HUGE opportunity wasted!

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konstas_87

konstas_87

Premiership Player
Veteran
Sep 11, 2003
4,630
1
Watching Browny
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Stating the obvious i know, but the picture rubs salt deeper into the wounds.

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Today's result (Hawks def Sydney) means that our woeful fortnight has directly cost us 4th spot on the ladder (winning that last 2 matches would make us 10 and 5).

I know looking at the past achieves nothing, IFs mean nothing. But i guess it just goes to show the difference between a great season and a a mediocre season: a 2 week brain fade.

Only one word to say really: ouch.
 
For me, the last two weeks having the most disappointing weeks I have been through as a Brisbane Lions fan. Even though you can say we had worse patches during 2005-2007, we have shown this year that we are a tough and are capable of giving the the top teams a run for their money but when you lose to bottom 8 teams in consecutive weeks it breaks your heart to think you have wasted such a golden opportunity.
 

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It is really disapointing to see that; however for me its just signified the fact that we just are not that good, losing to Melb, was pathetic, we heard all the noise from the boys about how they will rectify it, than we are out enthused by a bottom 8 side.

We would be pretenders in the top 4 the way we have been playing, we are fortunate to be in the 8.

Can they turn it around?
 
BBFFC said:
It is really disapointing to see that; however for me its just signified the fact that we just are not that good, losing to Melb, was pathetic, we heard all the noise from the boys about how they will rectify it, than we are out enthused by a bottom 8 side.

We would be pretenders in the top 4 the way we have been playing, we are fortunate to be in the 8.

Can they turn it around?
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I think we can definitely turn it around. We showed in the third quarter that the Lions, at their best, are better than the bombers and many other teams in the competition. But, as is the case with such a young team, you're gonna have form come in ebs and flows.
 
Lehmo87 said:
I think we can definitely turn it around. We showed in the third quarter that the Lions, at their best, are better than the bombers and many other teams in the competition. But, as is the case with such a young team, you're gonna have form come in ebs and flows.
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We have been playing one quarter games too many times this season. Some times we manage to pull it off, early in the season but now we are suffering against bottom 8 teams.

We require more consistency than what we have dished out this season to be a serious contender.
 
mpal6 said:
We have been playing one quarter games too many times this season. Some times we manage to pull it off, early in the season but now we are suffering against bottom 8 teams.

We require more consistency than what we have dished out this season to be a serious contender.
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I could not agree more but, what I am saying is that we are still a young team so there is time to improve in the coming years. For me, decision making needs to improve big time but that will come with more games under their belt and the confidence to know they can clear a contest under pressure and for it to be to our advantage. Last night we lacked any hardness and dash and that comes with confidence.
 
Lehmo87 said:
I could not agree more but, what I am saying is that we are still a young team so there is time to improve in the coming years. For me, decision making needs to improve big time
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OK...we're a young team but is that a reason/excuse to have the worst kicking efficiency in the league?

We are talking here about hitting targets by foot less often than Melbourne, Freo and the Toasters.:eek:

What's worrying me is that a lot of our "youngsters" are not babes in the woods anymore yet, if anything our skills as a team overall seem to have gone backwards this year.....even Power and Black seem to have caught CLANGER-ITIS in the last couple of weeks.

Last night we were badly exposed by a side that is also "young" but appears to have lifted its skill level, while our guys can't seem to hit the side of a barn door, especially by foot.

I'm sick of seeing Brown bust his gut to get to space only for the kick go 5 meters over his head, fall 8 meters in front of him or miss him by 15 meters either side.

Rant over.
 
I blame this Clanger-itis Luthor mentioned, where's it coming from?

I still haven't had anyone point out what's causing the problem. I've heard alot of people asking who our kicking coach is, but I haven't seen any answers yet :(.
 
Surely players dont forget how to kick, handball and find targets when they train every week? IMO, I think the problem is more above the shoulders. The players seem to lack confidence and their decision making ability is terrible.

Watching the boys live against the doggies, demons and bombers they seem to be playing the old 'hot potatoe' game. As soon as a player gets the ball he is looking to get rid of it without any real thought process and unfortunately poor Browny is often at the end of a 'hospital ball'. . . . How frustrating was it last night to watch passes into the forward line going straight to Paddy Ryder :mad:
 

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It is really disapointing to see that; however for me its just signified the fact that we just are not that good, losing to Melb, was pathetic, we heard all the noise from the boys about how they will rectify it, than we are out enthused by a bottom 8 side.

We would be pretenders in the top 4 the way we have been playing, we are fortunate to be in the 8.


The sad reality is that the present side just hasn't got the firepower to carry us much further than we are at the moment. It may be the best side that we can put on the paddock, but it doesn't have the potential improvement that any side on the move needs. If we make the 8, does anyone seriously think we could knock over any of Hawthorn, Sydney, the Dogs or the Cats [in that order of magnitude] this year. Of course not- we need to be planning for the future.

Rather than carry on with the Copeland's, Nottings etc, IMO a better approach might be to give a few of the obvious potential improvers in the Suncoast 4 or 5 games each to see how they go, with an eye to next year. Not to tank, a la the Blues, but try out the possibles a la the Eagles.
 
The annoying thing is that if Notting, Sherman, Rischi, Stiller and Adcock were all playing as well as we've seen in their best seasons, we'd easily be Top 4 and crowing about our midfield strength...
 
Even before the Melbourne and Essendon losses I didn't think we would get into the top 4. I did however feel that we would at least get into the Top 8 at the moment I'm not so confident. After the Eagles (This week) we have a very tough month ahead of us ( A tough 6 weeks even)

These are our final 6 games (After the Eagles)

Richmond (Have found some form and are playing pretty good footy)
Kangaroos (Same as Richmond)
Hawthorn(Their ladder position speaks for itself)
Western Bulldogs (the way they are playing ATM it looks like they will be there for the GF)
Carlton (Playing good footy)
Sydney(we haven't beaten them in quite a while! Could be Smokey's for the GF)


I can see us winning probably 3 of those games the rest of them I hate to say it are going to be extremely hard to beat

We should beat West Coast this week... But then again I said the exact same thing about Melbourne and look what happened.
 
Throw in the loss against West Coast and it is a very frustrating year. The main thing I hoipe for is we as a young team learn from this and move on. A top 4 position has gone begging, I think weather we play finals or not will be dependent on weather we can get our mojo back or not

For the record Saturday night was the most dissapointed I have been after a game since 1998. I really felt we didn't do the 1%ers effectively and if we did we would be sitting here discussing a Saturday night win.
 
. . . at least the jumpers looked good.
 
I tipped you guys to finish 4th this year, (Saints, hawks and Cats above)

Don't know about anyone else out there, but after the elation of the ground-out win against Adelaide [ugly, but a win anyway], then the unforgivable loss to Melbourne for god's sake, then to top it the Bombers [although this was slightly more predictable if we were to be honest, as we don't have a good record against them], and with 2/3rds of the season gone, where are we?

Have we found any new break-out talent- with the exception of Collier, and to a lesser extent Henderson, no.

Are we any chance of a break-through a la 2001, not really.

Thoroughly depressing, if you ask me. Other teams appear to be passing us by, improvement-wise: Richmond, Carlton for 2. Can anyone offer any words of encouragement? Am I being too fatalistic?
 
Sorry guys... the loss to Essendon was my fault. For the last 3 years a mate of mine in Mackay (bombers supporter) and I get together to watch our game. And for the past 3 years we have lost. I'm sure I'm bloody cursed!!!! Safe to say I'm staying home next year so you can pencil that game in for a win...

If you want to talk about wasted opportunities you have to say there have been 3 eight point games we have lost - WC, ESS, MEL. Its ironic that our losses have been to the top teams... and the bottom teams...?????

I must also confess to thinking we were a top 4 side. The battles against Geelong and Hawthorn made me think we were growing and gaining pretty quick. Maybe we over estimated them... Having said that I'm not completely ready to start slashing my wrists.

They're young...
The likes of Blackie and Lukie... as incredible as they are, they just cant carry the weight of others, the affects of wear and tear and still be as exceptional as they were...
We dont travel well...
We rotate too many players...
We carry to many players...
Too many injuries...


Maybe all those things are true, maybe they're not. But everyone of us has used them or seem them used. And is that the problem? Instead of owning up theres too many excuses???

Still, dont forget 24 months ago Bomber Thompson was fighting to keep his job. And I'm sure all those same criticisms were aimed at the Cats. Now look at em.

For me theres one thing missing in our side. And its keeps well with Leighs keep it simple manta...

A bit of Mongrel.

We just dont have the bit of mongrel that we used to.

The mongrel that buries sides by 100, grinds out EVERY game, physically intimidates the opposition - not by fighting but by action with the ball in hand... ok and maybe a little fighting... the mongrel that means no game is an acceptable loss. The mongrel that made the premiership sides what they were... premiership sides.

I dont for one minute beleive there a player out there who isnt doing what he believes is his very best. I'm not going to insult them by saying they dont work or try.

But it used to be that their very best was never good enough and that hunger and mongrel drove them every time they walked on the ground.

Now its gone. And a good effort is good enough....

Find it again, find the pride and the passion... not just a little... the passion that consumed Vossy et al... and then see what happens.
 
Mongrel- that sums it up.

Like the Scott brothers had- not neccessarily skill, but intimidation through hardness at the ball. Like Geelong has, a side that has clearly taken a leaf out of our book circa early 2000's.

A few things that trouble me:

**footballers who aren't interested enough in AFL to watch other games?????? [quote from Leigh Matthews this week] WTF- these are full-time, well-paid pro footballers we're talking about. Maybe this sums up our problem

** second-tier players who haven't come on: Hooper, Corrie, Harding, Drummond, Stiller, Selwood, etc- not enough pressure from below, or too comfortable?

** same old- if any of Power/Black/Brown/ Bradshaw have an ordinary game, we're stuffed. They are all getting older, and the bodies all geting more knocked around. When these blokes move on, we'll be in the same position as the Aussie cricket team, post Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist unless we get some emerging talent to take up the load.

There are 2 sides to the living in Brisbane thing- ok, not having to deal with the adulation AFL players get down South, but also not enough awareness of the priviledge of playing in the elite football code in this country, and being well-paid for doing so.

We badly need to recapture our attack on the ball- and the thing is, we have shown we can do it, so there shouldn't be any excuses.
 

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