Autopsy Lions prevail by 10

[VerC]

I was right about Bruhn

I didn’t want him back then either. I feel the same about us getting Smith.

 

[No Quarter]

Yes yes, Mannagh's missed kick. You know what I meant.

 

[Chinacats]

Sometimes (just ask Port Adelaide), it's better not to make it than to scrape it in and get killed.

Scott might think the same. 3-6 in prelims hardly best coach material. Needs to be looked at……

 

[No Quarter]

Scott might think the same. 3-6 in prelims hardly best coach material. Needs to be looked at……

Wow...

 

[rocker_oz33]

We were a true premiership contender this year. Bad Luck is the reason we arent playing this week.

PF are super hard to win we failed a few times at this.
But the club has a crack at it every year.
We've been lucky enough to see 4 flags...

 

[FootyLad0]

The one for me is Holmes. Irrespective of being a team sport, it would be beyond heartbreak for the kid to miss again. Drove us all year, B&F etc. and irreplaceable. Couldn't stand all the hoopla that would go on about Danger's tackle either.
So sunnyside up, but I have a feeling next week we'll think we could have got them (Bris/Swans) rather than it be a walkover.

I have a strange feeling Swans are gonna roll Brisbane by 40+ and it'll be the 4th year in a row the Minor Premier wins the Cup. They just seem to be the best running unit that even with their slow starts just overwhelm with their talent.

Grand Finals are rarely close games. Other than 2018 and 2023 every other year for the last decade has been a major blowout. 2013 Grand Final didn't really reflect end result even if the margin looks close. Hawks had that game won by 3/4 time.

Even going back further to the Saints and Pies draw in 2010 the GF replay was a blowout too. 2009 was close but 2007 holds the biggest margin ever and 2008 wasn't really close by the end of the game.

Generally it is Prelims that are close and Grand Final's in which the best team shows up and wins.
If we were playing this weekend going in with health issues and even some key blokes missing, Swans would maul us by a big margin. I'm positive of it.

 

[No Quarter]

If Sydney doesn't win it comfortably it will be a choke from them, IMO

 

[kickazz]

Everyone's focusing on midfield possession numbers but they didn't hurt us one bit from there. This is almost entirely a tactical choice to play fast moving, ultra low possession games.

Anybody mentioned yet that Bruhn and Atkins had more score involvements combined than Neale and Dunkley or does that not fit the narrative?

The problem in the 3rd quarter was our half forwards lost composure going forward and our deep forwards were too often out of position. We turned it over in bad spots and couldn't stop them going back the other way.

ut I don’t think it’s unreasonable to also acknowledge that we were soundly beaten after half time by their midfield. Their ability to run and link up in transition killed us. They also fluffed some shots which should have had them further in front at times.

That Brisbane midfield is the best in the league TBH. It’s not quite Ablett, Bartel, Corey, Selwood & Ling but it’s up there.
All in prime age demo, sans Ashcroft who was essentially a #1 pick.
Looking forward to Holmes, Smith, Bruhn, Bowes in a couple of years. We need one more A grader though.
Atkins probably best to take Bews spot in the back pocket if possible.

All good points above. Part of thought we looked gassed in the last quarter - when we had the ball at half back we didn't have the same deperate run I used to see from Bartel and Selwood for example.

It may have been fitness, others have cited Bruhn was hurt, we'd lost Holmes.

But then my mind also thinks about these seasoned Brisbane mids, who have been on the big stage and had the hurt of loss in the last couple of years. I won't go as far as to say they wanted it more - but I dunno, there's something to be said for experience and pain from yesteryear. Maybe some of our younger guys just didn't quite fully grasp what the occasion was about and how precious it was. Maybe they just needed a bit more belief in themselves.

Only a bit though, geez we weren't far off.

 

[rocker_oz33]

If Sydney doesn't win it comfortably it will be a choke from them, IMO

Brisbane can win it .
They been in and around finals for a while .
Swans will want to start well...they been slow out of the blocks all year.
Both teams can score very fast.

Brisbane like to get out in front and try to stay there.

 

[Munich]

Brisbane can win it .
They been in and around finals for a while .
Swans will want to start well...they been slow out of the blocks all year.
Both teams can score very fast.

Brisbane like to get out in front and try to stay there.

I agree, Bris can definitely win.

The pressure is on Syd though, they've lost their last 3 GFs.

 

[Finknottle]

There was a really good article in The Age by Michael Gleeson - "This was anything but a fumbled premiership". He mentions Geelong's poor percentage, outgunned midfield, ruck problems and aging stars. He sees it as a solid transition year for a Geelong team which is radically different from the 2022 premiership side.

 

[Cataholic]

Wow...

The troll is trolling again?

The one similarity they have to us is their need to breathe.

Starve them of oxygen and they don't exist

 

[Commando]

Yeah initially I thought Sydney in a canter but the more I think about the game the the more I can make a case for Brisbane

They are just a better team on paper man for man, they are playing with freedom, they just got pipped last year and I am suspicious of Sydney away from SCG...

Grundy the key here, if he dominates Sydney will but if Fort can hold his own why not Brisbane

Either way the loss will be devastating for the loser
Runners up in 2/2 or 2/3 GF

 

[Kitcat]

There was a really good article in The Age by Michael Gleeson - "This was anything but a fumbled premiership". He mentions Geelong's poor percentage, outgunned midfield, ruck problems and aging stars. He sees it as a solid transition year for a Geelong team which is radically different from the 2022 premiership side.

I like his comment that fans trying to get a beer worked harder than Geelong in the 3rd quarter.

 

[Footy Smarts]

There was a really good article in The Age by Michael Gleeson - "This was anything but a fumbled premiership". He mentions Geelong's poor percentage, outgunned midfield, ruck problems and aging stars. He sees it as a solid transition year for a Geelong team which is radically different from the 2022 premiership side.

It's not a fumbled premiership or a choke where we should have won it. But it was a great opportunity to sneak a flag.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Bartel giving Stengle a fair bake and fair enough.
Brilliant year and I love the bloke but he probably played the worst game of his career. Very selfish game from him.
Probably the most disappointing player on the night.

 

[Munich]

Yeah initially I thought Sydney in a canter but the more I think about the game the the more I can make a case for Brisbane

They are just a better team on paper man for man, they are playing with freedom, they just got pipped last year and I am suspicious of Sydney away from SCG...

Grundy the key here, if he dominates Sydney will but if Fort can hold his own why not Brisbane

Either way the loss will be devastating for the loser
Runners up in 2/2 or 2/3 GF

who's 2/3?

I count 2014 for Sydney - even if none of the players from that year are still current.

 

[Commando]

who's 2/3?

I count 2014 for Sydney - even if none of the players from that year are still current.

Both teams lost two previous GFs

So back to back for Lions
Or two of three for Swans

 

[kickazz]

Agree we had enough inside 50s in the last to win it but no composure.

Yeah we did start to just kick long and high, like we did late against GWS this year. They need to train better to separate better - dummy leads to create space, etc.

 

[Munich]

Are the boys doing mad Monday today?

 

[Cataholic]

Are the boys doing mad Monday today?

Wonder if someone will do a Bailey Smith?

 

[Munich]

Wonder if someone will do a Bailey Smith?

Peak troll if so.

I love it.

 

[kickazz]

If Humphries can continue to improve, and we can get SDK back to '22 form then I recon moving Stewart to midfield might be a really good thing for us.

Blokes like Bruhn, Clark need a big muscled guy in there to help out.

 

[Munich]

Oh no it's the Brownlow today. I completely forgot.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

With respect, I completely disagree.

Firstly, footy is a free-flowing game. It's not like rugby or cricket, where 'captain's call' kind of works, because there are natural stops in play where everyone stops moving for 30 seconds. Even at ball-ups, that never happens in AFL.

Secondly, that football rules operate in a uniquely grey area (and always have). Slo-mo replays won't achieve that much. Video review works far, far better for black and white rules, like offside in soccer.

Thirdly, that the spread of players (and the amount of time each player spends on the bench) means that the captain isn't always going to be within cooee of the play itself, or even within calling distance of an umpire in a game with 90,000 idiots screaming their heads off.

I'm with you. You can't be handing a player the ability to stop game momentum

 

[CatToTheFuture]

So when's Bailey Smith announcing the Cats?

He might be waiting to announce Brisbans or Sydney.... ?

He might also be waiting for the AFL to go through the books on his Cotton On sponsorship too