Review Grand Final, 2023 - Collingwood vs. Brisbane Lions

Who were your five best players against Collingwood?


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Of course we did and had we a modicum of composure after Charlie put us up with four
Minutes to go who knows. we didn’t play well but the Cox blatantly dropping the ball or not disposing of it correctly in the Punt Rd end near the goal square was worse.

Fagan should know Collingwood are the best at juicing a clock. They have juiced 12m off before so it’s critical to get ahead before the last.

Almost impossible catching up when they are 10 up with 2m ago. They will run stoppage after stoppage down the line. You did good to get within 4.
 
That’s not how it works, there’s another team out there remember, and they’re also trying to win….

“Throwing it away” would be like the dogs in 2021 or Collingwood in 2018, where they’d all but won it and then let the other team back in to roll over the top of them.

That was never this game, this was neck and neck the entire match (again despite us being outplayed for the most part) and they just happened to perform better in the last few minutes. If the game went for another 5 minutes there’s every chance we’d get in front again and win, but it didn’t so here we are.

Saying they threw it away is disingenuous at BEST, and downright insulting at worst.
We had all but won it with four minutes to go so how is that dissimilar to the example you provided of Collingwood in 2018?
 
We had all but won it with four minutes to go so how is that dissimilar to the example you provided of Collingwood in 2018?
I assume he's referring to Collingwood having an almost five goal lead, albeit very early in the game. We never had a lead anywhere close to that.
 

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I assume he's referring to Collingwood having an almost five goal lead, albeit very early in the game. We never had a lead anywhere close to that.
There were two occasions where we were 2 goals up and had momentum and each time when we just needed another one we let them get two back.

I’m sorry but I don’t buy that we didn’t squander a golden opportunity and nor do I think that is being disingenuous or insulting which I find laughable. I’d be stunned if the players and coaches didn’t think that we didn’t throw away a golden opportunity today.
 
There were two occasions where we were 2 goals up and had momentum and each time when we just needed another one we let them get two back.
Two goals is nothing, especially with 6-6-6.
I’m sorry but I don’t buy that we didn’t squander a golden opportunity and nor do I think that is being disingenuous or insulting which I find laughable. I’d be stunned if the players and coaches didn’t think that we didn’t throw away a golden opportunity today.
I agree, I think we missed a fantastic opportunity. I think the only quibble is about saying we threw away the game, as opposed to the opportunity to win a premiership. It implies it was our game to throw, which I don't think it was at any point as it was up in the air all day until the final siren - we played a very good (but not our best) game. We didn't collapse or let Collingwood run over the top of us.
 
It was a great contest. The outcome was unfortunate. Collingwood were just a little bit better on the day. The team played with heart and soul. Fans should be proud of the effort today and this year. I thought the captains and coaches of both teams spoke very well. I have been a critic of Chris Fagan, he may not be the best tactician, but he is the best leader of these young men.

May all the supporters have a fantastic off season and here's to an even better on season in 2024 for one and all.
 
There was a guy out there today who I wish we had never traded away - Jack Crisp. Superb player, very deserving of a medal.

On another matter, not mentioned by anyone yet I don't think: Lachie won the toss, and our defense had the sun in their eyes when it was at just the wrong angle. Reminded me of Cotchin choosing to play into the wind against Port that time, which was a nine-goal stuff-up, if I recall correctly.

It wasn't as bad for us today as that, of course, but when Hill took that speccy against Starcs, I was thinking "that could have been Linc, or Cam, or Cal, or Charlie..."
 
I don’t see how we’re just coming into our window. I think saying otherwise is being more than disingenuous.

If anything we’re coming into the end of it, perhaps one more year with this cattle. Our midfield is too one paced and the likes of Port and Dees have way more upside in the middle. I hope we improve but I wouldn’t be surprised either if we fall out of the eight or produce a season not too dissimilar to what the Swans put up this year.

What I would like to know is if the AFL or someone in the media is going to explain some of these absurd decisions. The not paying a head high to Zorko in the first who had his head ripped off after Daicos had a soft one paid and secondly Cox at the Punt Road end blatantly dropping the ball and the umps crapping themselves and not paying HTB. How are these morons the best we’ve got. Stevic is one of the biggest cheats going around and where do you start with these pathetic boundary umpires who let throwing it in short? One of the biggest takeaways from 2023 is the low low level of umpiring we have to put up with and their constant biases towards big VIC clubs. It’s embarrassing.
Great summary and to the point let’s not sugar coat it
 
Shattered, but we just weren’t the better team on the day. Full credit to the pies, just played selfless team footy on the day. Our boys had a good crack but so many fumbles and poor turnovers hurt. A few blokes were really poor and just didn’t live up to the hype. We go again next year!
 
Hey I've still had pies fan sending me crap messages in a conversation. I've pot him on ignore but the messages are getting through.

How can I completely block him?
You can report DMs
 

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That was a ridiculous game. Neither team could get more than a 2 goal gap, which meant for us supporters the tension was extreme all game. Joey D was huge; a constant threat.

Thought our older players were the difference in the last. We will miss them when they are gone, so glad we grabbed a flag beforehand.

Congrats on the year. I expect you will be even better next year. And congrats to your supporters at the game. Loud and proud, but where I was sitting the banter was in pretty good spirits.
 
Landed at midnight last night, it was a pretty sombre flight home with plenty of Lions fans on board. My brief takeaway from 8 rows back from the fence in the Sun of the game which I haven't and will never watch a replay of were >

1- Collingwood looked the better side for the large majority of the game, would have been a hell of Flag to snatch in the end, it was incredible we were still in a position to win it right down to the last 20 seconds or so.

2- My Fab5 were Joe Daniher, Harris Andrews, Hugh McCluggage, Linc McCarthy, Keidean Coleman... also thought Lachie Neale really imposed himself on the contest in the last quarter, Zac Bailey was good and most of our other players were solid.

3- However our defensive smalls really struggled to make an impact, Darcy Wilmot and Connor McKenna did not provide their usual drive out of the back.

4- Some had very down games eg. Cam Rayner, Jaspa Fletcher, Callum Ah Chee, Dayne Zorko, Jarrod Berry, all tried their heart out though. Their wings and spread when they got loose was just too good for us.
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Ah well 2023 done and dusted, I am nowhere near as down as I thought I would be with a close loss, off course I am going over the what ifs but have a que sera sera attitude to it all.

Never a guarantee that you will make it back to the Grand Final again but with another reasonable run with injury in 2024 we will be right in the mix, this heartbreak will fire the boys on IMO.
 
Rayner needs to spend the next 6 months on a treadmill. He’s shown more than enough through the year that he would be an absolute force to be reckoned with in the middle, but he can’t sustain it.

If he gets fit we play him in the middle where he belongs and honestly that goes a long way to helping our issue today
What a load of crap , so no longer going to have a Neale or dunkley or clugg in the middle if you put Rayner on the ball ? Please give it a spell.
 
What a load of crap , so no longer going to have a Neale or dunkley or clugg in the middle if you put Rayner on the ball ? Please give it a spell.
Why can’t you have Rayner play through there as well? Other then the obvious fact that he isn’t fit enough.

A large part of the reason we lost yesterday is because we simply didn’t have the depth to run through the middle on what was a hot day. The midfield has been an issue for a number of years, which was addressed last offseason, but unfortunately we lost Will during the year which really effected us in the end.

We either need to go shopping for another or hope the likes of Cam and to a lesser extent Bailey can continue to improve in that area, to give us more through there.
 
Gutted. We lost the game ourselves - It’s too easy to sit here and blame the umpires.

Seemed like we had Lester running past for handball receives. Seems like we were clearly worried about Collingwood’s smalls as we preferred Wilmot locking down.

This need to spur someone like Rayner into having a big pre season.

We’ll get ‘em next year.
 
Two goals after the siren too.
The after the sirens were pretty easy shots, DeGoey and Sidebottom’s were massive under pressure shots, would not have expected them to convert both.
 

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Review Grand Final, 2023 - Collingwood vs. Brisbane Lions

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