Review Round 21, 2021 - Fremantle vs. Brisbane Lions

[Berrygood]

The age old question.
What to do with Birchall?
Can’t play on a tall, can’t play on a small.

Mate, I don't know what to do with him. Even his distribution looked average tonight. Would he be best 22 if Gardiner, Adams and Payne had been fit all year? I don't think he would. I also think we have gone past the need for his experience as well. Andrews n Rich are the generals down back now and can more than handle the job.

 

[martinson]

Mate, I don't know what to do with him. Even his distribution looked average tonight. Would he be best 22 if Gardiner, Adams and Payne had been fit all year? I don't think he would. I also think we have gone past the need for his experience as well. Andrews n Rich are the generals down back now and can more than handle the job.

Rich is just rock solid with his decision making these days.

I really think Birch is done ,you can see the stress of it all on his face. I'd still have him over Kiddy in a pressure game but if Adams and Gardiner get back he's surely gone. With Payne lurking as well.

I'm just not sold on Kiddy in a pressure game against strong contested smaller players but the one thing he did do on a couple of occasions was give us a bit of run and more importantly released Ah Chee who is very good in pressuring the opposition further up the field.

 

[mattsmob]

Rich is just rock solid with his decision making these days.

I really think Birch is done ,you can see the stress of it all on his face. I'd still have him over Kiddy in a pressure game but if Adams and Gardiner get back he's surely gone. With Payne lurking as well.

I'm just not sold on Kiddy in a pressure game against strong contested smaller players but the one thing he did do on a couple of occasions was give us a bit of run and more importantly released Ah Chee who is very good in pressuring the opposition further up the field.

Personally I think Kiddy offers more than Birch in almost every area other than experience and decision making. I think he attacks the much harder than Birch and is generally pretty clean when he gets the chance, he's got more pace and ability to recover and is one of our more effective tacklers. However in a big final I think Birch will get the nod

 

[trikster]

Anyone know what Robbo’s injury status is?

 

[martinson]

Personally I think Kiddy offers more than Birch in almost every area other than experience and decision making. I think he attacks the much harder than Birch and is generally pretty clean when he gets the chance, he's got more pace and ability to recover and is one of our more effective tacklers. However in a big final I think Birch will get the nod

Kiddy needs another year or two to build up and improve his contested work. His tackling was good when he first came in and has dropped off just a little imo.

I think Kiddy has the tools to play a small defenders role. He had 83% game time today which is an improvement.

Birch is done but in a final he might just pull something out. He did it last year against Richmond. One of his biggest problems these days is that he can't jump at all , which is a problem when you're trying to spoil from behind.

 

[Gadzorks]

Personally I think Kiddy offers more than Birch in almost every area other than experience and decision making. I think he attacks the much harder than Birch and is generally pretty clean when he gets the chance, he's got more pace and ability to recover and is one of our more effective tacklers. However in a big final I think Birch will get the nod

Physical kiddy looks like your average grade 7 kid with gangly, uncontrolled limbs and no strength. Then he lays a tackle , or evades a tackle and he is owing the game. Very easy to under rate.

 

[luthor]

Physical kiddy looks like your average grade 7 kid with gangly, uncontrolled limbs and no strength. Then he lays a tackle , or evades a tackle and he is owing the game. Very easy to under rate.

I thought he was very solid today and contributed well .

I don't think he's ever going to be a tackling machine but can anyone tell me which one of our back half is.

Besides, it shouldn't be the job of the backs to be tackling themselves to a standstill.

Their job is to spoil, take relieving marks and/ or to distribute the ball.

 

[KissKiss]

I do think we need to move past Birchall but I will praise him for tonight. Its pretty tough having to play tall like that. He did his best to help the team out and I appreciate guys who do that

 

[Suitcase]

Haven't seen any mention of Andrews, I thought he was brilliant and in our top 3 players. He killed so many of their attacks and was a huge factor in the game. On ya Harris.

 

[lionshine]

Great to see how well McStay is playing. He's in awesome form!

 

[braddsey]

I'd rest Neale one more week if it helps with that shoulder.
Neale at close to 100% would be more valuable in finals than at 70-80%.

I think this year has shown that we have sufficient depth that no Neale is better than a 75% fit Neale. It goes without saying that we’re a better side with him, but if ge’s not fit and can’t oerform, the the whole team suffers.

 

[25 years on]

I liked Charlie going back to get involved in the game, but I wish he would get the ball and run up the wing using his speed, it scared me when he tried to be a defence distributor.

 

[25 years on]

I think we had Ballenden available in Perth, we didn’t play him in Payne’s place, so I suppose that’s his card marked for delistment

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

I think we had Ballenden available in Perth, we didn’t play him in Payne’s place, so I suppose that’s his card marked for delistment

Initially I thought it strange that we lost a tall (Paine) but replaced him with a tall (Kiddy).

I assume they knew it was going to be wet so went small though we did look under sized.

Gee Lester tries hard and I wish he had a bit more talent. He gets the maximum out of himself.

McStay played like a tough bullocking centre half forward. I was impressed with the number of contests he committed to and didn't win. When you look at the last quarter of the Carlton game or the second quarters of both final games last year you see a hesitant player. Could it be that Hipwood injury has allowed him to blossom?

 

[Dalions]

 

[Back2Back2Back]

Still have no idea what Wilson was grabbing his ankle for in that aftermath. The replay shows he didn't land on it at all, didn't collide into Bailey, that leg just kind of flailed up when he got the hip and shoulder. Was that why he got subbed out of the game?

 

[LIONS08]

Still have no idea what Wilson was grabbing his ankle for in that aftermath. The replay shows he didn't land on it at all, didn't collide into Bailey, that leg just kind of flailed up when he got the hip and shoulder. Was that why he got subbed out of the game?

He had ice on his hammy!

 

[Mighty Lions]

I thought he was very solid today and contributed well .

I don't think he's ever going to be a tackling machine but can anyone tell me which one of our back half is.

Besides, it shouldn't be the job of the backs to be tackling themselves to a standstill.

Their job is to spoil, take relieving marks and/ or to distribute the ball.

The first 5 minutes of the game was abhorrent. He basically watched Freo take the ball out of our backline and jogged up the ground when he should have been in there pressuring his direct opposition player.
After that, he was pretty good. Not sure what he was thinking at the start of the game but for me, he contributed well for most of the game and deserves to keep his spot.

 

[Mighty Lions]

I think we had Ballenden available in Perth, we didn’t play him in Payne’s place, so I suppose that’s his card marked for delistment

Everything points to that BUT, why take him to Melbourne and then Perth if he has a line through his name?

 

[Jivlain]

Still have no idea what Wilson was grabbing his ankle for in that aftermath. The replay shows he didn't land on it at all, didn't collide into Bailey, that leg just kind of flailed up when he got the hip and shoulder. Was that why he got subbed out of the game?

I figured he may have got his toes caught in the turf here and it got a bit of a stretch


But that's not actually the ankle he was holding. And he was holding the wrong side of his right ankle for anything else I can see there.

My assumption was he figured if was "injured" there that'd stop the coach from yelling at him about it.

Either way, good on McCluggage from hugging him out of there when he was carrying on about it

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

I think this year has shown that we have sufficient depth that no Neale is better than a 75% fit Neale. It goes without saying that we’re a better side with him, but if ge’s not fit and can’t oerform, the the whole team suffers.

There was a period when Fitzroy would always win when Garry Wilson was injured.

Jackess brought up a stat about Beast mode and top 8 sides so have we beaten a top 8 side with Neale playing?

 

[Gadzorks]

Still have no idea what Wilson was grabbing his ankle for in that aftermath. The replay shows he didn't land on it at all, didn't collide into Bailey, that leg just kind of flailed up when he got the hip and shoulder. Was that why he got subbed out of the game?

Embarrassment.

Little kids fake injury when they are embarrassed all the time

 

[beardancer]

Fullarton is really starting to find the ball and use it well, he still can't mark for nuts but maybe that will improve. Zorks, and McStay were bog imho. Though we've still got structural issues in our forward line with Daniher and Cameron. Even Matho was OK!!
I feel sorry for all the boys in the VFL tho, and some of those guys who fear delisting......there's just nothing they can do.

 

[Gadzorks]

I believe we play best when Charlie is dishing off shots (that he could reasonably take) to players in better positions. Seems the while team is lifted at the same time.

I don't know what stats could show that. GA seems to be pretty wide definition. Maybe goal assist and tackles combined?

 

[Quigley]

Two key elements in the win yesterday:

1. We actually worked hard and stuck tackles. Charlie and the other forwards were not bludging around with the head down but chasing and our midfield were covering ground up and back. Massive difference.
2. We actually moved the ball a bit quicker and looked to hit the occasional target. We were pretty much solidly plan A all the way but moving it quicker and more deliberately allowed us to generate more threats.