How do we take the next step to a premiership?

[Paul Mac]

It frustrates me that we've finished in the top 4 in the last 3 years and couldn't make a grand final, whereas Melbourne came from nowhere and have been able to do what we couldn't. Even if they don't win the flag, they would have already done better than us. The same for bulldogs. It must be genuinely hard to be a Brisbane, port or Geelong supporter. We're as bad as each other when it comes to capitalising on finals momentum.

However, I'm sure Fagan is well aware there is no more excuses now. We've had enough finals experience and 1 win in 6 games is appalling. No matter which way you look at it. Fagan's contract ends at the end of 2023, which I think is our premiership window and I'm sure he knows he doesn't want to leave the club without taking us to at least a grand final. These next two years will be interesting, and hopefully this time Fagan comes in with the no more excuses mantra and realise that our finals record must be fixed. Onwards and upwards.

Have always said to people ( starting from last year) if we don't win a flag in the next 5 years ( starting from last year ) then you can say we have underachieved. I like to wait to see what happens in the future before saying whether we have wasted our opportunity or not just yet. We still have the opportunity so not throwing the baby out with the bathwater yet.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

I think we need to do a Melbourne here and take advantage of our off-field departures by bringing in a new coaching department. Not just in the midfield, but let's try to improve other areas at all. I think fresh ideas is a must, because what we're doing isn't working. Fagan needs to have different ideas around him, and who knows, maybe one of them will be the difference between failing another finals campaign and winning the flag?

We did bring in Mark Stone a year ago.

 

[Lazza16]

It is gunna be a long off seasonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

 

[RegionalLion]

We are definitely in a good place overall, but each year others move themselves into a better one. The Bulldogs added quality to a very deep midfield as well drafting great young talent and a no 1 development Kpp with another one coming. Melbourne has the key things we currently lack - petracca/ Oliver types, and a dominant ruck - with arguably the best choices (with some luck) from recent drafts.

We have a great midfield a good core of defenders and great forward line options but as identified we lacks the pace, big bodied crash types in the middle and X factor (we have some but not as much as others). We also have a good ruck in big O who brings effort and heart in swags but needs support to rival the ruck dept of other teams. The other thing we don’t really have is the tagging midfielder which is still underrated IMO. Trading in this kind of talent would be very expensive so hopefully we can get the draft right the next few years.

I haven’t seen much of Ashcroft and Fletcher but still some areas that if we can address we will be premiership contenders and have the advantage of longevity in the list to be up the top for a long time which is great.

 

[briztoon]

Jake Niall on the Age Footy podcast said a healthy Lions list is right up there with Melbourne and the Bulldogs next year.

 

[fugitive]

Jake Niall on the Age Footy podcast said a healthy Lions list is right up there with Melbourne and the Bulldogs next year.

Foxsports gave a similar assessment.

 

[M Malice]

Jake Niall on the Age Footy podcast said a healthy Lions list is right up there with Melbourne and the Bulldogs next year.

IMO Jake Niall is one of the better footy pundits going around, also Caroline Wilson and I know some are dead set against him but I don't mind Sam McClure either, all 3 get pretty good info.

 

[CarterS]

Normally a Top 4 team going out in straight sets would be the big let down of the finals series and have a lot of media attention but we have definitely been eclipsed by Port and Geelong, this year.

 

[25 years on]

we have about 27 players good enough to play senior, I would like us to move players in and out of the team depend on opposition strengths and weaknesses, and to have youngsters more used to playing if needed because of injury

 

[BuntonRules]

we have about 27 players good enough to play senior, I would like us to move players in and out of the team depend on opposition strengths and weaknesses, and to have youngsters more used to playing if needed because of injury

Not Fagan's philosophy. A settled team is all.

 

[25 years on]

Not Fagan's philosophy. A settled team is all.

Should change his philosophy, our team needs to be less predictable, eg. coming out of defence, going into fwd 50. My major doubts about the team is that we have a team that can beat most teams, but not the top teams, if we want to win the flag that’s what we must do, so that’s what we MUST train for.

 

[jackess]

Should change his philosophy, our team needs to be less predictable, eg. coming out of defence, going into fwd 50. My major doubts about the team is that we have a team that can beat most teams, but not the top teams, if we want to win the flag that’s what we must do, so that’s what we MUST train for.

We do all of this and to suggest otherwise is very disrespectful to the club.

 

[mpal6]

Should change his philosophy, our team needs to be less predictable, eg. coming out of defence, going into fwd 50. My major doubts about the team is that we have a team that can beat most teams, but not the top teams, if we want to win the flag that’s what we must do, so that’s what we MUST train for.

Well the coach has delivered 3 top 4 finishes, I think he has earnt enough results to stick to his methods.

I do have my frustrations sometimes with selection around backline speed etc. But largely our Coach firmly believes in certain aspects to his planning, he'll continue to stick with it. We were one point away from another prelim this year, I'm not sure how we can argue his philosophies need tinkering.

 

[25 years on]

Well the coach has delivered 3 top 4 finishes, I think he has earnt enough results to stick to his methods.

I do have my frustrations sometimes with selection around backline speed etc. But largely our Coach firmly believes in certain aspects to his planning, he'll continue to stick with it. We were one point away from another prelim this year, I'm not sure how we can argue his philosophies need tinkering.

I think coaches, like players, have different skills, some are good tacticians, some good for moral and bringing on young players, and some, good at pushing good players to win finals. Most coaches are not good at all things

 

[Sherrinator]

A couple less friendly fire incidents and we are probably in the GF. Had a wretched year of injury to key/experienced players. Have some real halfback improvement next year with Coleman/Answerth/Madden to give us some unpredictability and run. Plus teams like Melbourne are a Gawn or Petracca injury away from a drop off like ours.

 

[Nuggo]

Whilst we are a good team I don't feel we are a team that other teams fear just yet. A premiership team you just feel that they are going to run over the top of you in a final. That fear is from a defense you can't penetrate and a midfield that keeps surging forward all game.

 

[Section 5]

From AFL site today

BRISBANE

Good stats

STAT	2021 AVG.	RANK
Scores from Stoppages Diff.	+12.9	#1
Scores per Inside 50	45.4%	#2
Clearance Diff.	+2.9	#4

Bad stats

STAT	2021 AVG.	RANK
Hitout Diff.	-8.7	#16

The Lions were the heaviest scoring team this season and much of their success came from stoppages. With ball-hunters like 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

and Jarryd Lyons

17

Jarryd Lyons

Age

32

Ht

184cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.5

5star

K

11.8

4star

HB

8.7

5star

M

2.9

3star

T

4.4

5star

CL

4.8

5star

D

21.7

5star

K

14.7

5star

HB

7.0

4star

M

3.4

3star

T

5.1

5star

CL

4.7

5star

D

11.0

3star

K

5.2

2star

HB

5.8

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.0

4star

CL

1.6

4star

in tight, Brisbane was ranked fourth for clearance differential (almost plus-three a game), but it's what they did from that advantage that really counted. The Lions were the best team in the competition at scores from stoppage differential, with an average advantage of 13 points a game. With prolific goalkickers Charlie Cameron

23

Charlie Cameron

Age

30

Ht

180cm

Wt

76kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.1

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

3.2

5star

G

1.5

5star

D

9.6

2star

K

7.9

3star

HB

1.7

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.7

3star

G

1.9

5star

D

9.6

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.2

4star

M

1.4

2star

T

3.4

5star

G

1.2

4star

and Joe Daniher leading the way, they were also second for scores per inside 50. - Michael Whiting

Link to article listing all clubs

Good stat, bad stat: Where your club fired and flopped in 2021

We delve into the areas your club excelled at this season and where it could use some improvement

www.afl.com.au

 

[M Malice]

16th in hit outs... Meh! Hit outs mean nothing IMO, the only stats re hit outs that mean anything are hit outs to advantage.

 

[Section 5]

16th in hit outs... Meh! Hit outs mean nothing IMO, the only stats re hit outs that mean anything are hit outs to advantage.

Lions are actually ranked 11th in total hit outs being 772 to the leader Demons 1056. The other GF team the Dogs are on 703
The mentioned stat in the article is the difference to our total hit outs being 772 compared to all the teams we actually played in 2021
Don't have HOTA but i am sure we are in a similar or worse position

The important stat is the clearance differential where we are ranked 4th. So as a team we can live without the HOTA by opposition teams for now
Lions are actually ranked 2nd for center clearance. Dogs 1st Demons 7th
So our mids are doing well in this area especially with the 6-6-6 rule

 

[jackess]

Midfield and forwardline sucks

 

[MacMum]

Just keep playing the way we have been for the last 3yrs......just with no injuries.

We are as good a team as the Demons and Bulldogs, if not better. Footy gods weren't smiling on us this year.

 

[Viceregal]

Just keep playing the way we have been for the last 3yrs......just with no injuries.

Maybe with a tweak or three that lets us shift gears into manic defensive pressure or something that absorbs the opponent's surges, collect crumbs from our forwards and leads up to the ball carrier coming out of defence or into the forward line...

 

[Johnny Bananas]

I notice Melbourne play with three genuine talls (May, Lever, Petty) and perhaps this is what allows Lever to zone off and intercept. Could we improve by doing a similar thing with Adams and Payne, allowing Harris to go for intercepts more often? Or are we better off with Gardiner playing third tall?

 

[briztoon]

I notice Melbourne play with three genuine talls (May, Lever, Petty) and perhaps this is what allows Lever to zone off and intercept. Could we improve by doing a similar thing with Adams and Payne, allowing Harris to go for intercepts more often? Or are we better off with Gardiner playing third tall?

Adams and Gardiner are both 192cm. So swap either player out for Payne, it makes little difference in my opinion.

 

[jjami15]

I notice Melbourne play with three genuine talls (May, Lever, Petty) and perhaps this is what allows Lever to zone off and intercept. Could we improve by doing a similar thing with Adams and Payne, allowing Harris to go for intercepts more often? Or are we better off with Gardiner playing third tall?

Harris isn’t that intercepting type and is more of a spoiler. I know that you need to have that balance but I think Harris plays better when somebody else has to play that role. I actually think was one of the reasons that Harris had a ‘lesser’ year as he was trying to intercept mark more.