Review Round 18, 2023 - Melbourne vs. Brisbane Lions

[M Malice]

Not just Rayner, I think the third tall takes Charlie out as well.

We definitely look quicker across the ground and more cohesive with a 2 tall set up.

 

[Sinjin Smith]

I come in peace. My younger sis married into a fierce Brissie family with her husband and my two nephews loyal Lions so myself and Sinjin Jnr have a soft spot for Brissie.

1) You guys went defensive in the last way to early. Should have kept up your superb style of the 2nd and 3rd quarters and you would have iced that game by 6+ goals. You are a better more talented team than the Dee's.

2) Commentary was awful and woefully biased towards Melbourne. BT was actively barracking for the Dee's, was painful.

3) Melbourne got away with a few throws and other decisions in the last.

I genuinely hope your boys can go all the way this year and we help you today by knocking off Port.

Chin up, you have a very talented team that just needs to break one mental challenge, it will happen.

 

[Scubaveg]

Two very obvious “learnings”:
1. Bailey playing on in the middle of the ground 5 minutes to go 19points up. Stop hold it up, instead he goes 100 miles an hour and kicks it straight down the throat of two Melbourne defenders. Turnover and goal follows.
2. Willmott, 3 mins to go 11 points up. Kicking long down the line, when gunston was free behind and across. A switch was set up and the ball moves down the other end. Instead Willmott long kicks down the line, Gawn marks sends it back in and a goal follows.

Those two moments don’t happen, we don’t lose. But they did happen. The first of them is the worse. Bailey does this all the time. He’s experienced enough now to stop and slow it down at that point, but he can’t control his emotions and keeps on doing it. Every game.


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[Gadzorks]

We definitely look quicker across the ground and more cohesive with a 2 tall set up.

Fagan needs to try the two tall set up against the pies.

It's our last opportunity to find a winning formula for finals.

 

[JasRulz63]

We definitely look quicker across the ground and more cohesive with a 2 tall set up.

100%. We carried Gunston, Rayner and an unfit Zorko as our weak links defensively in the forward half. If that's suddenly Rayner, Robertson and Ah Chee (or Lohmann or fit Zorko), that gives the forward half a different identity.

That being said, I still think a fit Zorko has a massive role to play in finals, and I think it's worth finding out if he can get there or not.

 

[jonnobackpocket]

Haven't read over the last half dozen pages so may have been mentioned but Charlie made a big blue late when we were winding down the clock... He took a mark on the wing and had Kiddy running past calling for the handball with a massive open F50 in front of him and a couple of 1 v 1s ahead, I would of backed Kiddy to find someone and we would have wrapped up the game right there.

Charlie probably playing to instructions but you have to trust your team mates if they want the quick play.

This is exactly why we lost, instead of playing on instinct which got us 5 goals up there was a clear instruction to slow it down and get control. With 15 minutes to go mind you. Game changing tactic, ridiculous from the coaching staff. We needed one goal in the last instead of trying to hold on. I’m furious about it.

 

[Gibbo_88]

I was devastated last night but not as critical as other losses we've had. Anything less than 5 goals against another team in the top 4 is not going to be a safe lead.

Max Gawn

11

Max Gawn

Age

33

Ht

209cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

6.7

4star

CL

2.8

4star

HO

35.3

5star

D

18.5

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

7.0

4star

CL

3.5

4star

HO

29.2

5star

D

8.4

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

4.8

4star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

15.6

5star

was incredible last night, we need to find a better way of dealing with that to be better for next time.

 

[Thomasno]

Two very obvious “learnings”:
1. Bailey playing on in the middle of the ground 5 minutes to go 19points up. Stop hold it up, instead he goes 100 miles an hour and kicks it straight down the throat of two Melbourne defenders. Turnover and goal follows.
2. Willmott, 3 mins to go 11 points up. Kicking long down the line, when gunston was free behind and across. A switch was set up and the ball moves down the other end. Instead Willmott long kicks down the line, Gawn marks sends it back in and a goal follows.

Those two moments don’t happen, we don’t lose. But they did happen. The first of them is the worse. Bailey does this all the time. He’s experienced enough now to stop and slow it down at that point, but he can’t control his emotions and keeps on doing it. Every game.


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This is my issue too. If you’re going to park the bus and play defensively (which in itself was a tactical error 10 minutes out), then commit and play defensively. They half assed it.

 

[Macca180]

We are now in a dog fight for top 4, with games against the Cats next week and the Pies away to come, that is a terrible defeat for us, we looked the best side except for the first 15 minutes and the last 15 minutes.

Nah top 4 is fine. Just gona have to go to Melbourne or Adelaide week 1 now.

 

[martinson]

This is exactly why we lost, instead of playing on instinct which got us 5 goals up there was a clear instruction to slow it down and get control. With 15 minutes to go mind you. Game changing tactic, ridiculous from the coaching staff. We needed one goal in the last instead of trying to hold on. I’m furious about it.

I'm not furious but once it became evident that we'd gone defensive Melbourne got a real go on knowing that we weren't any attacking threat.

And then really lifted when they got a sniff.

 

[Macca180]

Still reason to take away lots of positives from last night.

Will learn from that last 10 minutes.
Can play well on the G.

Pies only threat at the G no one else anywhere.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Max Gawn was incredible last night, we need to find a better way of dealing with that to be better for next time.

Kicking where he ain’t would be a start.

 

[M Malice]

Nah top 4 is fine. Just gona have to go to Melbourne or Adelaide week 1 now.

I hope so but lose against the Cats next weekend at the Gabba and it will get scary.

 

[Macca180]

I hope so but lose against the Cats next weekend at the Gabba and it will get scary.

true.

But think we win that.

 

[scott_the_man]

One of the most painful losses I can recall, that one hurts.

Gotta look at the positives though, we played some scintillating footy and were all over them for a good portion of the game. If we can play like that for 4 quarters we would be near unbeatable.

Ashcroft and Fletcher stood up in some big moments which was pleasing. Bailey was electric.

 

[Voss the boss]

This brought back heartbreaking memories of that loss to Dees at the MCG in 2008, we lead the majority of that game then we lost in the final minute.

I went to the game last night and as I walked pre game - guess which game was playing on the big screen… yep this one! Omen or what haha

 

[RoyBoy17]

The thing I find bemusing is when we ‘dropped/ managed’ Rich and Gunston I legitimately thought we were finally realising as a coaching group that given we aren’t blessed for pace as it is and that we need to get rid of liabilities defensively at the MCG. Maybe we were gearing up to play Melbourne with only two talls and see how we go with a smaller forward line. Then we just revert to type. Nothing new learnt.

No interviewer had the guts to ask Fagan why we didn’t equalise numbers or why we went ultra defensive. Why we don’t switch the play or even look to do it. I think we usually cop over or close to 100 points at the G. We need to be better pressure wise. First 15 we were witches hats. Still stuck in eagles mode.

 

[alscotoz2]

I was at the game. I didn't join the pile on after 10 minutes, kept the powder dry. I genuinely thought we would run away with it in the second half, and we did for a quarter, and I genuinely did not anticipate what unfolded because we were that comfortable.

In top level sport, whether fair or not, the buck stops with the coach. Fagan is not, and has never been, a head coach. Our 'success' over the past few years has been in spite of him, not because of him. We will look back in a few years and look at the players he had at his disposal and think, what a waste.

We have a very good squad who, player for player, are right up there in the competition. We need a Matthews, Clarkson, Scott, Hardwick type leader. Winners. Mongrels. Not a 'nice uncle '.

This is not a knee jerk reaction to one game. Fagan is soft, ergo so are the teams he puts out on the field. Until he and his lieutenants are gone, we're winning nothing. Qualifying for the finals seems to be a win for our club...

Anyway, I didn't want to rant. I've thought this for a couple of years. We could/should have won a title during the COVID years.

Fagan is done, and has been for a while. Get rid. Do it soon enough and we might see this squad achieve what they are capable of...unless their mental softness is too far gone.

Get a bastard in and shake things up.

 

[Elixuh]

One of the most painful losses I can recall, that one hurts.

Gotta look at the positives though, we played some scintillating footy and were all over them for a good portion of the game. If we can play like that for 4 quarters we would be near unbeatable.

Ashcroft and Fletcher stood up in some big moments which was pleasing. Bailey was electric.

I can sooth your pain:

 

[The Zork]

It would have been nice to take learnings from playing positive football and running away with that game like we should have.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

Gawn hit out to advantage 45%

 

[Squizz89]

Reckon the loss will sting even more at about 7.30 tonight, after Carlton do what would’ve been a real favour for us on Port.

 

[scoman]

Was such an emotional night. To start so terribly was frustrating, we didn't compete, we let a midfield group of Viney, Sparrow and Pickett destroy us, thanks in part to a dominant ruck, but it just wasn't good enough.

Then to watch us fight back into the game was really pleasing. We had some fantastic individual goals and noticeably changed the way we moved the ball as it became apparent May and Lever had the long kicks covered. Neale got busy in the clearances with Bailey and Daniher fantastic around the ground. It got to the point in the third and early in the last that we were looking every bit a premiership quality team. We had them on toast, completely outplayed both tactically and with skill and effort.

Unfortunately, the night would then take a dramatic turn as we decided to stop playing football. Instead of continuing to compete and move the ball positively we went into some negative holding pattern. Gunston was swung back with a huge amount of time on the clock and had zero influence. Our leaders were unsighted. It was just plain embarrassing to watch. I'm afraid we have to use the words; weak, fragile and gutless, because that's what it was. Im sick of hearing about learnings. The only learnings to come out of last night were negative for us I'm afraid. Has reinforced the opinion of other teams that we are soft and weak when pressure is applied, and has stripped our lads of confidence for the future.

 

[Milux]

Alright. So. With some time to calm down and reflect. We lost by 1 point. Against a top 4 side. On their home deck. We played 20 mins of extremely poor football and only lost by 1 point. We also had players not playing to their potential and they were our leaders. Not saying they weren't trying. Just the little things they normally do well didn't go our way.

There are way too many positives to just throw everything out the window. Now we get back our 2nd best mid in Dunks next week. Reset. Go again.

Again. 1 point. Away. Against a top 4 side who won a flag few years ago.

 

[Strato]

I was at the game. I didn't join the pile on after 10 minutes, kept the powder dry. I genuinely thought we would run away with it in the second half, and we did for a quarter, and I genuinely did not anticipate what unfolded because we were that comfortable.

In top level sport, whether fair or not, the buck stops with the coach. Fagan is not, and has never been, a head coach. Our 'success' over the past few years has been in spite of him, not because of him. We will look back in a few years and look at the players he had at his disposal and think, what a waste.

We have a very good squad who, player for player, are right up there in the competition. We need a Matthews, Clarkson, Scott, Hardwick type leader. Winners. Mongrels. Not a 'nice uncle '.

This is not a knee jerk reaction to one game. Fagan is soft, ergo so are the teams he puts out on the field. Until he and his lieutenants are gone, we're winning nothing. Qualifying for the finals seems to be a win for our club...

Anyway, I didn't want to rant. I've thought this for a couple of years. We could/should have won a title during the COVID years.

Fagan is done, and has been for a while. Get rid. Do it soon enough and we might see this squad achieve what they are capable of...unless their mental softness is too far gone.

Get a bastard in and shake things up.

I have been saying this for 2 years. Unfortunately the Coach does not have the Mongrel in him and the tactical smarts. Fagan could be a good team manager but is not a Head Coach.