Review Preliminary Final, 2024 - Geelong vs. Brisbane Lions

[McIvor]

 

[McIvor]

Enjoy my Lions brethren

 

[McIvor]

 

[Tom14]

Geelong v Brisbane​

VOTES	PLAYER	TEAM
9	Lachie Neale	BRIS
5	Ryan Lester	BRIS
4	Zac Bailey	BRIS
4	Ollie Henry	GEEL
3	Gryan Miers	GEEL
3	Josh Dunkley	BRIS
1	Hugh McCluggage	BRIS
1	Dayne Zorko	BRIS

Coaches Votes are interesting. You could have just as easily included Rayner and Ah Chee for their impact on the result. I thought Starcevich was excellent throughout, as was Wilmot. No problems with Neale at the top. His twelve clearances were massive. Lester was outstanding.

So interesting that Lester got 5 (I'm guessing from Fages) and nothing from the Cats coaches.

 

[Happy_Neale]

Actually I felt we did lock up a bit in the early stages of the last quarter. Geelong finally got their spare defender looking the way they wanted it, we had ours around the ball but didn't have the preparedness to overlap run to make proper use of it. This meant we ran out of options and on several occasions kicked it straight down the throat of their spare(s). Ultimately the thing that saved us and snapped us out of our early-last-quarter malaise was when Geelong leveled the scores at 70-70.

I'd like to think we would learn something from this and play the same way when we're in front as when we're behind. Particularly when the game opens up (both ways) due to fatigue in the 2nd half. Geelong were there for the taking coming out of 3 quarter time but I felt we lacked that killer instinct. The game could have been over long before Rhys Stanley hit the post inside the last 30 seconds.

At the start of the game I was sitting next to a Cats fan. Front row, Q34. Anyway Geelong's first set shot of the game (kicking to our end), I booed, as per standard operating procedure.

Anyway this lady goes to me "Gee I'm glad you're not my 11 year old son. We teach him not to boo. It's not really very sportsmanlike is it?"

My response?

"I don't give a stuff!"

After booing their next set shot (which also missed), she shuffled along a couple of seats.

Goodbye

(Certainly not judging anyone who doesn't boo... I don't boo specific players whenever they get the ball... Couldn't quite work out why we were booing Tom Stewart all night for example. Set shots tho, open slather, don't care who it is, the lid comes right off!)

To be fair, unlike in the Collingwood game, I actually think he chose the best option on this occasion. Charlie was well marked ahead of the ball, Zac already had one man beaten, he beats Stewart and he has a clear shot at goal. It was just a bloody great tackle.

Kingy is a dog person??

What about Zac Bailey's spoil out of bounds during the third quarter when he was isolated one on one inside Geelong's forward 50. Saved a certain goal. Never seen that from Zac before.

Must admit part of me still questions whether it was the right call to fly home after the game. Grand Final week is hectic enough as it is, without the additional impact of 4+ hours on a plane and probably more than 8 hours in total when you consider the associated logistics. Can't help but think it can only hinder their recovery.

On the flipside I acknowledge many players have family commitments etc.

I guess time will be the best judge of whether it was a good idea or not.

Think it's definitely a good decision to fly down on the Wednesday this year anyway.

I think the criteria is it simply has to have an adverse impact on the disposal, ie it doesn't go to a team mate.

Hmmmm... That should probably count as a tackle then...

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One thing not touched on here thus far is the amount of times in our defensive 50 we spoiled rather indiscriminately such that the ball went into the corridor. Happened a few times against the Giants as well. It just invites trouble and often enough in both games it cost us goals.

Anyway I know it's been identified because Zorks voluntarily brought it up in his weekly chat with Pat and Heals on SENQ on Monday morning, and these chats are hardly the cutting edge of footy strategy let me tell you.

Hopefully we are able to rectify our general positioning in aerial contests between now and Saturday, so that we are able to spoil boundary side when in defence.

Really positive I think that even though our back line was outstanding for most of the night on Saturday, as a club we've still been able to identify at least this area of potential improvement.

+Quote button will do this and put all your quotes into one post FYI

 

[dlanod]

+Quote button will do this and put all your quotes into one post FYI

Limits your likes to one post though.

 

[MSB ROYS]

Some interesting vision in this VLOG.

 

[GOTHELIONS16]

On Footy Furnace last night they said the front on by Stewart on Lohmann wasn’t a free kick, and was a very bad decision.
Well, Stewart wasn’t contesting the ball, he had eyes on Lohmann and was trying to injure him. Various posters in various forums have tried to work out what rule was broken. Perhaps it comes under the category of unduly rough play?
It reminds me of an incident from some years ago. Geelong were playing Richmond, the ball was deep in Geelong forward zone, and Selwood, along with a lot of other players were contesting a mark. Dustin Martin came from the side, not in the direction the ball was coming, so he had zero hope of marking. He jumped into Selwood, his sole intention to inflict an injury. No free was paid btw.

I thought the free because Lohman had his feet off the ground. You can’t bump outside marking contest, if the players feet are off the ground.

 

[3KZ is Football]

So interesting that Lester got 5 (I'm guessing from Fages) and nothing from the Cats coaches.

Wouldn’t surprise me.

 

[Pride of lions]

Wouldn’t surprise me.

Totally bizarre that anyone at that game couldn’t put Lester in the top 5 players on the ground. He not only beat Cameron who had to be moved off him in the last quarter, but created so much run and attack from the back half which led to so many scoring opportunities. It was one of the best defensive and attacking performances I have seen from a Brisbane defender since the days of Chris Johnson. To be honest I never thought I would see Lester play a game that good, it was truly remarkable.

 

[Gleb]

Totally bizarre that anyone at that game couldn’t put Lester in the top 5 players on the ground. He not only beat Cameron who had to be moved off him in the last quarter, but created so much run and attack from the back half which led to so many scoring opportunities. It was one of the best defensive and attacking performances I have seen from a Brisbane defender since the days of Chris Johnson. To be honest I never thought I would see Lester play a game that good, it was truly remarkable.

Completely agree. He was absolutely influential in the 2nd half. Some clutch intercept marks and rebound 50s that led to goals.

 

[McIvor]

Hoyne just said that Ryan Lester

35

Ryan Lester

Age

32

Ht

192cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.9

4star

K

7.9

3star

HB

7.0

4star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.7

4star

MG

170.4

3star

D

10.3

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

4.5

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

1.5

2star

MG

140.7

3star

D

12.6

4star

K

6.8

3star

HB

5.8

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

0.6

3star

's second half was the third highest rated game by a defender in the past 15 years !

 

[3KZ is Football]

Totally bizarre that anyone at that game couldn’t put Lester in the top 5 players on the ground. He not only beat Cameron who had to be moved off him in the last quarter, but created so much run and attack from the back half which led to so many scoring opportunities. It was one of the best defensive and attacking performances I have seen from a Brisbane defender since the days of Chris Johnson. To be honest I never thought I would see Lester play a game that good, it was truly remarkable.

No argument from me.

 

[martinson]

Completely agree. He was absolutely influential in the 2nd half. Some clutch intercept marks and rebound 50s that led to goals.

Exhibit A of why the coaches award is just as flawed as the Brownlow. Scotty would've been privately miffed that Lester was able to do that to them. No way he'd acknowledge that.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Old mate’s come through for us again.

 

[braddsey]

Some interesting vision in this VLOG.

That was awesome to rewatch! Maybe not the polish of the broadcast, but the closest thing to actually being there again!

 

[bungalow_bill]

Enjoy my Lions brethren

When the combined talents of Ashcroft and Rayner came together what chance did the Cats have? No chance.

 

[bungalow_bill]

Great article on Rayner's rise from highly gifted number 1 draft pick to arguably our most important player.

Inside No.1 pick’s rise from mirage to messiah — and moment that fulfilled AFL prophecy

Inside No.1 pick’s rise from mirage to messiah — and moment that fulfilled AFL prophecy

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Schache_off]

Seeing that hit on Cameron so many times because of Ah chee's final goal. How was that not a week? Accidental contact that could have concussed Cameron easily.

 

[Black Magic 02]

When the combined talents of Ashcroft and Rayner came together what chance did the Cats have? No chance.

And Eric! Noticed he actually fends off that bloke high - thank god it wasn't called.

 

[beardancer]

One thing not touched on here thus far is the amount of times in our defensive 50 we spoiled rather indiscriminately such that the ball went into the corridor. Happened a few times against the Giants as well. It just invites trouble and often enough in both games it cost us goals.

Anyway I know it's been identified because Zorks voluntarily brought it up in his weekly chat with Pat and Heals on SENQ on Monday morning, and these chats are hardly the cutting edge of footy strategy let me tell you.

Hopefully we are able to rectify our general positioning in aerial contests between now and Saturday, so that we are able to spoil boundary side when in defence.

Really positive I think that even though our back line was outstanding for most of the night on Saturday, as a club we've still been able to identify at least this area of potential improvement.

Spot on

 

[McIvor]

Seeing that hit on Cameron so many times because of Ah chee's final goal. How was that not a week? Accidental contact that could have concussed Cameron easily.

Did he even et a fine?

 

[Nathan Barley]

Did he even et a fine?

Nope

 

[notliondown]

It's 100% what's wrong with a system that uses the outcome to determine the action and the severity of the action.

 

[FLVanLandingham]

Seeing that hit on Cameron so many times because of Ah chee's final goal. How was that not a week? Accidental contact that could have concussed Cameron easily.

Both are incredibly lucky it only hit on his shoulder (or at least a glancing blow to the noggin).

The slow mo replays of how it neatly floats to ah chee who kicked it in one movement was great