Tom Rockliff, Dayne Beams, Pearce Hanley, Allen Christensen, Mitch Robinson, the recently re-signed Dayne Zorko, Lewis Taylor, Daniel Rich, and recruits Tom Bell and Ryan Bastinac, Brisbane has a midfield rotation that can mix it with the best – if they can stay healthy.
Add to that the elevation of Stefan Martin into the elite ruck category, and there’s plenty for the Lions to work with in the middle of the park.
Brisbane bested Carlton twice last season and get two cracks at the Blues again, but the draw isn’t particularly kind for a team that finished 17th. Along with Carlton, Brisbane will face local rivals Gold Coast, Geelong, Port Adelaide and West Coast twice.
Rich looked sharp last year after coming back from knee reconstruction in 2013, and with another pre-season under his belt, he and his lethal left leg should be even more damaging.
Vice-captain Zorko is still more inconsistent than coach Justin Leppitsch would probably like, but the 27-year-old is now one of the game’s better attacking midfielders; he averaged almost 23 disposals and booted 18 goals last season.
Weaknesses
Brisbane managed only 70 points per game last season, and managed a dreadful run of 48, 49, 36 and 38 in rounds 14 to 17. And it is no wonder: Champion Data statistics had the Lions dead last when it came to winning one-on-one contests (21.3%) in the attacking part of the ground.
So bad was Brisbane’s forward set-up that small forward Josh Green was the only Lion to top 20 goals last season, leading the club with 25.
It’s not much better in the back half, where the Lions were 17th in one-on-one contests, and managed to concede a league-worst 50.5% of the time the ball entered their defensive 50.
A healthy Daniel Merrett should help in those areas, though at 31 time isn’t on his side, as should the development of Harris Andrews and Daniel McStay, who could find himself floating from one end of the ground to the other this season. But however you shake it, the Lions have a lot of work to do to reduce the damage after conceding an average of more than 100 points per game last season.
Given their midfield contingent, it’s surprising that Brisbane struggled to win contested possessions in 2015. Matching a theme for last season, the Lions were second-last in contested possession differential. Being beaten to the footy has been an ongoing problem – the club has finished in the bottom four in that category every season since 2010.
What to expect in 2016
The Lions enter the season with the youngest and least experienced list in the competition, so this season should be all about development. Expect the latest batch of draftees to see plenty of opportunities as Justin Leppitsch tries to find the pieces required to help return the Lions to finals action.
Stability is the key and it’s going to be as important off the field as on it. With losing comes increased scrutiny, which is something both captain and coach had to deal with in 2015. There were whispers around Leppitsch’s viability as coach last season, and if Brisbane gets off to a similar start to last year, expect those whispers to sound more like a chorus.
Brisbane starts the season with the most daunting trip in footy, a trip west to take on the Eagles, which could be symbolic of their season – it’s all about damage control.
Best 22
B: Marco Paparone – Daniel Merrett – Ryan Harwood
HB: Sam Mayes – Harris Andrews – Daniel Rich
C: Pearce Hanley – Tom Rockliff – Lewis Taylor
HF: Allen Christensen – Daniel McStay – Dayne Zorko
FF: Josh Walker – Josh Schache – Josh Green
FOLL: Stefan Martin – Dayne Beams – Mitch Robinson
INT: Tom Bell – Ryan Bastinac – Ben Keays – Rohan Bewick
Note: Justin Clarke not considered due to indefinite injury
The verdict
The fixture has a habit of looking difficult for bad teams, but even with that consideration, the early part of the season looks particularly daunting for the Lions. Their first five weeks includes three of the most difficult road trips in 2016: West Coast at Subiaco, Geelong in Geelong and a track meet with the Bulldogs at Etihad.
A home game against the Suns in round four shapes as the most winnable of their first 10 games.
But that’s about where the Lions are at as a team. The big names at the top end – Tom Rockliff, Dayne Beams, Pearce Hanley, Stefan Martin, Dayne Zorko – can distract you from what is a list comprised heavily of unproven players – and mentored by an as yet unproven coach.
There are some exciting youngsters to keep an eye on, but with such a heavy reliance on their top tier, the Lions are only a few injuries away from disaster.
Wins are likely to be few and far between, and how they fare in their two games against the Blues could well determine which team finishes lower on the ladder. Climbing out of the bottom four would be a minor miracle.
We have Brisbane finishing 16th.
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