Review Round 18, 2023 - Melbourne vs. Brisbane Lions

[Nathan Barley]

Yep. Said last night that the saddest part about the loss, is that it is not surprising at all. The same issues we had from a team and coaching POV that we had when we started climbing the ladder are still there in 2023.

The days of “learnings” for this team should be long gone, however it appears that is not the case.

I know we shouldn't listen to what Fagan says in the media but why do we need to take learnings and positives out of last night's game. We've had 5 years of this

We're just not good enough away from home

 

[Squizz89]

I know we shouldn't listen to what Fagan says in the media but why do we need to take learnings and positives out of last night's game. We've had 5 years of this

We're just not good enough away from home

Yeah not sure if he uses that as a way to keep pressure off himself and also the team, but it was a valid excuse 3-4 years ago. Not anymore.

We’re not an inexperienced, young team on their way up anymore, that a good result is taking “positives” from a game. The facts are we’ve been a perennial top 4 contender for the best part of 5 years, what more “learnings” does this team need that they haven’t already learnt? Shouldn’t we be at the stage where we are handing out the “teachings”?

 

[3KZ is Football]

Yeah not sure if he uses that as a way to keep pressure off himself and also the team, but it was a valid excuse 3-4 years ago. Not anymore.

We’re not an inexperienced, young team on their way up anymore, that a good result is taking “positives” from a game. The facts are we’ve been a perennial top 4 contender for the best part of 5 years, what more “learnings” does this team need that they haven’t already learnt? Shouldn’t we be at the stage where we are handing out the “learnings”?.

I am far more interested in what “teachings” Fagan is delivering to the group. As far as “learnings” go, here is another thing we have learned about Fagan, he is hopeless at pressing home a competitive advantage. We should definitely have gone in with two rucks last night and we should have had Fort helping to work Gawn over. Instead, Fagan’s logic appeared to be, well they are most likely to go in with one ruck, so we will too. Having Fort in the side last night would have given us a genuine ruck option and probably would have won us the game. Of course that would have meant not selecting Gunston and that was more important than winning it seems.

 

[Warwick]

Of course that would have meant not selecting Gunston and that was more important than winning it seems.

What absolutely garbage.

You really need to stop.

 

[Happy_Neale]

4.2 to 0.1 in the last 7 minutes. The opposite of clutch. And another psychologically scarring loss for this group to carry.

 

[dlanod]

That 1m extra ground width was the difference.

Isn't it longer? Just thinking of Daniher and Lester's shots. :/

 

[dlanod]

Gunston, Big O and Fages?

Brisbane, Lions, Gabba out, Collingwood, Magpies, MCG in.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

I am far more interested in what “teachings” Fagan is delivering to the group. As far as “learnings” go, here is another thing we have learned about Fagan, he is hopeless at pressing home a competitive advantage. We should definitely have gone in with two rucks last night and we should have had Fort helping to work Gawn over. Instead, Fagan’s logic appeared to be, well they are most likely to go in with one ruck, so we will too. Having Fort in the side last night would have given us a genuine ruck option and probably would have won us the game. Of course that would have meant not selecting Gunston and that was more important than winning it seems.

Look at what Gawn did in the last quarter. A fresh Fort would at least not lost every HO and be outmarked all around the ground.Lost this at the selection table as we had no plan B for their greatest player.

I like the effort than Dev brings but he will never be a gun.

Needed another ruckman against this team.

 

[Warwick]

He picks Fort as a sub and gets roasted on here. He doesn’t pick him and he gets roasted.

Classic stuff.

 

[lionsrules]

So basically third and if all stays the same AO qualifying final v port Adelaide …
Win home prelim win break hoodoo by winning the grand final convincingly …. I’ll take that.

 

[western royboy]

So basically third and if all stays the same AO qualifying final v port Adelaide …
Win home prelim win break hoodoo by winning the grand final convincingly …. I’ll take that.

Adelaide Oval record this year is abominable - not confident

 

[JasRulz63]

Thinking about it lying in bed last night, the most disappointing thing is that our best this year is good enough to win the flag. That first quarter was the best Melbourne have played all year and we were able to arrest momentum and get on top. I also think we have the most complete list in the AFL.

We've shown we just don't seem to have it between the ears to string together the three games in a row on the big stage required, including at least one game at the MCG (probably more), to win the flag. It's all a bit deflating.

 

[FLVanLandingham]

after a lot of tennis watching and a sleep.... yup it still is as annoying as last night.

i'll give up trying to rationalize our last 5 minutes of play.

I'll just stick with the bounce from Joe's kick... and the wind on McCLuggage's kick....

surely thats why we lost

 

[Nuggo]

Thought end of third quarter Melbourne started to get a roll on so sweating on the 3/4 break to reset but not to be. Dunkley is just about the best player in league at the moment and Big O can't complete with the elite Ruckmen of the comp. Fletcher and Ashcroft are elite but inexperienced. No surprise Melbourne won the midfield battle. It is a 50 50 chance when we play them at the MCG.

Putting a player behind the ball was not the worst decision but putting Gunston there was probably a tactical error.

Not the end of Season.

 

[Warwick]

He cops so much crap but Joe is quietly putting together a hell of a season. Never thought we’d see the day he would be our most dependable and dangerous forward.

Needs to get the diving and appealing rubbish out of his game but we’re stuck with that now. He’s going to miss out on some obvious free kicks because of it, which I don’t mind - same goes for Weightman and Ginnivan.

 

[JasRulz63]

He cops so much crap but Joe is quietly putting together a hell of a season. Never thought we’d see the day he would be our most dependable and dangerous forward.

Needs to get the diving and appealing rubbish out of his game but we’re stuck with that now. He’s going to miss out on some obvious free kicks because of it, which I don’t mind - same goes for Weightman and Ginnivan.

His numbers this season aren't dissimilar to his 2017 AA year. I think he's been great. Also (rightfully) copped a lot of flack for his kicking, but it's abundantly clear how hard he has worked on his set shot kicking.

 

[Squizz89]

All any of us want to know is, when do we graduate?

 

[Pride of lions]

The lack of on field leadership is a problem in clutch moments too. Surely Andrews as the joint captain should have taken control of who would take the kick outs after the first couple by Wilmot showed he was struggling with the pressure. He was left on his own trying to work out what to do,very unfair for an 18 year old kid I thought.

 

[KissKiss]

He looked good from where I was sitting at the ground.

I was on roughly on the 50 so you tend to see half of the game of defence only. And thought he was average. Not good but not bad. He got moved onto Petracca late in the game I think

 

[SizeMatters]

He picks Fort as a sub and gets roasted on here. He doesn’t pick him and he gets roasted.

Classic stuff.

You play Big O and Daniher as second ruck.

I don’t want that changed.

Big O just had a really poor game and Gawn had a really good game. Daniher becomes a much better player the more involved he is. He stays second ruck.

We just need more defensive ability across the field. Gunston, Rayner, Lyons just don’t offer that at all. And if they don’t do the things they are in the team for well for the game it’s as though you’re playing a few men down.

 

[JasRulz63]

The lack of on field leadership is a problem in clutch moments too. Surely Andrews as the joint captain should have taken control of who would take the kick outs after the first couple by Wilmot showed he was struggling with the pressure. He was left on his own trying to work out what to do,very unfair for an 18 year old kid I thought.

Is there a good reason why Coleman doesn't take our kick outs? Too high up the ground to get back to take them?

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

Said about five minutes into the last quarter that we need one more goal, felt like we were not looking for it.

All I saw was when we had possession we kicked it back to a crowded contest with Gawn in the middle, just a bit dumb and lazy , you know I'll just kick it down field type of mentality, the old territory thing.
And the worste part of that was , we had players free to kick to.
It's a team mentality , taking the foot off when we should be playing hard and keep the team mentality .
Unfortunately too many times when we have flogged opponents or clearly we are going to win , it's the same story.
And this week the other team came back and won.
People on here often say , well why would they keep going hard at it , it's a long season, well this is why, it's a bad habit we have grooved for ourselves.

I'm not talking about kamarkarzi body battles , I'm talking about , running out the game,
Running to cover running to present recieve.
We also still burn a hell of a lot of leads, so f... dumb, but kick to a crowded contest.
Just not willing to keep doing the team things.

Have we still got too many passangers?

On the bright side , Bailey's best game , premiership game.
Fletcher , he will tranform the way we use the wings, so much class.

 

[Happy_Neale]

Rayner needs to be the tall utility that goes back when we need it, not Gunston who has zero athleticism.

 

[Sproj]

I've woken up feeling ok...until the Broncs lose today too but anyway, I actually feel like last night really has one of two potential outcomes:
1. The coaching group goes and makes the same mistakes they continually make and go back to the favourites when the team is picked next week and the season and probably Fagan becomes a likely write off

or

2. Fagan goes away and realises that last night has revealed to him what needs to change if we are to be serious contenders this year and that is become less conservative when the game gets tight and pick a team with no passengers /underdone players

If number 2 happens, this game potentially becomes the moment that makes us take the next step. The questions is, which way will Fagan go?

 

[JasRulz63]

We just need more defensive ability across the field. Gunston, Rayner, Lyons just don’t offer that at all. And if they don’t do the things they are in the team for well for the game it’s as though you’re playing a few men down.

Add in an unfit Zorko too. Compared to that Richmond game two weeks ago, which is the best I think our forward half pressure has looked, the changes are Robertson, Ah Chee and Dunkley out for Gunston, unfit Zorko and Lyons. That's a lot of defensive minded running out of the side.