Preview Lions v Kangaroos Gather Round 4

[brutus76]

No accountability and too many get an armchair ride

 

[BRAB]

No accountability and too many get an armchair ride

I suppose if you drop some of the players this week there’s no opportunity for them to play VFL and work on what got them dropped. So it’s a decision that’s entirely punitive in nature. That’s actually fine, but I think we see a lot of the players out of form at the moment as key parts of any finals run and despite their poor start to the season we believe that the best way for them to improve is by playing footy.

Maybe that breeds complacency, but that’s what they balance I guess. Payne did get dropped early on in the season too so they aren’t afraid to do it.

Can totally understand why people may want massive changes but I can see why we have chosen to back them in to regain confidence over the next few weeks.

If we lose against North maybe we’ll start to see those sweeping changes.

 

[Elixuh]

Selection meltdowns is in my top 10 favourite things about the footy season

 

[BangyBangy]

Personally thought Hipwood was awesome during last years finals series.

Yeah, he's sucking it up pretty bad right now. So is the team as a whole. That can change pretty quick.

We're three games in guys.

 

[Chucky_23]

Uninspiring team selection. Lucky we’re playing playing North I guess.

Don’t really understand why Fagan is happy with much of the performance against Collingwood or that the stats show the Lions are ahead in inside 50’s for the year. Collingwood were equally garbage for much of that game and the ‘just get it there’ game plan is looking pretty weak

 

[buttermuffs]

They're not the changes I would have made, but they're fine enough. Tunstill deserves another run and two specialist rucks probably wasn't the right balance in the end. Would have preferred Morris to debut, but Gardiner did fine enough up forward in preseason.

I thought Gardiner did well in the opening round as a forward, and did really well to help set up some goals. The whole team fell apart after halftime and he got injured against Freo so really I’m happy to actually see how it goes for another couple games.

I surprised myself tying this because I want nothing more than a Logan Morris debut. However, I don’t think Gardiner forward has actually had enough action for me to say it definitely won’t work.

 

[jumbojet]

Personally thought Hipwood was awesome during last years finals series.

Yeah, he's sucking it up pretty bad right now. So is the team as a whole. That can change pretty quick.

We're three games in guys.

Should of gone to Specsavers

 

[buttermuffs]

Personally thought Hipwood was awesome during last years finals series.

Yeah, he's sucking it up pretty bad right now. So is the team as a whole. That can change pretty quick.

We're three games in guys.

Did really well against Port just failed to convert. Don’t remember him much against Carlton but he did kick our first goal in the first after our terrible start and it really helped settle the ship. From the stats he tied top for the team in score involvements and goal assists so would say definitely a decent game despite only one goal.

Grand Final was where he just did not perform when we needed him to at least have an average performance.

 

[scoman]

One of those things is that you persist long enough good playerd will eventually find some form.
But will it come quick enough? Could a string of games for guys like Lohman, Fort, Morris, Brain, Revillle or Tunstill result in a breakout and a new member of the best 22?

 

[Nunez]

It's easy to look at dropping more established players when the likes of Dev and Darcy aren't the teams worst players. Sadly, they were and if we wanted to make changes, they were the guys to come out.

Fort makes sense from a structural perspective. Dev is a shame but he well and truly played himself out of a spot.

 

[3KZ is Football]

We need to open our forward line up. Fagan seems intent on clogging it with talls.

 

[ZoBlitz]

Selection meltdowns is in my top 10 favourite things about the footy season

If our season really falls off the rails, I'll bring you back on to mod them.

 

[Elixuh]

If our season really falls off the rails, I'll bring you back on to mod them.

 

[Nunez]

We need to open our forward line up. Fagan seems intent on clogging it with talls.

He literally dropped a lumbering ruckman and is going to play two talls.

Dizzy and Payne to play on North's key talls, Harris the loose man and Lester the speedy half back.

 

[Squizz89]

Certainly piled into Eric this week.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/afl/robbo-how-brisbane-lions-solve-eric-hipwoods-confidence-form-dilemma/news-story/efe4633462f9ba72a984b742e9a5ddcf

Robbo: How Brisbane Lions solve Eric Hipwood

30

Eric Hipwood

Age

27

Ht

203cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.0

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

2.6

2star

M

3.9

4star

T

1.3

3star

G

1.5

5star

D

11.1

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

2.7

2star

M

4.1

4star

T

1.1

2star

G

1.1

5star

D

10.6

3star

K

8.4

4star

HB

2.2

2star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

2.4

5star

’s confidence, form dilemma​

Oh, to be a fly on the wall when Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan debriefed with Eric Hipwood

30

Eric Hipwood

Age

27

Ht

203cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.0

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

2.6

2star

M

3.9

4star

T

1.3

3star

G

1.5

5star

D

11.1

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

2.7

2star

M

4.1

4star

T

1.1

2star

G

1.1

5star

D

10.6

3star

K

8.4

4star

HB

2.2

2star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

2.4

5star

this week.
After one of Hipwood’s worst games since establishing himself as a key forward, and amid a hostile media evaluation, the pair would’ve attempted to find the reason why.

Hipwood wasn’t only cold against Collingwood, he was frozen, such was his low level of confidence and timing.

Fagan’s job this week was to help to restore it.

In that regard, Jack Riewoldt donned the coaching hat. Asked how Fagan would’ve approached the Hipwood conundrum, the champion Tigers forward borrowed the hat of his former coach Damien Hardwick.

It would start with love, Riewoldt said.

“This is what I’d do if I was Fagan,’’ Riewoldt said.

“I’d invite him to my house on Tuesday night before Gather Round, I’d have four beers sitting there, I’d open the computer and hook it up to the TV or the home projector, have some dinner and then sit down and ask, how are you going? Because clearly something is going on.

“Get him to say what is (going on), air the grievances, have dinner, have a beer, and push play, and say, mate this is you at your best. And guarantee him his spot.

“Everyone is asking, is he in the best team? If he’s in your best team, just tell him, have your beer, and say this is what I need from you.’’

Fagan won’t axe the 26-year-old. He said as much at his press conference on Wednesday, when he stressed that you “just stick with what you know that works’’.

“I think sometimes the biggest mistake you can make is to jump around too much and change too many things – and then you lose the essence of who you are as a team, and blokes really start not believing in themselves,” Fagan said.

Riewoldt agreed.

“He (Hipwood) is contracted until 2029; it defeats the purpose of dropping him,’’ he said.

“The thing is, they’re all playing poorly (at the Lions), every one of them. No one’s winning their position at the moment, and Collingwood was exactly in the same boat last week.

“They need to get a few individual wins on the board and then everyone plays well.’’

The focus is on Brisbane at 0-3, and Hipwood after his eight-disposal and zero goal game against the Pies. But Riewoldt argued Hipwood was only a cog in the machine.

“System football – which everyone plays now – is one part helps the next part, which helps the next part, and if six of the 18 parts on the ground aren’t working, it’s not a surprise the other 12 parts aren’t working either,” he said.

“You can get away with two or three positions not functioning at top capacity, but when it works, it’s undefeatable. Think Richmond of 2019 in the grand final, Geelong in their grand final (2022). When you get it exactly right, it’s near impossible to beat.

“But when it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.

“They rely on this sense of predictability and as soon as that goes out the window, everyone’s guessing. The guy with the ball is guessing, even the coaches are guessing about why it’s not working.’’

The spotlight on Hipwood this week comes because of frustration with his performance. In some games he is dangerous and dominant; in other games he looks uncompetitive.

Fagan noted Hipwood did kick three goals against Fremantle in Round 2.

“He probably gets stuck in this key forward mentality,’’ Riewoldt said, “where everybody says he’s a key forward and he must put on size, but he’s just a tall half-forward.’’

Overall, Hipwood has played 156 games and kicked 233 goals.

In 128 of those games, he’s kicked two or fewer goals.

The positive is that his performance in finals is equal to his home-and-away form, and across his career, his performances against top-eight teams
rivals those against bottom 10 teams.

A deeper dive shows us he kicks more goals (181) when the margin is fewer than 30 points against the goals (52) he kicks when the margin blows out after five goals.

In that sense, he’s not a flat-track bully. Though, he will get the opportunity to be the bully against an undersized and inexperienced North Melbourne on Friday. He and Fagan both know he needs it.

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

Personally thought Hipwood was awesome during last years finals series.

Yeah, he's sucking it up pretty bad right now. So is the team as a whole. That can change pretty quick.

We're three games in guys.

It was his grand final game as well
Wasn’t exactly a game winning performance
Maybe if he can start making those chest marks stick , I might get past his grand final day.

 

[DevRoboGun]

We were literally 4 points off a flag with 2 talls up front , why in the gods sake would you even tinker with a winning formula?

 

[BangyBangy]

It was his grand final game as well
Wasn’t exactly a game winning performance
Maybe if he can start making those chest marks stick , I might get past his grand final day.

It's not fair referring to his grand final performance to someone who has blocked the game from their memory.

 

[martinson]

Certainly piled into Eric this week.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/afl/robbo-how-brisbane-lions-solve-eric-hipwoods-confidence-form-dilemma/news-story/efe4633462f9ba72a984b742e9a5ddcf

Robbo: How Brisbane Lions solve Eric Hipwood’s confidence, form dilemma​

Oh, to be a fly on the wall when Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan debriefed with Eric Hipwood this week.
After one of Hipwood’s worst games since establishing himself as a key forward, and amid a hostile media evaluation, the pair would’ve attempted to find the reason why.

Hipwood wasn’t only cold against Collingwood, he was frozen, such was his low level of confidence and timing.

Fagan’s job this week was to help to restore it.

In that regard, Jack Riewoldt donned the coaching hat. Asked how Fagan would’ve approached the Hipwood conundrum, the champion Tigers forward borrowed the hat of his former coach Damien Hardwick.

It would start with love, Riewoldt said.

“This is what I’d do if I was Fagan,’’ Riewoldt said.

“I’d invite him to my house on Tuesday night before Gather Round, I’d have four beers sitting there, I’d open the computer and hook it up to the TV or the home projector, have some dinner and then sit down and ask, how are you going? Because clearly something is going on.

“Get him to say what is (going on), air the grievances, have dinner, have a beer, and push play, and say, mate this is you at your best. And guarantee him his spot.

“Everyone is asking, is he in the best team? If he’s in your best team, just tell him, have your beer, and say this is what I need from you.’’

Fagan won’t axe the 26-year-old. He said as much at his press conference on Wednesday, when he stressed that you “just stick with what you know that works’’.

“I think sometimes the biggest mistake you can make is to jump around too much and change too many things – and then you lose the essence of who you are as a team, and blokes really start not believing in themselves,” Fagan said.

Riewoldt agreed.

“He (Hipwood) is contracted until 2029; it defeats the purpose of dropping him,’’ he said.

“The thing is, they’re all playing poorly (at the Lions), every one of them. No one’s winning their position at the moment, and Collingwood was exactly in the same boat last week.

“They need to get a few individual wins on the board and then everyone plays well.’’

The focus is on Brisbane at 0-3, and Hipwood after his eight-disposal and zero goal game against the Pies. But Riewoldt argued Hipwood was only a cog in the machine.

“System football – which everyone plays now – is one part helps the next part, which helps the next part, and if six of the 18 parts on the ground aren’t working, it’s not a surprise the other 12 parts aren’t working either,” he said.

“You can get away with two or three positions not functioning at top capacity, but when it works, it’s undefeatable. Think Richmond of 2019 in the grand final, Geelong in their grand final (2022). When you get it exactly right, it’s near impossible to beat.

“But when it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.

“They rely on this sense of predictability and as soon as that goes out the window, everyone’s guessing. The guy with the ball is guessing, even the coaches are guessing about why it’s not working.’’

The spotlight on Hipwood this week comes because of frustration with his performance. In some games he is dangerous and dominant; in other games he looks uncompetitive.

Fagan noted Hipwood did kick three goals against Fremantle in Round 2.

“He probably gets stuck in this key forward mentality,’’ Riewoldt said, “where everybody says he’s a key forward and he must put on size, but he’s just a tall half-forward.’’

Overall, Hipwood has played 156 games and kicked 233 goals.

In 128 of those games, he’s kicked two or fewer goals.

The positive is that his performance in finals is equal to his home-and-away form, and across his career, his performances against top-eight teams
rivals those against bottom 10 teams.

A deeper dive shows us he kicks more goals (181) when the margin is fewer than 30 points against the goals (52) he kicks when the margin blows out after five goals.

In that sense, he’s not a flat-track bully. Though, he will get the opportunity to be the bully against an undersized and inexperienced North Melbourne on Friday. He and Fagan both know he needs it.

Riewoldt's next gig will obviously be as a scriptwriter in Hollywood.

Is he over endowed with anything else other than being able to play footy ?

 

[ZoBlitz]

Must be depressing way to earn a living if you end up being a copy writer that just transcribes sections of terrible footy panel shows.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Certainly piled into Eric this week.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/afl/robbo-how-brisbane-lions-solve-eric-hipwoods-confidence-form-dilemma/news-story/efe4633462f9ba72a984b742e9a5ddcf

Robbo: How Brisbane Lions solve Eric Hipwood’s confidence, form dilemma​

Oh, to be a fly on the wall when Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan debriefed with Eric Hipwood this week.
After one of Hipwood’s worst games since establishing himself as a key forward, and amid a hostile media evaluation, the pair would’ve attempted to find the reason why.

Hipwood wasn’t only cold against Collingwood, he was frozen, such was his low level of confidence and timing.

Fagan’s job this week was to help to restore it.

In that regard, Jack Riewoldt donned the coaching hat. Asked how Fagan would’ve approached the Hipwood conundrum, the champion Tigers forward borrowed the hat of his former coach Damien Hardwick.

It would start with love, Riewoldt said.

“This is what I’d do if I was Fagan,’’ Riewoldt said.

“I’d invite him to my house on Tuesday night before Gather Round, I’d have four beers sitting there, I’d open the computer and hook it up to the TV or the home projector, have some dinner and then sit down and ask, how are you going? Because clearly something is going on.

“Get him to say what is (going on), air the grievances, have dinner, have a beer, and push play, and say, mate this is you at your best. And guarantee him his spot.

“Everyone is asking, is he in the best team? If he’s in your best team, just tell him, have your beer, and say this is what I need from you.’’

Fagan won’t axe the 26-year-old. He said as much at his press conference on Wednesday, when he stressed that you “just stick with what you know that works’’.

“I think sometimes the biggest mistake you can make is to jump around too much and change too many things – and then you lose the essence of who you are as a team, and blokes really start not believing in themselves,” Fagan said.

Riewoldt agreed.

“He (Hipwood) is contracted until 2029; it defeats the purpose of dropping him,’’ he said.

“The thing is, they’re all playing poorly (at the Lions), every one of them. No one’s winning their position at the moment, and Collingwood was exactly in the same boat last week.

“They need to get a few individual wins on the board and then everyone plays well.’’

The focus is on Brisbane at 0-3, and Hipwood after his eight-disposal and zero goal game against the Pies. But Riewoldt argued Hipwood was only a cog in the machine.

“System football – which everyone plays now – is one part helps the next part, which helps the next part, and if six of the 18 parts on the ground aren’t working, it’s not a surprise the other 12 parts aren’t working either,” he said.

“You can get away with two or three positions not functioning at top capacity, but when it works, it’s undefeatable. Think Richmond of 2019 in the grand final, Geelong in their grand final (2022). When you get it exactly right, it’s near impossible to beat.

“But when it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.

“They rely on this sense of predictability and as soon as that goes out the window, everyone’s guessing. The guy with the ball is guessing, even the coaches are guessing about why it’s not working.’’

The spotlight on Hipwood this week comes because of frustration with his performance. In some games he is dangerous and dominant; in other games he looks uncompetitive.

Fagan noted Hipwood did kick three goals against Fremantle in Round 2.

“He probably gets stuck in this key forward mentality,’’ Riewoldt said, “where everybody says he’s a key forward and he must put on size, but he’s just a tall half-forward.’’

Overall, Hipwood has played 156 games and kicked 233 goals.

In 128 of those games, he’s kicked two or fewer goals.

The positive is that his performance in finals is equal to his home-and-away form, and across his career, his performances against top-eight teams
rivals those against bottom 10 teams.

A deeper dive shows us he kicks more goals (181) when the margin is fewer than 30 points against the goals (52) he kicks when the margin blows out after five goals.

In that sense, he’s not a flat-track bully. Though, he will get the opportunity to be the bully against an undersized and inexperienced North Melbourne on Friday. He and Fagan both know he needs it.

No mention of his opponent Darcy Moore having his fewest disposals in a game he wasn't injured in since 2018?

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

It's not fair referring to his grand final performance to someone who has blocked the game from their memory.

 

[Tom14]

Selection meltdowns is in my top 10 favourite things about the footy season

Much more fun when we are winning and there are melts though.

 

[ZoBlitz]

Much more fun when we are winning and there are melts though.

Weirdly, it's usually the same people melting...

 

[Monkey Daniel]

So disappointing to see the changes made. Nothing to get excited about at all. Same old underperforming players get another go.

The reality is Chris Fagan has failed as a coach. Our list should have a few flags!

Which flags should they have won ??