Preview Melbourne Demons v Brisbane Lions Semi Final (Friday 9 September 7:50PM @MCG)

[luthor]

I'm emotionally about Matho being left out but on the other hand I'm about Fages having the courage to retain Dev and Wilmot, instead of reverting to the same old same old that hasn't come within a bull's roar of Melbourne in that last few outings.


We are despised and friendless outsiders with the Betting Agencies and anyone who thinks they are someone in the media.

Good!

This really is a free hit and if we can play with the same courage as the selections demand, who knows?

The pressure is squarely on Melbourne AND they have some fitness queries over a few of their players. I can't believe they are serious about playing a bloke who has a leg fracture AND a corked calf in the same leg.

If we can avoid getting sucked into tit for tat sledging crap and retain our concentration for the task at hand, we have some kind of chance of actually pulling off a win.

Fages must demand maximum effort, discipline and courage from our guys

GO LIONS!!!!

 

[McIvor]

Great news for the VFL

That's what I thought, giving the VFL team a huge opportunity particulaly if whoever our sub is , also gets to play. VFL GF against the Suns would be awesome.

Dont mind the ins and outs either - thought you could make an argumnet to keep Prior in and play Lester - surely one of them plays as sub.

 

[Section 5]

The three outs are three of our five lowest TOG% players from last week (excluding Oscar) - Robinson (60%), Mathieson (68%) and Prior (70%). The other two were Ah Chee coming on as sub (59%) and Wilmot in his first game (69%).

Compared to the round 23 game, we have Robertson, Wilmot and Ah Chee in for Lyons, Mathieson and Prior.

Like everyone has mentioned, I love the extra run of this side, especially given running power and pressure was a big reason why Sydney beat Melbourne last week.

I think Answerth probably ends up on a wing leaving our three wingers as Berry, Ah Chee and Answerth. I wonder if they may push Answerth up forward on a lockdown role on Salem (McCarthy is the other candidate), and move Bailey over to the wing. I do think it takes Bailey out of the dangerous HFF role he was playing last week though.

Rayner comes in and probably takes over the midfield time of Mathieson, who ended up spending a lot more time up forward last week anyway with Robertson moving into the middle.

Pretty much agree with this post but i think you missed one in/out from that round 23 game being Fort in for Oscar

 

[mpal6]

Prior for sub hopefully.

Matho drop is unfortunate, but his bread and butter is to hoist the ball high in the sky which Lever and May would gobble up with a thank you note. We had to make that change, sad face.

 

[mpal6]

The three outs are three of our five lowest TOG% players from last week (excluding Oscar) - Robinson (60%), Mathieson (68%) and Prior (70%). The other two were Ah Chee coming on as sub (59%) and Wilmot in his first game (69%).

Compared to the round 23 game, we have Robertson, Wilmot and Ah Chee in for Lyons, Mathieson and Prior.

Like everyone has mentioned, I love the extra run of this side, especially given running power and pressure was a big reason why Sydney beat Melbourne last week.

I think Answerth probably ends up on a wing leaving our three wingers as Berry, Ah Chee and Answerth. I wonder if they may push Answerth up forward on a lockdown role on Salem (McCarthy is the other candidate), and move Bailey over to the wing. I do think it takes Bailey out of the dangerous HFF role he was playing last week though.

Rayner comes in and probably takes over the midfield time of Mathieson, who ended up spending a lot more time up forward last week anyway with Robertson moving into the middle.

We would play Answerth as our defensive mid just outside the square. If there is a fast break out of center, his defensive instinct has a better chance of stopping it. I remember him doing it a few times in a home n away game.

 

[Gadzorks]

Great news for the VFL

Is Mitch eligible to play in the reserves?

 

[Section 5]

Is Mitch eligible to play in the reserves?

Lyons played last week so i guess so

 

[McIvor]

Is Mitch eligible to play in the reserves?

Yes because seniors are still playing - i think the rules are different if your teams out-you have had to play a certain amount of games in the years . I guess Suns team against Southport would be a good guide.

 

[3KZ is Football]

Imagine if Lester kicks the winning goal after the siren

I would have a heart attack.

 

[martinson]

We're not going to outgrunt them or outrun them .

But we could outsmart them if we conserve energy and set up better defensively all over the field . Hit them with slingshot entries to unexpected recipients in the last half of the game if they're a bit sore and overworked without a scoreboard result.

The key is to stay with them until they get tired. Fighting fire with fire hasn't worked for us because we're the ones who get tired.

On anything I've seen of our games against Melbourne realistically we've got no hope. But things may have changed. They've been exposed as being vulnerable and potentially we're coming into a bit of form. I'm praying that they're going in with some players who aren't 100% which always finds you out in the last quarter.

They deserve clear favoritism but with Rayner fresh and Bailey back to his best we could spring a surprise if we get a run on.

 

[Thomasno]

I’m already getting angry at the media coverage that will happen next week if we win. It’ll be 100% “Melbourne had injuries”

 

[LongLion]

The Tiggers played us back into form. We're a monty to win.

 

[Viceregal]

Probably haven't give Answerth enough respect this year. Yes a little rough around the edges but competes like a dog and should really be given the ACL benefit of the doubt given he was out all of last year.

I completely forgot that he had had the year off with an ACL - what is stranger to me is that Hipwood and Rayner had a lot of leeway due to their coming-back-from-an-ACL-ness yet if anyone gave the same for Answerth I completely missed it ... maybe because being in defense his not-as-goodnesses were more obvious or perhaps because folks were more interested in getting his replacement in.

Hope he does well.

 

[martinson]

I'm not a big wrap for Answerth in defence if he's doing anything other than purely defending. He's a junkyard dog with not a lot of finesse who tries his guts out. Maybe being played on a wing he'll keep going and throw them out a bit if he gets close enough to apply physical pressure. He will keep going.

Fort's got little hope of being competitive Gawn hitout wise but what he can do is keep barelling in and trying to grind Gawn down.

 

[Elixuh]

I completely forgot that he had had the year off with an ACL - what is stranger to me is that Hipwood and Rayner had a lot of leeway due to their coming-back-from-an-ACL-ness yet if anyone gave the same for Answerth I completely missed it ... maybe because being in defense his not-as-goodnesses were more obvious or perhaps because folks were more interested in getting his replacement in.

Hope he does well.

Lol sorry, he didn't have an ACL. I am just saying he had a year off as well with injury, and we normally give blokes coming off an ACL a bit more leeway so we should do the same with Answerth.

 

[JasRulz63]

We would play Answerth as our defensive mid just outside the square. If there is a fast break out of center, his defensive instinct has a better chance of stopping it. I remember him doing it a few times in a home n away game.

It's essentially what Richmond did with Martin over the years. He had full license to cheat out the front of the stoppage, and had players like Lambert cover his defensive side.

 

[topend]

Feel for Robbo that he’s not in this weeks team and didn’t get his proper fair well last week. Bit ordinary on Fagan’s behalf. He may not be quite what he used to but he’s certainly played a role in the Lions going from cellar dwellers to a top team over the last six years.

 

[DevRoboGun]

Feel for Robbo that he’s not in this weeks team and didn’t get his proper fair well last week. Bit ordinary on Fagan’s behalf. He may not be quite what he used to but he’s certainly played a role in the Lions going from cellar dwellers to a top team over the last six years.

Robbo could have come out to the public and say it was his last year. Look at David Mundy, he got a proper send off because he disclosed it was his final year. Robbo would be kidding himself if he thought he was a chance to play next year so he should have identified that (unless ofcourse he didnt want to). But has nothing to do with fagan

 

[Hollow Knight]

Feel for Robbo that he’s not in this weeks team and didn’t get his proper fair well last week. Bit ordinary on Fagan’s behalf. He may not be quite what he used to but he’s certainly played a role in the Lions going from cellar dwellers to a top team over the last six years.

He should be incredibly proud of what he has accomplished and how he turned his life around for himself and his family.

And as much of a cult hero and great servant he is, he is not Michael Voss, Simon Black, Jonathan Brown or Alastair Lynch.

And he’s clearly done. It’s September. No place for sentiment.

 

[topend]

Robbo could have come out to the public and say it was his last year. Look at David Mundy, he got a proper send off because he disclosed it was his final year. Robbo would be kidding himself if he thought he was a chance to play next year so he should have identified that (unless ofcourse he didnt want to). But has nothing to do with fagan

Wasn’t allowed to announce his retirement.

 

[martinson]

Robbo could have come out to the public and say it was his last year. Look at David Mundy, he got a proper send off because he disclosed it was his final year. Robbo would be kidding himself if he thought he was a chance to play next year so he should have identified that (unless ofcourse he didnt want to). But has nothing to do with fagan

He'd be a liability in this game. His form's been ordinary .

I think the fans love him ,he's been given due respect and last week was a great way to close it out. He's given his all when called up this year but he doesn't deserve a spot ahead of any of the 22 selected

 

[WheildonTheAxe]

Feel for Robbo that he’s not in this weeks team and didn’t get his proper fair well last week. Bit ordinary on Fagan’s behalf. He may not be quite what he used to but he’s certainly played a role in the Lions going from cellar dwellers to a top team over the last six years.

If Robbo's last game was a classic finals win at home, I think that's not a bad outcome. Looked liked he might have not got that a couple of months ago. I'd prefer to win than be sentimental.

 

[Sanchez365]

I'm surprised they dropped Matho, seems like we are going all in on giving up the first possession clearance and trying to stop the run on the outside. I'm happy for them to try something new though because what we have been doing hasn't worked (lol).

There's definitely alot more defensive acumen around the middle of the ground, even if I have been pretty tough on Answerth. People are right though should give him a break after all his layoffs, let's see what he can do disposal wise a bit further up the field and maybe not quite under so much pressure.

But I think having Ah Chee / Dev / Answerth / Berry Is a good balance for Neale / McCluggage / Bailey / Rayner / Zorko. Defensively that looks alot more solid for sure as well as a lot more pace then we are used too.

We are clearly looking to be super aggressive off half back keeping Wilmot. To be honest we have looked our best all year early when we had Rich and Coleman in great form. Add a 3rd dangerous disposal there and we really might be able to get someone off the chain. Don't forget Coleman tends to play up right at the back of the stoppage aswell for some extra class in there.

I reckon if we can keep the margin to under 3 goals at half time I'd give us a good chance of running them down. If it's even at half time I reckon we should win. Just need to not get blown off the park in the first.

 

[DevRoboGun]

Wasn’t allowed to announce his retirement.

That seems a bit harsh.. I wonder why

 

[martinson]

That seems a bit harsh.. I wonder why

Well say we win this week and 2 guys get rubbed out and another 2 get injured.

The season's not over till it's over and you never know what might happen.