Coach Lions - Has the Fagan era already peaked?

[FFB1]

I said even before this Finals series they had missed their opportunity when Brisbane/Gold Coast hubs hosted matches on their home grounds.

Despite making the Prelim tonight showed how far off it they are against quality prelim team.

I agree, playing on your home deck in finals is certainly an advantage. Collingwood, Melbourne, Richmond all have that leg up

Yeah we were a mile off it.

 

[VinnieB]

Fagan should hand the reins over.
Good bloke who brought the team together, but one of the most ordinary coaches in the game.

 

[BigPond101]

The way the camera always shows him standing by himself ranting and raving makes him look like an insane old man

I know he's talking into a headset to someone up in the box but it still makes him seem like the old guy in your local park who walks around yelling at the pigeons

 

[le dominateur]

Disappointing end for the Lions, but doubt anyone was beating Geelong.


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[CarterS]

Had 2 great finals wins this year in which we were underdogs in both, especially last week, I've not seen a team paying $4.80 win a final in years. Last night disappointing but Geelong won 15 in a row now and we always a level below them. Start of the season you'd think the tall forwards are our strength but turned out to be our weakness.

 

[dean33]

Average team who’s best is 4-8 range. Current group will never make a grand final let alone get close to a flag.
Need to recruit more barometers.

 

[Inspecta Gadget]

I agree, playing on your home deck in finals is certainly an advantage. Collingwood, Melbourne, Richmond all have that leg up

Yeah we were a mile off it.

We played an entire season in SEQ and they couldn't get it done

 

[onthehill24]

Fagan should hand the reins over.
Good bloke who brought the team together, but one of the most ordinary coaches in the game.

Wow big statement
Imagine the fall out about Scott next week if the cats don't get it done
Which is on the cards

 

[Kram]

The way the camera always shows him standing by himself ranting and raving makes him look like an insane old man

I know he's talking into a headset to someone up in the box but it still makes him seem like the old guy in your local park who walks around yelling at the pigeons

With the headset and standing on the sideline he's just trying to look cool copying the American coaches.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Had 2 great finals wins this year in which we were underdogs in both, especially last week, I've not seen a team paying $4.80 win a final in years. Last night disappointing but Geelong won 15 in a row now and we always a level below them. Start of the season you'd think the tall forwards are our strength but turned out to be our weakness.

The scoreboard was bigger than the difference in some ways. Brisbane just lack that little bit at both ends against good teams. Other than Charlie (who had an off night as well by his standards), the ground level threat isn't there; and good teams can cover talls particularly if the ball has to be dumped in blindly. With no threat on the ground, it gives those opponents a lot of confidence to just go about their game as they like. Which in turn makes the defence's job that much harder.
The game was pretty much over in the second half, and when that happens in a final blowouts happen. For quite a while the Lions were not that far off, but apart from 10 minutes consistently enough off, Geelong's level. And in those 10 minutes Brisbane couldn't score, whereas Geelong could when they had momentum around the ground.

 

[danster168]

Average team who’s best is 4-8 range. Current group will never make a grand final let alone get close to a flag.
Need to recruit more barometers.

Totally agree. I've never rated Brisbane. They fluked some wins but I'd probably put them as a 6-9 team. They need to remove Zorko as captain.

 

[gordo2016]

Totally agree. I've never rated Brisbane. They fluked some wins but I'd probably put them as a 6-9 team. They need to remove Zorko as captain.

You don't rate any side or player unless they play for Melbourne.

 

[danster168]

You don't rate any side or player unless they play for Melbourne. Drivel.

I rate Carlton, Collingwood, Sydney, Geelong and Melbourne. Brisbane are a very avg team.

 

[VinnieB]

Wow big statement
Imagine the fall out about Scott next week if the cats don't get it done
Which is on the cards

No. If Scott didn’t show he could tweek their game style and have a dominant year, then maybe.

But he has as a coach and not only that, absolutely destroyed his opponent in a prelim to make a GF.

Brisbane have been playing the same type of footy for 4 years and have been smashed a few times now in finals and out in straight sets with home ground advantage previously.

Fagan admitted he was reluctant to make the change pushed by his assistant in getting Berry onto Oliver at half time. That move won them the game. Again, Fagan was lost.

He needs to go.

 

[HairyO]

Geelong lost by 83 points in last year's Prelim to the team Brisbane beat in the Semi last week.

Hadnt won at the MCG in 8 years. Won last week.

He hadnt won a final as head coach. Now has won 2.

All of this has happened since the OP claimed they have peaked.

Thread is very wrong.

 

[Bazza97]

I will say they've done well to make finals every year since 2019 but despite making a couple of prelims, they still seem quite far off from seriously contending. I struggle to see them taking that next step, making it to the PF could very well be the peak of this team.

 

[Monco Matt]

Can't see them winning a flag with Joe as their key forward. He just doesn't get it done often enough. When you look at the key forwards over the years that have played big roles in winning flags he just doesn't measure up. Other than that, they do lack a hard edge about them and to be honest I don't think their bottom 6 is as strong as it needs to be.

 

[WaywardSonSon]

I rate Carlton, Collingwood, Sydney, Geelong and Melbourne. Brisbane are a very avg team.

Lol, Carlton!

 

[La Dispute]

I think the Port Adelaide comparison is apt.

Good enough to cop a good ladder spot, in part due to a nice home ground advantage at the GABBA, but just aren’t that good a team currently. They can beat decent teams during the Home & Away season playing their best footy, but they don’t have that extra gear in finals that quality sides find.

Their key forwards are all so soft and uninspiring. Might all be talented in their own right and have some tricks and attributes that look slick at times but they are so underwhelming when the heat is on. That rattled dropped mark by Hipwood on half back that led to a goal pretty much summed it up.

You just rely on any of them to be an asset during a major final. Brisbane are going to get a reasonable pick for McStay and this is a great thing - he is incredibly standard, decidedly B-grade.

Brisbane should focus on reinventing their game plan and look at what Collingwood have done this year. If they can trap the ball in their forward 50 more they’ve got Cameron, Bailey and McCarthy as creative smalls generating goals through turnovers. They can do it in general play, why not try to have them pinch more opportunities through pressure?

Lastly Fages has done a good job bringing the Lions back into relevance, but he’s reached his peak as a coach. All his best attributes - interpersonal skills, relationship development et al can only get you so far. He doesn’t speak with a lot of authority, tactically is a bit inept. Seems to have this understated belief - almost Fifa 2022 style - that if his team is an 88/100 they should theoretically beat an 85/100. That might be true, but constantly talking in his pressers about being competitive against quality sides in the H&A is a bit of fools good. Sums up the Lions in general a bit really - on paper they look really slick, layers of depth, 3-4 key position options at either end, but finals games get dictated to them. This is should not be the case at all.

Bringing in Dunkley and Ashcroft next year is going to help and could get them to another level, but until they make some changes in their coaching they’ll just remain an OKish side.

 

[danster168]

Lol, Carlton!

yeah..and?..they should've beaten Collingwood. They're better than you who almost lost to the dogs in round 1 of the finals.

 

[Kram]

By finals standards I almost thought there was a lack of intensity and pressure last night from Brisbane, that should be manic in these matches and I don't think it was at that level often.

 

[danster168]

By finals standards I almost thought there was a lack of intensity and pressure last night from Brisbane, that should be manic in these matches and I don't think it was at that level often.

this was below regular season intensity.

 

[Lets Roar like '44]

By finals standards I almost thought there was a lack of intensity and pressure last night from Brisbane, that should be manic in these matches and I don't think it was at that level often.

It’s how we started against Rich and Melb which you have to wonder why that is the case? No way in the world was Geelong going to let them back in.

 

[WaywardSonSon]

yeah..and?..they should've beaten Collingwood. They're better than you who almost lost to the dogs in round 1 of the finals.

Yeah, they're soooo much better than a team that made it to a Semi-Final...being that they didn't even make the eight
Nuffie logic 101!

 

[FFB1]

We played an entire season in SEQ and they couldn't get it done

Using that analogy any team who plays a high percentage of their games at the MCG fails if they don’t win the flag.