Preview Rd 21, 2014 - Brisbane Lions vs Collingwood

[sonofabeams]

my only hope is PAPS is not the sub......maybe Aish or Taylor could wear the Green Vest.

McCaffer to wear Hanley like a glove
I was thinking Bewick to Sidebottom, Steele was one of Pies best last week and can hit the scoreboard.

 

[blueiris]

my only hope is PAPS is not the sub......maybe Aish or Taylor could wear the Green Vest.

McCaffer to wear Hanley like a glove
I was thinking Bewick to Sidebottom, Steele was one of Pies best last week and can hit the scoreboard.

Blasphemy. Bewick to play on Beams

 

[smasher]

Think Leppa realises that most of the issues last week were between the ears. Would hope if they serve up the same shite this week he wields the axe, but realistically there isn't a ton of changes we can make even if we did want to drop half the side. Having said that, little disappointed neither of Lester/Z'OB are in, but if Beams is close to full fitness he'll add a lot.

Not sure about Freeman but can understand Leppa not wanting to drop him after the one game.

Leppa stated that Freeman did exactly what was asked of him.

 

[3KZ is Football]

Think Leppa realises that most of the issues last week were between the ears.

The biggest issue last week was on the scoreboard and nothing has been done to address that.

 

[Morgs_]

I'm glad Leppa has maintained a similar team, wasn't it last year when a few of us were wondering why players couldn't get a few games in a row? Now Jono has that chance and it isn't good enough of the match committee to keep persisting with him. It's not like they played him in the first round when expectations were higher.

The season is over so just enjoy watching the younger players having a game in front of a big crowd at the MCG.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

The biggest issue last week was on the scoreboard and nothing has been done to address that.

Impossible to say unless you know what they've done in training. What video review has pinpointed.

I find the notion that games are won or lost at the selection table to be ridiculously overstated.

 

[Caiphus]

The biggest issue last week was on the scoreboard and nothing has been done to address that.

It was as much due to the quality of our entries into f50 as our forwards inability to make something out of nothing. Close had his first significant drop in disposals for a while too, which tells me that it was about the quality of the ball coming in.

If there were doubts over Clarke's fitness due to his illness, and then add in the knock to his hip I can understand bringing in Freeman so that Merrett could make the switch back to defence if necessary. I don't see circumstances having changed that much in the past 5 days.

Considering Adelaide's scoring efficiency, it would have to be said that our defence - which had really tightened up over since the middle of the season - really dropped the ball on that front. If anything, our forwards were probably the least of our worries last week and that everyone else gets a second go to make amends.

Beams's quality on the ball is a fair trade for some inside grunt to try and get better entries, especially if his fitness is a little further along post injury.

 

[jackess]

I must admit I feel a bit flat after the team selection. It will be hard making my way to the 'G to sit amongst the Filth knowing we are unlikely to be competitive.

Selecting Freeman again is one of the standouts. I mean I hope the kid proves me wrong and plays his lights out, but it does not look like he is close to being ready to playing Seniors. His selection last week seemed weird (given he replaced McGrath and hadn't shown great form in the reserves), and going to the well again (after we were run off our feet last week) seems more so.

I am just not sure how he or the side will gain from it.

Oh well, I guess we can all relax about the result and just watch the kids and see if they can fight it out this week.

I feel very flat as well. End of a long, awful season I guess. Was more surprised with how flat team selections left me last week given I saw the Crows as a winnable game.

Being competitive this week would be a big boost for the outlook of our club but I can't see us getting within 10 goals.

Clarke on Cloke is a matchup I'm looking forward to.

 

[Tairy Greene]

The biggest issue last week was on the scoreboard and nothing has been done to address that.

Can't really fix up the score issue until we actually play a game, I'd have thought

 

[chopperduck]

Midfield was smashed, offensively and defensively. Our defensive set up works well when the midfield can restrict and slow the opposition ball movement. Crows blew us away there and our defenders got punished for it.

Our boys need to find a way to play on their own terms and turn the tide of a game. Crows didny allow us our freedom with the ball, and we werent good enough to change that.

 

[rusty08]

I'm glad Leppa has maintained a similar team, wasn't it last year when a few of us were wondering why players couldn't get a few games in a row? Now Jono has that chance and it isn't good enough of the match committee to keep persisting with him. It's not like they played him in the first round when expectations were higher.

The season is over so just enjoy watching the younger players having a game in front of a big crowd at the MCG.

Same could be said with Robbo. Thought he was a bit stiff. Be interested to know what was said to him. Whether he knew before adelaide, it was only the one week or??

 

[Dylan12]

Same could be said with Robbo. Thought he was a bit stiff.

More than a little stiff considering he has one off game yet others can just be shit week after week all year and not once are they dropped.

At least we're consistent in applying our usual double standards though.

 

[Kevvo]

I feel for Robbo, but it is hardly bizarre selection. They are surely picking players for the roles they want them to do.

It's a broken record issue, but at this point it seems clear that the coaching staff don't think there is anyone else who can do the role they are asking Merrett to do. He may be in a low patch of form, but they're seemingly not keen to bring in Lisle who regardless of abundance/lack of potential is a completely different type of player. In contrast, the reserves write-up was positive about Beams who, to me, overlaps with the role they'd like from Robbo. Lester and ZOB had great games in the reserves, but I think they're probably competing with Crisp for that mostly inside sort of role running through the midfield, and he seemingly did enough to hold his spot.

After last week, they might've thought it was important we get a better age balance in the midfield, where we were most significantly beaten. That being so, Robbo has shown enough to be worth perservering with, but they might've thought Beams also justified a spot and it served the team better. Saying 'jeez Merrett is lucky and Robbo is unlucky' seems to me to miss the point.

 

[James North]

Robbo had a great run earlier in the year and showed glimpses - I guess Jono is getting that chance now.

Sounds pretty reasonable to me?

 

[Old Den]

More than a little stiff considering he has one off game yet others can just be shit week after week all year and not once are they dropped.

At least we're consistent in applying our usual double standards though.

So you are suggesting that Beams for Robbo does not improve the team?...I disagree.

I would have loved to have witnessed the howls of anguish if Lisle,who kicked five in the twos last week,had been given a game instead of Freeman.

 

[Fatcat08]

We could very well be the most popular side playing this week as far as support goes. Adelaide, Essendon, Richmond, West Coast and even the Suns will be cheering us on at a minimum. Add into that everyone who hates collingwood and we must have the largest fanbase in footy at the moment.

 

[Ironmonger]

I feel similarly to Last of the Roys et al about feeling a little flat after team selection. I don't think we're putting our best foot forward, and in that regard I'm not sure why I should think of this game as anything other than a glorified practice match.

I don't have Foxtel and I go to the pub to watch most matches. I'm not keen on sitting amongst a pack of drunken Collingwood fans roaring about a big win against a pack of kids.

 

[The Flying Belgian]

I feel similarly to Last of the Roys et al about feeling a little flat after team selection. I don't think we're putting our best foot forward, and in that regard I'm not sure why I should think of this game as anything other than a glorified practice match.

I don't have Foxtel and I go to the pub to watch most matches. I'm not keen on sitting amongst a pack of drunken Collingwood fans roaring about a big win against a pack of kids.

Can't blame you there. It's rough on the punters now, but I don't think we have any other choice but to think of it as a down-payment on future success.

 

[Dylan12]

I feel similarly to I'm not keen on sitting amongst a pack of drunken Collingwood fans roaring about a big win against a pack of kids.

[SIZE=3]I can certainly relate as I too I'm not even enthused about attending this week, particularly as it will be freezing cold and it is plain as day that we'll get whacked in the process.[/SIZE]

 

[western royboy]

I feel similarly to Last of the Roys et al about feeling a little flat after team selection. I don't think we're putting our best foot forward, and in that regard I'm not sure why I should think of this game as anything other than a glorified practice match.

I don't have Foxtel and I go to the pub to watch most matches. I'm not keen on sitting amongst a pack of drunken Collingwood fans roaring about a big win against a pack of kids.

I feel your pain, but with only 4-5 in Vic each year and usually one that I can't get to - I don't get the choice. Having said that, I had the same feeling at the start of the season, hence my view that we were heading for a bottom three finish (which we appear to have avoided?) and the reasoning that we might as well make a bird of it and grab the number 1 pick at the same time.

Out of the ashes we have unearthed some talent that will take us well into our next "golden age", but it has not come without some pain along the way. Acknowledging that last year we finished 12th, which got us the epic draw for this year, in effect we have now been in the bottom six for 5 consecutive years, expansion clubs aside we are heading into Melbourne type territory. The future is bright by this year is a recession we didn't necessarily have to have so to speak. We certainly need to continue to see sparks over the next few weeks or the memory of the 50/50 prospective member/sponsor may not be as optimistic as it should be.

 

[Sausages]

We are Groot.

Lions by 8.

 

[Tairy Greene]

We are Groot.

Lions by 8.

lmao, best post of the thread. Do it for Groot!

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

The biggest issue last week was on the scoreboard and nothing has been done to address that.

Jacobs gave Martin a lesson in tap work to advantage, our mids were smashed in clearances and contested footy and after the first twenty minutes they outplayed us in almost every facet of the game. The scoreboard was just the result.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

Jacobs gave Martin a lesson in tap work to advantage, our mids were smashed in clearances and contested footy and after the first twenty minutes they outplayed us in almost every facet of the game. The scoreboard was just the result.

I think martin getting beaten led to the decline. Jacobs picked out a mid every time

 

[ninja_lion]

More than a little stiff considering he has one off game yet others can just be shit week after week all year and not once are they dropped.

At least we're consistent in applying our usual double standards though.

I actually don't know who you could be referring to? I don't know of anyone who has been "shit week after week all year", or to which double standards you might be claiming. Seems a bit harsh.

The only one that potentially springs to mind is Merrett, and I think that largely depends on your understanding of his role within the team. I don't rate him as a goalkicker, but I don't think that's what he's there for. It seems to be he is picked to:
(a) create a contest, at best taking a mark or at least spilling the ball for the rovers to access
(b) provide leadership, as an experienced player amidst a bunch of younguns (Freeman, Paine, Close), especially in regards to positioning for marks/around stoppages. This is a severely underrated contribution IMHO
(c) provide a chop out to our ruckmen, to enable them to have a break. As good as Martin has been (and West before him) at filling the giant hole left by Leuy, having Maguire and Merrett to help take some of the ruck contests is important to the resilience of the ruck position
(d) although I've not seen it utilised, I dare say there is a least a thought that if there's an injury to a KPD, Merrett could be swung down there, or drift down there late in a close game to demonstrate The Spoil (for which he is best known) if required.

That's my understanding of his role within the team, and based on that, personally I'd give him an A to A+. If he happens to kick a few while he's there, great. And yes, I cringe like everyone does when he has a shot (that potentially a teammate with a better kick could take) that heads way offline. But I think you have to be realistic about what the coaches are asking/expecting from him.