Autopsy Lions prevail by 10

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Watching last night I came away with the same observation. That saints game and the PF were eerily similar - even down to Duncan ineffectual sub. We don’t really have an answer for that type of game style especially as our players fatigue in the second half. I’m not sure how you defend against short 45 degree kicks and easy handball receives into another short 45 degree kick. Rips us apart.
Win the ball first would help. Atkins, Bowes & Bruhn spectators. Then when we have the ball take some heat off the game and be composed. Clear lack of leadership in those two games and nothing from the coaches box.
 
Why didn't Stanley stay down and go off the ground when he got that free with 46 seconds to go.

I instantly recognised he should have gone off.

This was not smart, as our on-field leaders did not tell him to stay down when he showed that he was hurt.

If he goes off (when the clock had stopped) a replacement kicker can instantly kick the goal once time comes back on.

Instead, he hobbled back injured, wasting time and missed the shot.

Even if he kicked it he wouldn't have been able to contribute in the next play to win the game (so just go off man.. you are injured).

Nahhh I was dirty on that watching it live... We missed a chance for a 40-second roll of the dice.

Poor on-field strategy and leadership by us... Someone should have been onto that instantly

Good point.
 
I have a theory someone dished out rotton bananas to the boys at half time - energy was missing, mistake after mistake. Players turning to water... Whatever happened at half time should never happen again. Brisbane did not 'turn it on' - they were extremely average all night we were just happend to find a way to play even worse. Could not buy a clean forward entry - every kick went to Brisbanes advantage... Turnover after turnover all night.
Third quarter lag has been a theme though not a one off event. Saints game, crows game, last night, even west coast beat us after half time
 

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Kornes says cats destroyed in the coaches box. Scott had no answers to Brisbane after half time when they sped up the game and took over 100 marks and used the corridor at will. Saints did the same weeks earlier in the 2nd half.
Scott needs to analyze that performance of the team and in the coaches box. 3-6 in prelims absolutely doesn’t cut it.
Yeah you're right, what a failure. Stacked with elite top end picks like Tom Atkins and Gryan Miers. Draftees we've pumped years of development into like Lawson Humphries and Shaun Mannagh. As well as being gifted elite father sons like Jed Bews. Just a coach that has had everything handed to him on a platter and can't even get through to win a premiership after such a long 40ish game premiership drought. Such a pathetic coach.

flag sarcasm
 
Bravely played , but soft tissue injuries are more prevalent when playing with viral illnesses. Just not meant to be. Good that he and others played finals this year, and will be really hungry next year. Holmes himself said he was naive enough to think 23 would be all about success again. Also said he and the team were not expecting the level of success we have had this year (spoken after the Port win)
Is that true on soft tissue injuries linked to viral illnesses?
 
Duncan had a shocking first half against Port and then played a much better second half - the question has to be asked though, did his game really improve in the second half or was it the drop off in pressure from Port that made his game look better, in that he got more time & space than is afforded in a higher pressure game?

At halftime of the Port game, I had Duncan out for Stewart in our next match - obviously he held his spot, and maybe it was the lack of game time from Tuohy which worked against him in the end
I watched the game twice and no he didn't have a shocking first half against Port. He had one slightly dodgy defensive moment in the centre square and two slightly wayward kicks that went out of bounds. All in the first quarter. He was good otherwise and then very good in the second half.

Anyone focusing on his blunder last night is having a laugh. He had 16% game time when they were swarming all over us. Many players made fundamental mistakes in that time. We missed his delivery and rebound the first 3 quarters. The Duncan sub idea was not thought out at all. Bews AND Mullin for a full game was self destructive by Scott.
 
Win the ball first would help. Atkins, Bowes & Bruhn spectators. Then when we have the ball take some heat off the game and be composed. Clear lack of leadership in those two games and nothing from the coaches box.
The same setup that succeeded v Port. Not much the coach could do- if you have no socks, you can’t pull them up. Stewart was tried, and Danger needs breaks.
 
It's never as good or as bad as it looks though. There's a lot of games experience to go out yet.

Think it's still pretty reasonable to suggest we're not making the 8 next year. We are going to struggle to be competitive with a run of injuries and all that lost depth. Especially if we lose a couple of mids we are cooked

Exciting from the kids though
Shorter preseason theory and tougher fixtures next year too…. Start planning for 26! Cull needed now!
 

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As a glutton for punishment, I watched a bit of the 2nd & 3rd. Horror show misses really - Stengle basically stuffed up 2 opportunities from 10 metres out. Either hands to Dempsey or kick the goal in the 2nd, and the one in the 3rd, that’s a sitter for most players, especially him. There was another snap in the 2nd on his right that he’d normally kick too. Just an unfortunate bad night from him. Mannagh’s play on from 25 metres reminded me of Miers in the 2020 GF - nerves perhaps.

And again the crucial turnovers - Bowes decision to take on the tackler in the 3rd led directly to a goal. Danger keeping the ball in same thing. And the ‘dangerous’ tackle. Really weird kick from Dempsey inside 50, got a bit cute there. Might not have been clear on the telly but he had 2 of our guys behind the ball in space with eyes on the forward line, had to give it to one of them instead of kicking somewhat blindly.
 
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Asking about Duncan is a serious question, not a troll. The fact he was named as sub is a statement and his form against Port was not great. The calls for both Bews and Mullin to play their roles were there- where would you have started Duncan? He has become frustrating to watch, given his former skills and prowess.
No it's not.

It's a statement that Scott was very concerned with Port's weapons and less focussed on Geelong playing to its strengths. Mullin and Bews shut their men down against Port when we belted them but were not effective in a competitive game against Brisbane. The Lions smalls ran merry dance AND we took away one of our highest effective disposal winners for the season.

It cost us dearly. If Bews and Mullin blanketed and repelled all game it would have been a master-stroke. Some gambles pay off, some don't.
 
Our zone got badly exposed by a mobile unpredictable forward line, very similar to how the Saints surged all over us really.
Not sure that was the case. Their foward line got fed so much more than ours and yet we nearly pinched it.

It was the midfield that lost it. Holmes going down did not help
 
Yeah you're right, what a failure. Stacked with elite top end picks like Tom Atkins and Gryan Miers. Draftees we've pumped years of development into like Lawson Humphries and Shaun Mannagh. As well as being gifted elite father sons like Jed Bews. Just a coach that has had everything handed to him on a platter and can't even get through to win a premiership after such a long 40ish game premiership drought. Such a pathetic coach.

flag sarcasm
The narrative all year is Scott is the best coach in the business and Fagan was a tactical hack and it would be embarrassing….. well…… what now geniuses ?
 
Mid year draft out has been reported.

Are you trying to say you think he will play a few games for 300 and then retire mid season to create a spot shaun grigg style?
 
As a glutton for punishment, I watched a bit of the 2nd & 3rd. Horror show misses really - Stengle basically stuffed up 2 opportunities from 10 metres out. Either hands to Dempsey or kick the goal in the 2nd, and the one in the 3rd, that’s a sitter for most players, especially him. There was another snap in the 2nd on his right that he’d normally kick too. Just an unfortunate bad night from him. Mannagh’s play on from 25 metres reminded me of Miers in the 2019 GF - nerves perhaps.

And agin the crucial turnovers - Bowes decision to take on the tackler in the 3rd led directly to a goal. Danger keeping the ball in same thing. And the ‘dangerous’ tackle. Really weird kick from Dempsey inside 50, got a bit cute there. Might not have been clear on the telly but he had 2 of our guys behind the ball in space with eyes on the forward line, had to give it to one of them instead of kicking somewhat blindly.
Yep, as unfair as it can feel to point out individuals: if Stengle and Mannagh replicated their average 2024 performance (for decision making, composure and execution) then we'd very likely have won by a couple of goals.

They were two of the best small forwards in the comp over the past 3 months (for Stengle the whole season) but they were outperformed by Brisbane's smalls when it came to decisive moments.
 
Disappointing end to the season, but I thought we did OK to get within two goals with Brisbane's midfield absolutely on song and us barely able to raise a whimper because of illness during the week. A few less unlucky bounces or umpiring howlers and we might have pinched a GF spot. But it really just boils down to this being a rebuilding year for us and us just not having a strong enough side. Yet.

Big ticks to Humphries and Mullin. Blitz I thought was good after 1/4 time. Ditto Z Guth. Losing Holmes was a big blow. Did Dempsey or Bowes play?

That little blonde dipstick ump Williamson can bugger right off. In fact, he can keep on buggering off until he's buggered his way all round the circumference of the Earth and returned from where he started, from whence he can bugger off again. I never want to see that smug, smirking serial fantasist officiate another of our games.

Could've done with a fit O'Connor. Wouldn't have gotten a lot of the footy himself, but also would never have let the Brisbane forwards get goalside of him like the other defenders did.

Another solid preseason and hopefully we can get all the midfield grunt out of guys like Bruhn and Bowes that we've been missing.
 

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Autopsy Lions prevail by 10

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