Review Round 13, 2024 - Western Bulldogs vs. Brisbane Lions

[Sanchez365]

Massive expectations being put on Morris already haha. No doubt he's impressed and started his career like a house on fire, but let's just let the man play for now.

His agility has definitely been surprising for a guy his size though, especially when i had gotten the impression he was a bit slow from the ressies watchers

 

[Elixuh]

Massive expectations being put on Morris already haha. No doubt he's impressed and started his career like a house on fire, but let's just let the man play for now.

His agility has definitely been surprising for a guy his size though, especially when i had gotten the impression he was a bit slow from the ressies watchers

We have been talking about drafting someone like Morris for a long time - it was Tom14 who said words to the effect, “for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come… Be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh”.

 

[Sherrinator]

Stuart Dew joins the coaching panel, we win. Coincidence? I think not!

Neale and Hipwood the obvious two best, also have Berry and Wilmot in my votes too. But Logan Morris was the real surprise packet for me, this kid will be something special. Great grabs, great kicking, has the awareness of a seasoned veteran.

Morris is very clearly a football player

 

[Sherrinator]

Massive expectations being put on Morris already haha. No doubt he's impressed and started his career like a house on fire, but let's just let the man play for now.

His agility has definitely been surprising for a guy his size though, especially when i had gotten the impression he was a bit slow from the ressies watchers

He’s the perfect 3rd tall in that he can masquerade as a key and a small

 

[Sherrinator]

First time Macrae hasn't had 40 touches against us?

Did he even play?

 

[HereIGoAgain]

He’s the perfect 3rd tall in that he can masquerade as a key and a small

He will be a difficult match up for any third tall/medium defender, particularly with fast inside 50 delivery. He looks too skillful for his opponent to float off to help defend against our other talls.

 

[Sherrinator]

Just an aside on defence and how to play defence..... How many goals are scored when defensive players seek to keep the ball alive in the goal square but just manage to provide a loose ball for the other teams forwards to prey upon. Every game you see defenders fumble a mark or loose ball that gets snapped for a goal. I can't believe teams aren't instructed to handball the ball through if theres even the hint of pressure being applied. The rules allow for it and there's virtually no downside apart from the other team score a point. The reward is basically a free kick to the defending team and the chance to restart their attack with a clean ball.
Jack Payne had one last night. competing in a one on one 5 meters out he went to defend when the correct play should have been tapping the ball over the crossbar and being rewarded with a free kick usually 25 meters out and executed by your best designated kicker.........It's a no brainer really...just smash it over the goal line and be rewarded with a free kick

They are confused the dogs handballed one through with Lions defending the goal line. It is not adjudicated the same by all umps.

 

[FLVanLandingham]

here, i made it so we can hardly see the football, isn't that nice.

he had a few other well timed handballs through the night too. really knows how to hold it off to really get the release perfect for his teammate

 

[Thomasno]

Fagan re berry - yeah he seems to like the job of a tag, maybe we’ll do it more

Said problem with shoulders last year hence played wing.

Interesting. So his shoulders are okay?! Royal commission now!

Initial cbf reaction

Same as melb win - set ourselves v good not great oppo. Tagged best bloke out of it. Committed all night.

3/4 next games at the gabba

Gee if we somehow had another win or two in the bank we’d be dangerous. Too far back?

GWS and Carlton were both a win behind where we are now at this point last year.

Play well enough and we’ll get in no issues, just need to be consistent.

 

[M Malice]

here, i made it so we can hardly see the football, isn't that nice.

he had a few other well timed handballs through the nice too. really knows how to hold it off to really get the release perfect for his teammate


View attachment 2013803

That is a great handball, there was another one from Cam that I thought was better, it was in tight around our attacking side of the square, can not recall when it was.

 

[FLVanLandingham]

That is a great handball, there was another one from Cam that I thought was better, it was in tight around our attacking side of the square, can not recall when it was.

I think this was it

 

[M Malice]

I think this was it

View attachment 2013814

That's it, great stuff FLV, that was superb from Cam.

 

[briztoon]

here, i made it so we can hardly see the football, isn't that nice.

he had a few other well timed handballs through the night too. really knows how to hold it off to really get the release perfect for his teammate


View attachment 2013803

I need this as my avatar.

 

[Lockie]

What do you get when you mix the marking and ability to read the ball of Bradshaw, the agility of Jeremy cameron and the footy iq of king gunners

View attachment 2013706

Was listening to the SEN commentary when I was at the game and Gerard Healy was a huge rap for Morris. Praised him throughout the game, impressed with our recruitment of him and said “we’ve already found our rising star for this week”. (Bit of a big statement with our game being the second game for the round). So high praise from Healy.

 

[braddsey]

The one where Clugga come streaming through the centre to then hit Morris with a pass and he then instinctively turned and hit Hipwood out the back with a 55m pass was absolutely beautiful.
If that was Gardiner who got that ball earlier in the year he would have stopped and waited for others to role forward so it’s great that he had the instincts to go.
He has a footy brain that’s for sure.

It’s great having a natural forward in the 3rd tall position. Seems we’ve been searching for someone to fill the role since we lost Dan McStay.
Gunston didn’t work out last season (though kicked 10 in 3 weeks for the Hawks).
Rayner played as 3rd tall in the finals, but perhaps better used elsewhere.
Gardner was lost (not for want of trying).
Morris fits between Rayner and McStay height-wise, but has good skills and goal sense. Like all young players i’m sure his progress won’t be linear - but he’s doing amazingly well 5 games in. He is exactly what we’ve been looking for.

 

[KissKiss]

Incredibly impressed by Morris, wouldn't surprise me if the club feels we've got something here. 8 goals from 5 games is a great return for a first year. I had a look back to 2022 and there was a period where McStay kicked only 6 goals in 9 games. That's a large chunk of the season.

Lohmann has 15 from 10 as well for a similar return. His biggest strength for mine is how far back he tracks, very often you see him bop up in the backline to affect the game. Our forward line has always been our biggest strength in the Fagan era and it seems it'll continue for a while to come.

The selection headaches in 2025 is going to be the worst headaches the club's had since the golden years, the kids have shone this year but spots are going to be hard to come by. You already have to include Ashcroft x2 & Kiddy immediately. That's 3 spots without including Doedee as a 4th. Good luck match commitee.

Was listening to the SEN commentary when I was at the game and Gerard Healy was a huge rap for Morris. Praised him throughout the game, impressed with our recruitment of him and said “we’ve already found our rising star for this week”. (Bit of a big statement with our game being the second game for the round). So high praise from Healy.

I was about to say Morris should be up for a Rising Star nomination soon and probably this week. Hes really doing well for a first year tall forward.

I know with Reid and Darcy ruled out, both he and Lohman could nab a couple of votes in the award come the end of the year if they keep going like this

 

[McIvor]

On top of Logan’s two goal assists, he had potential for four of them with his beautiful centred snap to Joe in the goal square which was handed off and another kick to Lohmann in good position who passed it off to Eric for his sixth.

I can’t believe we’ve picked up such a talent in a year with a poor draft hand.

I reckon there’ll be a fair few clubs regretting passing on Logan now and us getting him with pick 31 (the same pick as we got the great Simon Black) is head wobble stuff.

 

[RandomPest]

Don't have much too add that hasn't been already mentioned in this thread already; Great team effort for a great win, big performances from the usual suspects, but more importantly, strong performances from a few players who needed to show something. In particular I was happy to see the way Connor played. He turned a few over, but he was trying to place kicks and taking the game on, rather than the rushed dump kick we've seen from him recently. He absolutely has the ability to hit those kicks consistently, which will come with time, and will be vital to our game when it does.

Unrelated to the game itself but one thing I've noticed at all our Melbourne games, and something I want to shout out, is the effort Harris Andrews

31

Harris Andrews

Age

27

Ht

202cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.8

3star

K

7.4

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.6

5star

T

1.6

4star

MG

151.7

2star

D

17.0

4star

K

9.0

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.0

3star

D

9.8

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

4.8

4star

M

3.4

4star

T

1.6

4star

MG

94.0

2star

goes to when handing out the little footies to kids post game. Time and time again he is the last one back to the huddle, because he always goes to the furthest away huddle of Lions fans, and reaches out for every high five he can on the way back. He is a credit to this club, and we are lucky to have him.

 

[Gadzorks]

here, i made it so we can hardly see the football, isn't that nice.

he had a few other well timed handballs through the night too. really knows how to hold it off to really get the release perfect for his teammate


View attachment 2013803

That's an incredible pass. Knew exactly where to place it and hit that pin point.

But sure, you pack of whiners, send him down to the twos to learn to play. Sheesh.

 

[werdna78]

Don't have much too add that hasn't been already mentioned in this thread already; Great team effort for a great win, big performances from the usual suspects, but more importantly, strong performances from a few players who needed to show something. In particular I was happy to see the way Connor played. He turned a few over, but he was trying to place kicks and taking the game on, rather than the rushed dump kick we've seen from him recently. He absolutely has the ability to hit those kicks consistently, which will come with time, and will be vital to our game when it does.

Unrelated to the game itself but one thing I've noticed at all our Melbourne games, and something I want to shout out, is the effort Harris Andrews goes to when handing out the little footies to kids post game. Time and time again he is the last one back to the huddle, because he always goes to the furthest away huddle of Lions fans, and reaches out for every high five he can on the way back. He is a credit to this club, and we are lucky to have him.

He does this at home games. We sit on the opposite side to their race entrance and he comes our way a lot.

 

[Morbidly_Obese]

Hipwood vs the bulldogs

 

[morsie]

He does this at home games. We sit on the opposite side to their race entrance and he comes our way a lot.

Melbourne Storm all the players seem to spend about 20 minutes talking to fans selfies etc.The AFL teams are pretty well straight off the ground except for the little footies.

 

[knaf]

That's an incredible pass. Knew exactly where to place it and hit that pin point.

But sure, you pack of whiners, send him down to the twos to learn to play. Sheesh.

If I am one of the whiners you identify, I make no apologies.

I was quick to post in acknowledge that Rayner had a very good team orientated game and consistently demonstrated real effort when he didn’t have the ball. He demonstrated he is one of the most naturally gifted player on our list. Why is he so often one of our statistical worst and exhibit body language they doesn’t show real commitment to effort?

As I said I make no apology for identifying the under utilisation of his skill and draft capital. The club, the coaching group and the player himself need to be held to account. So pleased for him that he showed he takes it to heart and is attempting to deliver on his potential.

Charlie and hippy have been down this year, but I haven’t “whined” about them because I believe they have been demonstrating effort even though it wasn’t coming together for them.

I think you are also a vfl watcher. Every week you see guys like Robertson, Sharp, Lyons and Prior trying their guts out for the club and in the hope they get at least one more game at afl level. I don’t winge that they aren’t selected. I can appreciate the complexity of training 40 odd players and fitting them into 23 selected.

End of rant.

 

[Nathan Barley]

If I am one of the whiners you identify, I make no apologies.

I was quick to post in acknowledge that Rayner had a very good team orientated game and consistently demonstrated real effort when he didn’t have the ball. He demonstrated he is one of the most naturally gifted player on our list. Why is he so often one of our statistical worst and exhibit body language they doesn’t show real commitment to effort?

As I said I make no apology for identifying the under utilisation of his skill and draft capital. The club, the coaching group and the player himself need to be held to account. So pleased for him that he showed he takes it to heart and is attempting to deliver on his potential.

Charlie and hippy have been down this year, but I haven’t “whined” about them because I believe they have been demonstrating effort even though it wasn’t coming together for them.

I think you are also a vfl watcher. Every week you see guys like Robertson, Sharp, Lyons and Prior trying their guts out for the club and in the hope they get at least one more game at afl level. I don’t winge that they aren’t selected. I can appreciate the complexity of training 40 odd players and fitting them into 23 selected.

End of rant.

I think your exhibiting an extremely strong bias here.

I've seen all 4 show very bad body language at VFL

I mean all prior does is wander around getting cheap kicks in the back half, you'll never see a player stand still more often than Lyons as well

 

[knaf]

I think your exhibiting an extremely strong bias here.

I've seen all 4 show very bad body language at VFL

I mean all prior does is wander around getting cheap kicks in the back half, you'll never see a player stand still more often than Lyons as well

Strong bias maybe. Lyons is passed his prime and probably was never as mobile as Rayner. I think we have different views on Prior. I think he is only solid back up and yes his stats are padded through kick ins and playing a quarter back role, but he does chase and put his body on the line more consistently than the other player in question.

Are you happy with Rayners demonstrated effort over his career? This was central point of my post or are you going to nit pick around the edges?