Review Round 18, 2023 - Melbourne vs. Brisbane Lions

[Squizz89]

Finishing top 2 was clearly our best chance and anyone saying otherwise is just trying to lessen their own pain at the chance we may have blown on Friday. At that time of year against those types of teams, the less travel a team has to do, the better.

Heck, it proved beyond one of, if not, the best team ever assembled with us in 2004 and the team we have this year wouldn’t even be fit to tie the shoelaces of the one we had back then.

Not saying it’s completely impossible, but it would be some turnaround for this team given what they’ve shown over a number of years, to win at least 2 away finals to win the flag.

 

[M Malice]

Don’t relent for the whole game.
This should be the sentence that goes over and over in the boys heads, starting from now we need to turn it around
show them no mercy.
If we don’t Geelong and Collingwood will do it easy

I have mentioned this before but I have a smidgen of doubt as to whether our boys are as dog hungry/relentless enough in pursuit of a flag as you need to be to grab the ultimate prize.

Based on no overt evidence just a bit of a gut feeling.

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

I have mentioned this before but I have a smidgen of doubt as to whether our boys are as dog hungry/relentless enough in pursuit of a flag as you need to be to grab the ultimate prize.

Based on no overt evidence just a bit of a gut feeling.

The player who needs to adopt this mindset is Oscar

 

[golions]

I have mentioned this before but I have a smidgen of doubt as to whether our boys are as dog hungry/relentless enough in pursuit of a flag as you need to be to grab the ultimate prize.

Based on no overt evidence just a bit of a gut feeling.

Agree with this. It feels like the only players that exhibit the premiership hunger are Dunkley and the younger players. Which is why I feel Dunkley should be our captain as soon as practically possible. Heck, he came to us to win a premiership (I’m sure the Dons would have offered more dollars than we would have)

 

[rye]

Agree with this. It feels like the only players that exhibit the premiership hunger are Dunkley and the younger players. Which is why I feel Dunkley should be our captain as soon as practically possible. Heck, he came to us to win a premiership (I’m sure the Dons would have offered more dollars than we would have)

neale playing out of his skin in basically every final hes played with us isnt exhibiting enough premiership hunger for you?

 

[bungalow_bill]

If dunks plays and Oliver plays they win that.


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With a 1 point win it could go either way

If we don't play Berry and Lyons (using Zorko as sub) and play Dev & Lohmann for example we win. We were hampered with a few slow/unfit players.

 

[OldLion]

Whilst on a walk tonight was thinking re the Gunston move down back ( alot easier in hindsight) that since Andrews seemed to be playing on Melksham a little bit in the latter of the last quarter i wonder if a change over should have occured with Andrews saying you take Melksham Gunners and i will play the loose man?

Demons got that match up right - Andrews looked a little adrift, He should have dominated in the air - yet Melksham took a PACK mark to kick the winner. Where was that fist ?

 

[M Malice]

Demons got that match up right - Andrews looked a little adrift, He should have dominated in the air - yet Melksham took a PACK mark to kick the winner. Where was that fist ?

So so many what ifs in a game so close, that what makes it so gut wrenching when you are on the losing side.... honestly I would rather get soundly beaten than lose like that.

Imagine the emotional toll a game like that would have if it transpired in a Grand Final.

 

[Tassie4ever]

As I bleakly observed a number of rounds ago, after the Hawks debacle, I am unconvinced about this Lions side. We lack an essential toughness. No mistake we have the skills but when the going gets tough there are a few regulars who go missing.

E.g. Rayner. All the skills but apart from the odd cameo and repeated attempts at a screamer- just where are we? Needed are kamikaze attacks on the pill- don't get in my way stuff.

IMHO gets back to recruitment. Never mind the beep tests. What about the heart tests.

A comparison. Can anyone imagine the Cats coach so sanguine after a tragedy like Friday night. There would be blood on the floor. Never mind wrap the arms around stuff. What about kick up the arse stuff.

I am reliably informed the atmosphere in the Lions room after the game was very depressed. It should have been. Not acceptable. Career ending stuff.

Last point. Last year it was totally obvious we had a skills problem off HB. We still have. Same personnel. Same problem. Odd that.


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[buttermuffs]

So do we.

Cats at home or Dockers away are so far from certainties plus Pies away, I don’t at how people think we are making up two games on Port.

I don’t think anyone is saying it’s a certainty just saying it’s a possibility. Most would have said this last game against Melbourne and Pies away were our most challenging games in the second half of the season and we took it to Melbourne so we can take it to the others.

If we lose this week I’d say we are 100% out of the race for top 2 but there’s still a chance we can pull it off.

 

[mpal6]

The player who needs to adopt this mindset is Oscar

Oscar has previously shown he could play like that. Absolute monster in the ruck and dominate opposition rucks, I can't remember whether it was 2021 or 2022. There was a 4-5 week purple patch where he beat all rucks that came up against him including Gawn.

 

[MSB ROYS]

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

Oscar has previously shown he could play like that. Absolute monster in the ruck and dominate opposition rucks, I can't remember whether it was 2021 or 2022. There was a 4-5 week purple patch where he beat all rucks that came up against him including Gawn.

I think imo he is still our best choice like you say he has dominated
Needs to get there again.
And not be second to the drop of the ball,at the very least get there at the same time.
It’s not a big ask.
Otherwise possibly we need to try something different

 

[Sanchez365]

It was a savage defeat, lost what we absolutely shouldn't have.

My biggest disappointment was watching our midfield get completely torched. Dunkley can't come back fast enough. Personally I am done with Lyons, you only have to see Devs ability to chase from behind and lay tackles in the last quarter to see what Lyons can't do. I'm sorry 3KZ is Football but he is not the answer.

Gunston I thought also was pretty average besides that one good contested mark. He was just way too slow as the loose in defence, he ended up being a target for Melb to just drop it on his head so he could be a step ladder.

I think the addition of those two guys also really leaves Rayner is a weird spot. He's the 4th target so gets no service, and can't rotate through the middle because Lyons doesn't rest forward. You can't blame others for all his problems, he still had a down game, but when you are being played as the 16th guy on the field in dogshit roles how are you going to have a serious impact.

All that said, the change in game style and switching play instead of kicking long to a super crowded forward line is great to see. Those second and third quarters had some impressive and courageous kicks off half back.

Oh, last thought on the Andrews Melksham match up, Andrews was definitely getting attention off the ball. In the first quarter you could see him constantly looking around for contact before going up for his intercepts and it put him just that half second off. Normally he just watches the ball and takes it. I didn't see anything untoward on TV, but I imagine if you had isolated that matchup across the whole game, I'm sure you could of picked out a number of infringements.

It's also frustrating watching Petracca gets the golden boy treatment for holds down one end while Cameron can be legitimately tackled in a contest without the ball and it's play on at the other.

 

[RoyBoy17]

I’d be rapt if we just finished 3rd tbh. No chance of top 2. That was gone after the hawks debacle. Then if there was a smidgen of hope that was eliminated on Friday. We have to do it the hard way unfortunately.

 

[Rouge 9917]

Oscar - you need to compete harder around the ground.
Use of the ball coming out was terrible in the final term. So slow & defensive.
Why take the foot off the throat?
Lester - incredibly selfish shot at goal beyond your ability when we needed a goal. Guys open every where.

There are a few crucial moments in that last Q, but with 9:20 to go and still 20 odd in front for Lester to ignore Ashcroft or Charlie and take a snap which fell way short and gave a turnover was significant.

 

[Rouge 9917]

I’d be rapt if we just finished 3rd tbh. No chance of top 2. That was gone after the hawks debacle. Then if there was a smidgen of hope that was eliminated on Friday. We have to do it the hard way unfortunately.

Demons apparently have an easier run home so their percentage will likely increase and we could end up 4th.

 

[Lion_LegacyXL]

Yes Port could easily lose a few more, to come > Pies(H), Crows(H), Cats(A), Giants(H), Dockers(A), Tigers(H). It's no unreasonable to say they could realistically lose their next 3, of course we would have go on a winning run to go past them.

If they lose 3 we can only afford to lose 1 from here

 

[SizeMatters]

Rayner needs to overcome his deficiencies and adapt.

I get the sense that he's happy to cruise somewhat.

Any other top 8 team probably more than half wouldn't have him best 22. imo

 

[Section 5]

Finishing 3rd or 4th does not matter in my opinion.
Second spot is in reach then it is not, then it is, and then not and so on.
Hopefully if we beat the Cats 2nd comes into play again for another week.

 

[wattoxi]

Winning at the G first round of finals will give them plenty of confidence come the Grand Final anyway

 

[mpal6]

As I bleakly observed a number of rounds ago, after the Hawks debacle, I am unconvinced about this Lions side. We lack an essential toughness. No mistake we have the skills but when the going gets tough there are a few regulars who go missing.

E.g. Rayner. All the skills but apart from the odd cameo and repeated attempts at a screamer- just where are we? Needed are kamikaze attacks on the pill- don't get in my way stuff.

IMHO gets back to recruitment. Never mind the beep tests. What about the heart tests.

A comparison. Can anyone imagine the Cats coach so sanguine after a tragedy like Friday night. There would be blood on the floor. Never mind wrap the arms around stuff. What about kick up the arse stuff.

I am reliably informed the atmosphere in the Lions room after the game was very depressed. It should have been. Not acceptable. Career ending stuff.

Last point. Last year it was totally obvious we had a skills problem off HB. We still have. Same personnel. Same problem. Odd that.


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We've improved the level of skills off HB - we have McKenna, Coleman and Wilmot rebounding with dare/creativity these days. If you let them play the way they were attacking during 2nd and 3rd, we win that one.

Charlie passes to Coleman who goes long to a Daniher 1 on 1, we are talking a completely different outcome here. We just lost the will with a tactics directive to ice the game and rest just fell apart. This was not players losing their way in the midst and coming to a standstill. They were asked to implement something which handed the advantage back to opposition in a platter.

 

[The Zork]

Rayner needs to overcome his deficiencies and adapt.

I get the sense that he's happy to cruise somewhat.

Any other top 8 team probably more than half wouldn't have him best 22. imo

I don’t know if any of the top 8 would have Gunston in their 22.
Maybe St Kilda with a few keys out.

 

[lionsrules]

I’m still traumatised

 

[martinson]

I don’t know if any of the top 8 would have Gunston in their 22.
Maybe St Kilda with a few keys out.

The fact that we think Gunston is the man to send down back shows where Cam is at.

If he was up to more M/F minutes or a more important role we'd be giving it to him.

Maybe next year will be the breakout year.

He seemed right out of sorts this week. Not really settled in what he's meant to be doing.