Preview OFFICIAL PREVIEW AFL ROUND 17 - Brisbane Lions v Essendon Sunday July 10th 1.20pm @ the GABBA

[On the quiet]

a poster mentioned earlier in the week that they may have been COVID at the club. I just had a look at the COVID cases and unless our players, coaches, staff etc are living in a bubble, there is a probability that COVID has impacted the club this week. I mentioned earlier in the week, if we get hit by COVID the next three weeks is probably the best time. This also coincides with the timeframe QLD Health is stating should be the peak. Is the team announced tonight for a Sunday game or tomorrow?

 

[Dalions]

a poster mentioned earlier in the week that they may have been COVID at the club. I just had a look at the COVID cases and unless our players, coaches, staff etc are living in a bubble, there is a probability that COVID has impacted the club this week. I mentioned earlier in the week, if we get hit by COVID the next three weeks is probably the best time. This also coincides with the timeframe QLD Health is stating should be the peak. Is the team announced tonight for a Sunday game or tomorrow?

Extended team will get announced tonight.
A list of 26-27 I think.
With Fages having Covid and due back Friday there is a chance that a couple of player will be in a similar boat. Maybe not be due back in time to prep for the game though. It will be an interesting team selection with that in mind.
Hugh’s interview on Tuesday suggested that a couple were ‘ILL’ were his words.

 

[Nathan Barley]

So we have this bizzare selection paradox under Fagan where no matter how badly he plays McStay is selected and no matter how well Mathieson plays he is not picked. Not how Premiership teams operate.

Do premiership teams get selected disregarding what role they play in the team?

I think reserves form plays a part but it will take a lot for Matho to displace those who play a similar role to him in the seniors and those vying for McStays role in the team aren't playing particularly well either.

It's not really a difficult concept to understand

 

[3KZ is Football]

I would rather Wilmot going through the middle than Matho , and Wilmot is not ready for that yet, maybe a few years away.
My uncertified opinion.
Maybe Wilmot doesn't cut it for the midfield either. Looked like a star in the making on the weekend.
I like Matho , but unless he replaces Lyons its a no for me as well, so Lyons surely is under seige from Matho you would think.
Not quite sure who would be better in the middle when the opposition gets the ball Matho or Lyons .
For what it's worth Matho could do some conditioning to lose a bit of bulk, he is a unit, but in the modern game , you need to be able to run and run.

He doesn’t have to “replace” Lyons as such, but if he is in the team he can go into midfield rotations.

 

[3KZ is Football]

Do premiership teams get selected disregarding what role they play in the team?

I think reserves form plays a part but it will take a lot for Matho to displace those who play a similar role to him in the seniors and those vying for McStays role in the team aren't playing particularly well either.

It's not really a difficult concept to understand

What are you talking about? Fort has been doing very well in the reserves and I would drop McStay for Fort and play two tall key forwards with two ruckman and have Fort and Oscar going forward. It is what we did at the start of the year.

 

[morsie]

I reckon one more chance for Matho.If he doesn't take the opportunity his papers are stamped only open in an emergency.

 

[On the quiet]

Extended team will get announced tonight.
A list of 26-27 I think.
With Fages having Covid and due back Friday there is a chance that a couple of player will be in a similar boat. Maybe not be due back in time to prep for the game though. It will be an interesting team selection with that in mind.
Hugh’s interview on Tuesday suggested that a couple were ‘ILL’ were his words.

OK tonight then, might be a few more emergencies named then normal. I think there will be a few outs judging by Hugh's words

 

[McIvor]

Do yourselves a favour. Stop watching the footy shows, I did and prefer the game much more. They think they run the game and if someone again says ‘legend of the game’ when stating about an ex player who has moved into the medjia, I’ll vomit!

If they aren't a legend, then they're no doubt a star - which they claim all ex-afl players were irresptive if they played a game or not it seems.

 

[knaf]

Up until maybe now? Because his form has dropped off, we really didn’t have a better option than McStay. Fullarton last year was the next best option and really wasn’t ready. This year he is starting to become more ready and we have also added Fort as an option who may not be particularly great as a forward but as a section ruck option he has value, earlier when Oscar was struggling, Fort would come in and impact well enough to sometimes change momentum of the game.
Dan McStay hasn’t been in great form but if we can get him back in form he is still the best option imo.
Maybe sending him back to the VFL is the best thing for him but maybe not also.
For team balance I do like having a genuine second ruck option in the team but Oscar has lifted his performance since becoming the main ruck again. So who knows?

I know this is a serious post but I liked it because I would love to see the melt on the Woods board if we dropped a player they have allegedly have offered $600k a year for.

 

[Mighty Lions]

Oliver would have most definitely been a better pick than Schache without doubt.
Yet, he only averaged 19 disposals in his first year of footy 13 of those disposals were handballs.
He was heavily criticised for being a handball heavy mid for the first 4 to 5 years of his time in the AFL it was only once he changed the way he played that he became a flat out star of the comp.
I am not sure M Malice Oliver would have made that much of an immediate impact when we really had no one to kick to in the forward line during that period. We also had a decent midfield mix and no guarantee he gets games straight away.
I doubt he would have improved our performance that much to be honest especially in the first 2 years.

He won Melbourne's B&F in his second year there. (2017) Since then he has won it 2 more times. (2019 & 2021) His impact when he came to Melbourne was almost instant and I am sure he would have done the same for us as well.

I am 100% sure he would have had a real positive impact in his second year even if there was nobody to kick it to. He is a machine whose 2nd & 3rd efforts are just as good as his first. I rate him in my current top 10 footballers playing the game at present.

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

What are you talking about? Fort has been doing very well in the reserves and I would drop McStay for Fort and play two tall key forwards with two ruckman and have Fort and Oscar going forward. It is what we did at the start of the year.

We know it works.

 

[3KZ is Football]

Is it an EMERGENCY?

Possibility of COVID in the team. I think it is starting to look like it.

 

[BRAB]

Wouldn’t be the worst result if Lyons had to miss due to health and safety protocols and we got a chance to see how Matho goes.

 

[Nathan Barley]

What are you talking about? Fort has been doing very well in the reserves and I would drop McStay for Fort and play two tall key forwards with two ruckman and have Fort and Oscar going forward. It is what we did at the start of the year.

Yes but it's not what Fagan would do because it isn't our preferred gameplan. Fagan wants a more mobile forwardline. They wouldn't be playing the same role

 

[Tom14]

OK tonight then, might be a few more emergencies named then normal. I think there will be a few outs judging by Hugh's words

An extended squad being named on Thursday (26ish) for a sunday game is normal practice. Maybe there will be some COVID outs but if there are, we will know tonight even with the final team not being named until tomorrow evening.

 

[Dalions]

An extended squad being named on Thursday (26ish) for a sunday game is normal practice. Maybe there will be some COVID outs but if there are, we will know tonight even with the final team not being named until tomorrow evening.

Probably depends on whether they are expected to come out like Fages on Friday or Sat?
So they may name them in the squad but could be late outs if they don’t quite get up.

 

[3KZ is Football]

Yes but it's not what Fagan would do because it isn't our preferred gameplan. Fagan wants a more mobile forwardline. They wouldn't be playing the same role

It was our game plan for the first eight weeks when our win/loss ratio was 7-1. Anyway, enough said from me. I do go on a bit. Have a great day and if you are going on Sunday, enjoy the game. We’ll be glued to our sets here In Melbourne and other parts.

It’s interesting to have these debates, but at the end of the day out love for the Lions, our memberships and the colours we wear with pride unite us more than these discussions could possibly divide us.

 

[briztoon]

Wouldn’t be the worst result if Lyons had to miss due to health and safety protocols and we got a chance to see how Matho goes.

Neale.

 

[Nunez]

Neale.

Lyons

 

[M Malice]

I would rather Wilmot going through the middle than Matho , and Wilmot is not ready for that yet, maybe a few years away.
My uncertified opinion.
Maybe Wilmot doesn't cut it for the midfield either. Looked like a star in the making on the weekend.
I like Matho , but unless he replaces Lyons its a no for me as well, so Lyons surely is under seige from Matho you would think.
Not quite sure who would be better in the middle when the opposition gets the ball Matho or Lyons .
For what it's worth Matho could do some conditioning to lose a bit of bulk, he is a unit, but in the modern game , you need to be able to run and run.

I'd like to see Wilmot debut on Sunday out of the back in Richy's spot, he has done more than enough in the reserves to deserve a crack... a back 7 rotation of >
Adams, Andrews, Starcevich.
Coleman, Payne, Wilmot...Ah Chee.

Looks a bloody good group to me in offence and defence, covers a lot of bases.

Matho has worked his backside off during the last few off seasons trying to improve his endurance, IMO his genetic makeup does not allow him to get to the level required.

 

[Dalions]

Lyyoonnns, Lyyoonnns, Lyyoonnns!

 

[BangyBangy]

How Matho goes in the VFL

.
.
.
.
.
.
How Matho goes in the AFL

Yes, I'll look for any segue to use that John Howard footage.

 

[bungalow_bill]

Lyyoonnns, Lyyoonnns, Lyyoonnns!

Lyons forever
Matho never

 

[bungalow_bill]

I'm certainly glad some here aren't in charge of team selection

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

Agree 100% with the Oliver miss. Everytime I see him play I see it as a huge missed opportunity. What makes it worse for me is that I never thought Schache was that good. He should have been picked in the 30's not pick 2. Hindsight isn't a wonderful thing.
Although Matheson is racking up the possessions, he still hasn't improved his disposals nor his running. He's been in the system for so long now you would have thought that if he was capable of improving in those 2 key elements of his game, it would be showing by now.
I would probably also give him a run in the best 22 just to see what kind of an impact he has taking into account what he has been doing in the VFL. The trouble with that is, what does the team need to do to cover for the ineffeciency's he creates when he is the the 22? It's a huge question mark but worth at least 1 crack in my opinion.
Ben Keays would still struggle to get a game in our 22 the same as Matheson in my opinion so the comments about missing out with Ben for me do not make me feel regretful that we let him go. Good to see him do so well at the Crows but.

Ben Keays is in the top 10 disposal getters. His form this year has been so much better than Lyons so I don't think he would struggle to get a game with us at the moment. I think we have taken a bit of time to realize how good Ben has become. He applies loads of pressure as well.

I'm no judge though. I always thought Cutler would make a player and I never thought much of Ben.