Review Round 10, 2020 - Brisbane Lions vs. Richmond

[Dylan12]

I’m just a Christensen fan - really enjoyed watching him play last year.

I'd like to Allen back too; I think he really offers a point of difference up forward more than most and would be a really good replacement for Rayner, without going into the midfield, which McCarthy could do in his place.

 

[LIONS08]

Hipwoods form and role in the team has changed a heap with Dan not being in the team. Copping a lot more heat from opposition players and teams as a whole. He will bounce back once dan is back this week!

 

[FLVanLandingham]

I think out of all our forwards McCarthy was the most composed, his misses were most forgivable in my mind.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

God, it must be tempting to swing Andrews forward when the coaches see his hands, footy brain, physicality and poise in comparison to our tall forwards. McStay would be the closest tall forward we have in comparison to Andrew skills and attributes, but obviously his goal kicking lets him down.

Regarding Hipwood, I am starting to think he is a square peg in a round hole. I would say throwing him down back might be the way forward, but his attributes still don't really suit him playing as a key position player at any end.

I'm not confident on his future in the side should we get an established key forward in the trade period this year.

But that's just me.

Would be fun to do a massive switch in a game vs a struggling team, like North or Sydney, where Harris goes forward and Hipwood/McStay go back.

 

[Dylan12]

No offence intended here Sunny but I'm inclined to the view that unsociable football is more a generic Lynch characteristic. I remember a game many years ago, might have been a Grand Final, when another Lynch who also played full forward for Brisbane, went totally ballistic. Picked up a few weeks suspension which he never served because he retired after the match. Alastair, of course, is now a respected commentator. There's hope for Tom yet.

Unlike Alistair Lynch's head, have you seen Tom Lynch's head, looks like a whining little bitch and has been ever since he was running around with Sorrento Sharks. Nothing can change that.

 

[briztoon]

So 2 people vs 54......

Doesn’t make us wrong.

Maybe people need to rewatch the game then.

And I really rate Quigley analysis of games and players. Along with AFLQLD, they provide the best insights in to game analysis and player analysis on this page.

They both are very good at remembering and referencing specific instances and plays to support their analysis.

 

[jackess]

I blame us signing Adams. Without him Walker would have stuck around. Clearly Fagan and co saw something in Adams that they liked, but I don't know what it is yet.

It's very simple. He can play on mobile forwards, not just the gorillas like Walker.

 

[M Malice]

I know one thing for sure, it Tom Lynch was playing for us we would all love him.

Not condoning or pardoning his slap on the back of Harris's head though.

 

[Quigley]

One of the more prominent phantom drafters on BF is of the opinion that Hipwood is a key defender and has said as much since Hippy was drafted.

Were you referring to me? I certainly thought his ceiling as a defender was higher and his marking, even at a junior level, was significantly better in defense. Someone in the coaching team needs to have a look at that and see if they can work out why. If they can improve his marking up forward just by getting in his head it would be a big win.

For those interested this was my write up on Hipwood when he was drafted:

Eric Hipwood
Ht – 200, Wt – 84

Hipwood is one of the most interesting prospects in this draft. I personally have no idea where he ends up playing. He has played mostly up forward and done pretty well, even in senior company, but he has not really dominated and kicked a big bag. He is a consistent 2-3 goal forward who will give a contest and clunk a few. Down back is where he has looked closest to dominating and is probably where he starts his career. The left field option and the one which might turn out the best is in the ruck. I have not seen him ruck but his around the ground ability could make him a star at AFL level if he can actually compete decently in the ruck contest itself. He has the height for it. The question might be whether he can put on enough weight to compete body to body. At the moment he is very thin.

Hipwood measured in at 202cm at the Combine and he plays to his height. On top of his height he has a good leap as he showed at the Combine. For most of his playing career to date he has been a medium tall type and he has retained the agility and playing style of a smaller player. For a ruck sized player he moves fantastically well. He is a fluid mover with good speed and the turning circle of a smaller player. Agility is what often gets the ruck sized defenders into trouble but that should not be a problem for Hipwood. At the Combine he combined a 2.96 20m with a 8.38 agility test both of which were great for a guy his size.

One of the big things I like about Hipwood, and one of the reasons I see him succeeding, is his aggressiveness. He is a big kid who loves to get in there and mix it up. He will attack the man and the ball whether it is on the ground or in the air. He loves a ruck contest in his area where he can play as a midfielder and wins a surprisingly high percentage of clearances in such situations. He is not just making up numbers, he will hit the contest at speed and has nice clean hands. When he collects the ball his junior opponents often don’t really know how to handle him and he gets it away nicely. Hipwood likes to take the game on particularly when playing at the back and he will run on and present as an option going forward.

His kicking is often raised as a concern about Hipwood but for me I think he has the potential to be an elite kick. He has a very relaxed style in his kicking and he is capable of really drilling a pass. At the back he takes very aggressive options and has been prone to turning a few over. He regularly takes kick-ins when he is at the back and that is a sign that his coaches trust his kicking ability. I am hoping he is just adjusting to having the ball need to fall further than it used to. Style wise as mentioned there is a lot to like but atm things go astray a bit too often. I like the aggressive options he takes even if he misses a few targets currently. He has a “take the game on” attitude that appeals to me a lot. He is an accurate shot for goal and will convert a good percentage of his chances.

Interestingly Hipwood appears to be a superior mark when playing down back but merely average one when up forward. Down back he will play a read and react role and back himself to read the ball better and then outmark the forward. In the games I have seen he is very rarely beaten in the air when in defence. His ability to read the ball in the air is great and with his height and jumping ability he is justifiably very confident in his belief that he will be the one to come away with the ball. He often plays loose and this is a role that he does very well. Down back he likes a mark but makes good decisions about when to mark and when to spoil. Up forward he will clunk a few and he competes hard but he is not the dominating presence he is down back. He goes up strong for the ball and held his own strength wise against junior opponents. In senior company he is going to struggle for a few years whilst he builds body strength. He needs to put on a lot of bulk to be truly effective at AFL level.

Hipwood likes to be involved going forward and is a good mark and run option coming out of defence. He runs hard to present and he genuinely seems to love that aspect of the game more than others. I have heard him compared to Fletcher in body shape and the way he plays and there is some merit in that. When I saw him play the player I thought he reminded me of in defence was Josh Gibson. Up forward he reminded me of Joe Daniher with his size and his impact up forward. Daniher was certainly the better junior forward but in senior company he has looked dangerous without dominating and this is what I have seen from Hipwood this year. He contests and will pick up his 2 or 3 goals a game but he has not torn anyone apart with 8. He picked up 4 in a quarter against Tassie at the Champs but did not pick any in the second half (somewhat unluckily admittedly).

Hipwood is a real presence on the field and is someone who could be a crucial element of whichever unit he plays on. There is a fair bit of risk of him busting but on the other side of the equation he probably has as high a ceiling as anyone in this draft.

 

[Dylan12]

I know one thing for sure, it Tom Lynch was playing for us we would all love him.

Not condoning or pardoning his slap on the back of Harris's head though.

I don't think so.

I for one don't like every single Lions players just because they pulled on a Lions jumper.

Jared Polec was one I just couldn't stand and for some reason, I could never endear myself to Trent Bartlett in the early days of the Lions.

 

[iBeng]

I don't think so.

I for one don't like every single Lions players just because they pulled on a Lions jumper.

Jared Polec was one I just couldn't stand and for some reason, I could never endear myself to Trent Bartlett in the early days of the Lions.

It was his head.

 

[Nunez]

Nunez and just to follow up.

So when he plays well nothing is said but when he played bad it's 'I told you so'?

I get your opinion man. Darcy isn't the perfect player, but very few are. Darcy plays far more good games than bad games - I can't see how that is debatable.

 

[M Malice]

Were you referring to me? I certainly thought his ceiling as a defender was higher and his marking, even at a junior level, was significantly better in defense. Someone in the coaching team needs to have a look at that and see if they can work out why. If they can improve his marking up forward just by getting in his head it would be a big win.

For those interested this was my write up on Hipwood when he was drafted:

Eric Hipwood
Ht – 200, Wt – 84

Hipwood is one of the most interesting prospects in this draft. I personally have no idea where he ends up playing. He has played mostly up forward and done pretty well, even in senior company, but he has not really dominated and kicked a big bag. He is a consistent 2-3 goal forward who will give a contest and clunk a few. Down back is where he has looked closest to dominating and is probably where he starts his career. The left field option and the one which might turn out the best is in the ruck. I have not seen him ruck but his around the ground ability could make him a star at AFL level if he can actually compete decently in the ruck contest itself. He has the height for it. The question might be whether he can put on enough weight to compete body to body. At the moment he is very thin.

Hipwood measured in at 202cm at the Combine and he plays to his height. On top of his height he has a good leap as he showed at the Combine. For most of his playing career to date he has been a medium tall type and he has retained the agility and playing style of a smaller player. For a ruck sized player he moves fantastically well. He is a fluid mover with good speed and the turning circle of a smaller player. Agility is what often gets the ruck sized defenders into trouble but that should not be a problem for Hipwood. At the Combine he combined a 2.96 20m with a 8.38 agility test both of which were great for a guy his size.

One of the big things I like about Hipwood, and one of the reasons I see him succeeding, is his aggressiveness. He is a big kid who loves to get in there and mix it up. He will attack the man and the ball whether it is on the ground or in the air. He loves a ruck contest in his area where he can play as a midfielder and wins a surprisingly high percentage of clearances in such situations. He is not just making up numbers, he will hit the contest at speed and has nice clean hands. When he collects the ball his junior opponents often don’t really know how to handle him and he gets it away nicely. Hipwood likes to take the game on particularly when playing at the back and he will run on and present as an option going forward.

His kicking is often raised as a concern about Hipwood but for me I think he has the potential to be an elite kick. He has a very relaxed style in his kicking and he is capable of really drilling a pass. At the back he takes very aggressive options and has been prone to turning a few over. He regularly takes kick-ins when he is at the back and that is a sign that his coaches trust his kicking ability. I am hoping he is just adjusting to having the ball need to fall further than it used to. Style wise as mentioned there is a lot to like but atm things go astray a bit too often. I like the aggressive options he takes even if he misses a few targets currently. He has a “take the game on” attitude that appeals to me a lot. He is an accurate shot for goal and will convert a good percentage of his chances.

Interestingly Hipwood appears to be a superior mark when playing down back but merely average one when up forward. Down back he will play a read and react role and back himself to read the ball better and then outmark the forward. In the games I have seen he is very rarely beaten in the air when in defence. His ability to read the ball in the air is great and with his height and jumping ability he is justifiably very confident in his belief that he will be the one to come away with the ball. He often plays loose and this is a role that he does very well. Down back he likes a mark but makes good decisions about when to mark and when to spoil. Up forward he will clunk a few and he competes hard but he is not the dominating presence he is down back. He goes up strong for the ball and held his own strength wise against junior opponents. In senior company he is going to struggle for a few years whilst he builds body strength. He needs to put on a lot of bulk to be truly effective at AFL level.

Hipwood likes to be involved going forward and is a good mark and run option coming out of defence. He runs hard to present and he genuinely seems to love that aspect of the game more than others. I have heard him compared to Fletcher in body shape and the way he plays and there is some merit in that. When I saw him play the player I thought he reminded me of in defence was Josh Gibson. Up forward he reminded me of Joe Daniher with his size and his impact up forward. Daniher was certainly the better junior forward but in senior company he has looked dangerous without dominating and this is what I have seen from Hipwood this year. He contests and will pick up his 2 or 3 goals a game but he has not torn anyone apart with 8. He picked up 4 in a quarter against Tassie at the Champs but did not pick any in the second half (somewhat unluckily admittedly).

Hipwood is a real presence on the field and is someone who could be a crucial element of whichever unit he plays on. There is a fair bit of risk of him busting but on the other side of the equation he probably has as high a ceiling as anyone in this draft.

Great write up Q, I was talking about Knightmare, regularly posts that Hippy would be a better defender.

 

[M Malice]

It was his head.

Are saying his head is punchable, much like Essendon Uncles?

 

[Dylan12]

 

[Quigley]

Great write up Q, I was talking about Knightmare, regularly posts that Hippy would be a better defender.

Ahh okay.

Eric has lost a bit of his attack on the ball this year. We are not seeing the swooping on the loose ball that we have seen in the past or the gut effort to get free on the wing. Get those back into the game and I think his whole game improves.

 

[martinson]

Great write up Q, I was talking about Knightmare, regularly posts that Hippy would be a better defender.

This is one of our issues. It's likely Hipwood and Mcstay are both better backs than forwards . McStay I'm convinced on ,Hipwood I can see the reasoning. And he's not setting the world on fire forward.

 

[irish]

getting a little sick of enept displays against the tigers . we just go to water. no excuse for blokes who train together every day and get payed a mint to execute so poorly and time after time

carnt heap it all on the kids, they are green as grass against a team like the tigers

are we scared of them ? is it now in our heads ? what ever it is it needs fixing for good or we are wasting our time

after all this was in qld not the McG we had good cards but we blew it

 

[jackess]

Doesn’t make us wrong.

Maybe people need to rewatch the game then.

And I really rate Quigley analysis of games and players. Along with AFLQLD, they provide the best insights in to game analysis and player analysis on this page.

They both are very good at remembering and referencing specific instances and plays to support their analysis.

His ball use and defending is generally quite good. He often takes the oppositions most dangerous forward so he's going to have goals kicked on him.

Last night 10 of his 13 possessions were intercept possessions so came under more pressure than a usually backman chipping it around and given our issues with ball movement I'm not surprised his DE was down.

With Richmonds quick ball movement it's not easy on the backs and even Andrews lowered his colours. Although conceding 12 goals isn't the worst result.

He's definitely firmly entrenched in our best 22 and would be in most sides.

 

[3KZ is Football]

I've been speaking to Jed about running on the field and taking the set


So when he plays well nothing is said but when he played bad it's 'I told you so'?

I get your opinion man. Darcy isn't the perfect player, but very few are. Darcy plays far more good games than bad games - I can't see how that is debatable.

You should. My eight year old just dismissed Adcock (who will never work as a forward coach again) and he is looking for an assistant. You would fit the bill. Fagan assured us in his presser that they actually practise goal kicking at training and I am assuming my son has been teaching the players the ball drop and follow through techniques he learned at Auskick, so I can only conclude the issues are psychological. This is where you come in. We need you to to compose and perform songs in the style of Justine Clarke that involve players kicking goals and being happy. Instead of "I Like To Sing" you could do, "I Like To Goal" etc etc. You could then perform these over the PA while they are training. You are the man for the job Nunes.

 

[3KZ is Football]

Some of these are just shocking.

 

[jackess]

Surely worth a week

 

[FLVanLandingham]

Sometimes i go back and tabulate how many behinds we should have gotten... ty afl media for putting that together, so exciting

Lyons had some iffy shots, I won't hold that against Ballenden at all, Charles some loose stuff. Ah Chee really should have slotted that. Otherwise... yeh

 

[Sanchez365]

I felt like the third quarter we seemed to swap Ah Chee for Bailey directly and that was when we started getting some composure out of the back half. For mine Bailey has to play back down there again, Answerth and Witho I both thought didn't quite have the composure to deliver and made a few howling turnovers, Witho in particular cutting back into the corridor and missing targets.

I'm not sure if it was fatigue related, but our forward line seemed an absolute shambles all night. There was a moment in the second quarter where we had a forward half stoppage close to the 50 on one side of the ground, there was a quick kick out to the opposite pocket and I counted 6 tigers vs 1 lion (which was Cameron). I think Cameron managed to push the ball out of play but we clearly had some massive structural issues. My assumption is that has something to do with our young talls and Hipwood having no cohesion, but from only seeing the footage on TV that's just a guess.

We also seemed to be playing a strategy of trying to stretch their backline as well, I think we went in after half time with the three talls, Cey, Berry and Rayner(?), But that backfired completely when Vlastuin was just out bodying them anyways.

Yes we missed a lot of shots, but our forward line defs needs a bit of work, personally I think having McStay back will help tremendously.

 

[royboys4eva]

His ball use and defending is generally quite good. He often takes the oppositions most dangerous forward so he's going to have goals kicked on him.

Last night 10 of his 13 possessions were intercept possessions so came under more pressure than a usually backman chipping it around and given our issues with ball movement I'm not surprised his DE was down.

With Richmonds quick ball movement it's not easy on the backs and even Andrews lowered his colours. Although conceding 12 goals isn't the worst result.

He's definitely firmly entrenched in our best 22 and would be in most sides.

Gardiner would get a game for 17 other clubs without a hesitation of doubt. Anyone he plays on has to earn a kick. He leaves nothing out on the ground. 110% every contest - every game. The kind of player I want at my club. It's not his job to hit 50 metre stab passes out of the back line. Thats for Rich - Birchall - Witherden. Wouldn't be many forwards in the comp who think Gardiner will be an easy day/night in the office.