Game Day Round 2, 2023 - Brisbane Lions vs. Melbourne

[Viceregal]

I remember when we used to go into each game hoping for an honourable loss (that being an upgrade of the standard shellacking), we were looking for signs and potential and each win was a lovely surprise.

I wish it didn't feel like that today

 

[martinson]

Kind of wanted this to happen but more by design rather than just playing badly

A few were calling for a rest and moving on Rich, Lyons and Zorko investing in Wilmot, Ashcroft, Dev, etc.

The one thing that disconcerts me a little is that the young players who we thought would be champs by now i.e. Bailey ,Rayner ,Starc, Hipwood, Andrews, Berry etc and the one that we brought in to be icing on the cake , Daniher ,haven't really come on as we would've hoped for whatever reason.

So you really need to strike while the iron's hot , which we tried to do . Whether any reset will have us any better than we are now is pretty much up in the air in my view

 

[McIvor]

Zero expectations going in. Don't think we've ever been this low since 2019.

Im the same which is really disappointing - still heading down for the game but a fortnight ago i was full of optomism and thought we should be beating everyone at home but unfortunately im flat about our prospects now and reading here and Lions FB pages, it seems most will be happy to just be competitive and excepting that we'll lose tonight - ugh

IDK but that loss last week has opened so many wounds and exposed all our flaws which i think we new were there but may be not as bad and then a combo of he arrogance of the effort or lack of effort and attitude, including coaches and again our linaboity to stem onslaught of goals which was higlighted by Browny on the footy show early in the week and yes, it does feel low like pre-19. A competitive loss doesnt change it for me. A win and a comprehensive win will change my perception and optomism for 23 and only that.

 

[iBeng]

I miss being at least a lil bit confident going into games...

 

[martinson]

I remember when we used to go into each game hoping for an honourable loss (that being an upgrade of the standard shellacking), we were looking for signs and potential and each win was a lovely surprise.

I wish it didn't feel like that today

After last week it's hard to feel anything but negative but if we play as well as we're capable of we're at least competitive with Melbourne . Hopefully they don't have one of their up days and we could still be some chance. Need a lot to go right at our end obviously.

 

[McIvor]

The one thing that disconcerts me a little is that the young players who we thought would be champs by now i.e. Bailey ,Rayner ,Starc, Hipwood, Andrews, Berry etc and the one that we brought in to be icing on the cake , Daniher ,haven't really come on as we would've hoped for whatever reason.

So you really need to strike while the iron's hot , which we tried to do . Whether any reset will have us any better than we are now is pretty much up in the air in my view

Before i'd change the players - i think a complete overhaul (keeing the same players) of the coaches would be my go. I mean the turnaround from McCrae w/o adding alot or even Hardwick (i know i said all coaches, but they removed everyone bar him) and even Longmire at Freo a year or 2 ago s been fantastic to watch and a real example of whats possible- i think in my limited understanding is that players are to comfortable and maybe a new fresh voice could change it - many examples in other world sports of successful sides unable to reach the top getting new coaches or managers and then winning. Beofre you start dismantling this team i think you have to try with new coaches and then if that person cant do anything in 2 years or it looks less likely, then move on players - but hopefully in a way like the Swans do it w/o really bottoming out.

 

[Tom14]

Before i'd change the players - i think a complete overhaul (keeing the same players) of the coaches would be my go. I mean the turnaround from McCrae w/o adding alot or even Hardwick (i know i said all coaches, but they removed everyone bar him) and even Longmire at Freo a year or 2 ago s been fantastic to watch and a real example of whats possible- i think in my limited understanding is that players are to comfortable and maybe a new fresh voice could change it - many examples in other world sports of successful sides unable to reach the top getting new coaches or managers and then winning. Beofre you start dismantling this team i think you have to try with new coaches and then if that person cant do anything in 2 years or it looks less likely, then move on players - but hopefully in a way like the Swans do it w/o really bottoming out.

We really can’t try to bottom out anyway, most players on long contracts and our draft picks already committed for this year (to pay for Dunkley and the father sons) and possibly next year for Levi depending on how high he is bid on.

I still expect even if we have a bad season that we’d finish in the 8-10 ladder range rather than 10-14 - too many good players and home games which we rarely lose.

 

[Section 5]

I hope we don't put all our effort into the first quarter.
Just need to be in touch at quarter time. Slightly behind or in front.
One quarter at a time will get the desired result being a win.

Keep the run of goals to the Demons to 2 with 3 the maximum before replying with a few of our own.
This is a coaching issue as well as a player issue.
You just can't allow 3,4,5 unanswered goals without a reply.

I look at our team and think we have enough good players to get the job done at The Gabba
Am i confident after last week no, but that will make a win all the better.

Be interested in the attendance number.
Last year R 23 v Demons at The Gabba 32,172

 

[HereIGoAgain]

Shouldn't bottom out. We need to do a Geelong and stay up as long as possible even if we don't win a premiership. There is too much disruption on the horizon for the club. We need to keep the fans and casuals engaged and in Brisbane you do that by winning.

 

[FeastOrFamine]

Geez, one rough week and everyone wants to tear it all down. We've got heaps of time to iron out our problems. I'd save the doomsday predictions for the middle of the year after the team has had time to settle into the year.

I trust this playing group to respond after the disaster last week. Work rate and commitment are non-negotiable's, that's all I want to see from them.

 

[martinson]

We really can’t try to bottom out anyway, most players on long contracts and our draft picks already committed for this year (to pay for Dunkley and the father sons) and possibly next year for Levi depending on how high he is bid on.

I still expect even if we have a bad season that we’d finish in the 8-10 ladder range rather than 10-14 - too many good players and home games which we rarely lose.

We're pretty much committed to this group to get us where we want to go over the next 3/4 years

We know they're good enough to have us in contention. To take the next step they need to get better.

 

[M Malice]

My low confidence is slowly improving as the day goes on..... come on boys get it done.

Llllllllllllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnssssssssss!

 

[briztoon]

10 goal loss coming up…
This is our Tigers 2016 season, Demons 2019 season
The season they had to have before winning the Grand Final, albeit the Demons had to wait two years

Kind of wanted this to happen but more by design rather than just playing badly

A few were calling for a rest and moving on Rich, Lyons and Zorko investing in Wilmot, Ashcroft, Dev, etc.

Helps to have your own first and second round picks in such a scenario.

Currently, the first pick we hold is Geelong’s second round pick. (All aboard the Geelong death ride).

 

[M Malice]

Helps to have your own first and second round picks in such a scenario.

Currently, this first pick we hold is Geelong’s second round pick. (All aboard the Geelong death ride).

We should get the Dockers or Eagles first this year for Deven Robertson.

 

[Monster]

Why is everyone so pessimistic? (note: I missed the game last week but were we really that bad? port at home is a tough job and perhaps they are very good this year)

 

[Dalions]

I hope we don't put all our effort into the first quarter.
Just need to be in touch at quarter time. Slightly behind or in front.
One quarter at a time will get the desired result being a win.

Keep the run of goals to the Demons to 2 with 3 the maximum before replying with a few of our own.
This is a coaching issue as well as a player issue.
You just can't allow 3,4,5 unanswered goals without a reply.

I look at our team and think we have enough good players to get the job done at The Gabba
Am i confident after last week no, but that will make a win all the better.

Be interested in the attendance number.
Last year R 23 v Demons at The Gabba 32,172

I reckon they have sold about that many tickets.
Probably depends on how many members turn up to fill their seats?

 

[M Malice]

Why is everyone so pessimistic? (note: I missed the game last week but were we really that bad? port at home is a tough job and perhaps they are very good this year)

 

[Dalions]

Why is everyone so pessimistic? (note: I missed the game last week but were we really that bad? port at home is a tough job and perhaps they are very good this year)

We were that bad!

 

[lioninthesand]

If we end up doing well this season, I expect this season to be similar to 2021, where we don't get a win until round 5 (North).

Hope we win, just don't see it happening today without a massive attitude adjustment.

We beat Pies on the road in round 3 in 2021 - we were 1-3 though, then went onto beat Bombers and Blues in the next 2 rounds.

Also a 1 point loss to Cats at GMHBA in round 2 which was heartening at the time.

I do draw some hope from this season and appreciate the likeness to 2021 (the bulldogs match up looking like it could be that Pies win etc) - however we were not 0-4 in 2021. That’s a big hole to climb back from and not something we have previously has to overcome.

 

[Viceregal]

We all know Fagan is able to teach boys to play ... the question is whether he can teach men to kill.

 

[Grasshopper17]

So this from Fages' press conference yesterday grabbed my attention, and I quote:

"People talk about defence... I talk about 'we didn't win the ball, and we had to defend too much'. So in the end if you have to defend too much it'll break down. Any team will. So, for me the solution isn't what we were doing defensively, it was more about 'get your hands on the ball, boys'."

Does anyone else think this completely flies in the face of all the talk since the end of last season, about how we had to work on our defensive running and transition? I mean, what are we supposed to be?

We PLAY in a manner which lines up with what Fages said there yesterday - always have. In principle I don't have a problem with this; basically every premiership winning team bar Richmond has been great at winning stoppages.

But then what's all this talk about "oh we're going to get better at our team defence" and "we're gonna come back fitter and ready to cover more ground defensively"? I don't even have a problem with lining these statements up with Fages' comment from yesterday, EXCEPT for the noticeable fact that Port Adelaide physically smashed us man for man, talls and smalls alike, last Saturday. The way we have been physically conditioned matches the off- and pre-season talk, but to me it absolutely flies 100% in the face of Fages' comment yesterday.

So what are we? A contested ball behemoth? Or are we supposed to be transforming into this manic, chaotic setup who swarms the opposition's forward line, opening up space in front of us and smashing teams on the counter with our ball use? Or are we trying to be both at once? Is it even possible to be both at once?

By the way, if you think I'm absolutely full of it, I imagine there's a few more of us here going to the game tonight than the couple of us who went last Saturday. At any stage during the game: centre bounce, around the ground stoppage, in play, wherever, pick out ANY one on one contest and hand on heart work out which of the two blokes looks more physically imposing. Happy to be demonstrated to be wrong on this but I reckon you'll have a hard time finding any contest where our bloke looks bigger and stronger than his direct opponent.

My personal view, for what very little it's worth, is that we absolutely should be playing in a manner which lines up with Fages' comment yesterday. But then why on earth are we so slight of physique? I could cop it back in the 2020 Prelim when Geelong taught us a lesson, but now we have the 3rd oldest list in the comp. It doesn't fly any more.

Fagan: We Just Want to Respond

Chris Fagan's after redemption this week against Melbourne following an uncharacteristic performance in round 1.

www.lions.com.au

 

[Squizz89]

I hope we don't put all our effort into the first quarter.
Just need to be in touch at quarter time. Slightly behind or in front.
One quarter at a time will get the desired result being a win.

Keep the run of goals to the Demons to 2 with 3 the maximum before replying with a few of our own.
This is a coaching issue as well as a player issue.
You just can't allow 3,4,5 unanswered goals without a reply.

I look at our team and think we have enough good players to get the job done at The Gabba
Am i confident after last week no, but that will make a win all the better.

Be interested in the attendance number.
Last year R 23 v Demons at The Gabba 32,172

They should get 30k plus tonight. There’s a huge game just down the road, who like some of us would like to be at too (thanks AFL for the **** schedule), so there will be a few who have had to choose between the two.

I’d still be disappointed with anything less than 30k, although with the way we played last week and the Broncos/Phins game on it wouldn’t totally shock me.

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

We all know Fagan is able to teach boys to play ... the question is whether he can teach men to kill.

Do we put Rayner in the middle and hope he bowls them over before they can exit. Maybe at stages of the game, mix things up.
Whoelse have we got that can ram raid a contest , I would say Bev , but sounds like he's busted up, or underdone or something.
Do I dare say Matho, not really up to it.
six hours to go , fire up boys , they need to be totally focussed on beating their opposition at every contest, cover outlets, go hard .
If we are reactive or hesitant to go in or spread when required they will absolutely flog us.
I'd like to see Bailey have a real tough game , he is solid enough, run through them .
Looking forward to these guys playing.

 

[Mr Ripper]

They should get 30k plus tonight. There’s a huge game just down the road, who like some of us would like to be at too (thanks AFL for the **** schedule), so there will be a few who have had to choose between the two.

I’d still be disappointed with anything less than 30k, although with the way we played last week and the Broncos/Phins game on it wouldn’t totally shock me.

Anything over 25 is a bonus tonight. Thoughtless programming by HQ.

 

[p4p1]

The one thing that disconcerts me a little is that the young players who we thought would be champs by now i.e. Bailey ,Rayner ,Starc, Hipwood, Andrews, Berry etc and the one that we brought in to be icing on the cake , Daniher ,haven't really come on as we would've hoped for whatever reason.

So you really need to strike while the iron's hot , which we tried to do . Whether any reset will have us any better than we are now is pretty much up in the air in my view

I think Bailey has probably come on as a small forward, but if we want/wanted him to be an inside mid, he is never going to be an elite one IMO. A couple of years ago I thought Bailey had overtaken Robbo as our #2 wing behind Clugg. He is/can be so dangerous up forward I do prefer that position for him. The issue IMO isn't so much that Bailey hasn't come on but rather that he doesn't work hard enough defensively and while you can portion some of the blame to him, the older more experienced forwards are not and have not set the standard or good example for working defensively.

Starce had come on IMO, he was probably the best general defender in the game for a short while but as others including I believe, yourself have pointed out, he did seem to regress a bit late last year. I don't think he has been given the chance to shine outside of his role because we don't currently have anyone else who could do that role as effectively. I am a big supporter of Starce being a defensive mid but until we find someone who can fill his defensive role I don't see the coaches giving him the chance in the middle that I personally feel he deserves.