Review Round 23, 2024 - Collingwood vs. Brisbane Lions

[dlanod]

Anyone having a slapfest with other posters have a high chance to have a day's break to cool down.

 

[Scubaveg]

Not his first offence, has been putrid this year

Bailey is our Gresham. Always teasing never delivering. He's plateaued not improving not going to.


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[T Rick]

I went to the game and stood in the Lions' section, completely heartbroken and numb afterward. More because of how good and fun the win would have been rather than the choke, as it doesn't seem as abnormal to do these days in the AFL. But now it's setting in, the opportunity we have given up ladder-wise.

Anyway, a few points I have from my viewpoint:

• Mentality: Again, we showed that our biggest weakness is still between the ears. We had them on toast numerous times throughout the game, but became so weak when heat or big moments presented themselves. Our 1st quarter was amazing and we arguably should have been up by more. Come the 2nd quarter, they started to win a few center clearances and Naicos was getting hot, which is nothing out of the ordinary, but what was more worrying was how panicked we became in our ball use around the contest. In that 2nd term, it was an immediate bang-on-boot when we got the ball, playing right into the Pies' hands, who knew we were rattled and put a few numbers behind the ball. Ideally, you'd like this to be rectified during that quarter, but we survived.Predictably to me, halftime helped, and the message seemed to be one of more composure and use of hands moving forward through the contest. We dominated and had the game once again completely in our control. But again, we did not have the killer instinct to finish it. Rayner and Bailey's misses in that 3rd quarter can only be explained by being overawed, either by the MCG, the crowd, or the pressure... they both leaned back and showed no confidence; you could see they were not thinking clearly. Ashcroft and Kai were not as bad but may have been affected by the "we gotta kick this now after those misses" anxiety that can spread through a team in those moments.Of course, we then couldn't hold onto a good lead late, but to me, that's the definition of this season, so I won't delve too deep into that.
• Coaching/Gameplan Hypoanalysis: This is more of an observation than a true statement, but standing legitimately dead center behind the goals the Pies were kicking to in the last quarter, I thought maybe our setup wasn't ideal to really kill that game. 100% the gameplan was to spread the field and switch. I'm not saying we shouldn't be doing that, or that it's wrong. But from what I saw, it meant we had to take risky kicks to get past that first line to enable the switch to occur or play faster, which doesn’t seem practical in a game as intense and with as much pressure as that, especially away. Not only that, but it meant if we didn’t choose to stick to that gameplan and delayed the decision-making even slightly, it would mean that when we kicked it down the line, we were outnumbered by Pies on the wing, which meant we either got out-marked, lost it at ground level, or were lucky to create a ball-up. We barely got it past halfway for so much of that period and put so much pressure on ourselves in the backline, which just created opportunities for them. The spread also meant we weren’t able to get numbers behind the ball quickly, as we'd lose it so fast and it would go straight back in.Now, I know that we are the Lions, and we have lost so many games like this before and we've all cried about how we just kick the ball down the line, get out-marked, lose the contest, and don’t take any time off the clock. So I'm not suggesting that or killing the staff, but yeah, going for this switch approach and not having the dare (understandably) to execute it in those moments definitely played into the loss tonight.

I will say though, we are the best team in it right now, we just dont have the best pathway. We have weaknesses sure, but we had won 9 in a row with so many kids, and should have actually smashed the Giants & Pies the last few weeks. We'd be 2nd & been heavy favs for the flag. Which is why this hurts.

However, finish 5th & in isolation we'd be favourites (by the odds) for almost any game outside of Swans at SCG, and we'd still be not far off either.
Elimination @ Gabba (heavy favs)
Semi vs Cats @ MCG. (slight favs)
Port/ GWS away. (50/50)
Whoever GF day (slight favs)

The bookies know this & is why we're still around the flag fav mark despite being extremely unlikely to play at the gabba post the 1st week of finals.

We've given up a golden egg opportunity but we have no one or no where that we'd fear on the day. Dont write the season off yet - we're still a big chance this year.

Sensible stuff

 

[luthor]

Thought Joyce had a solid game.



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[Kernel Kurtz]

One thing that I don’t understand is why our smaller forwards don’t want to lead up at the ball. There were a few occasions tonight where we had two players running back towards goal and trying to get a kick over the top when one of them could have broken and led towards the ball carrier for an easy mark. It looks like they don’t have the confidence to take a set shot at goal and hope for the easy one out the back.

This is the footy smarts our team struggles with
I’m never going to watch the game back but it felt like it happened 3 times
In other words we butchered 3 goals

 

[WheildonTheAxe]

An AFL club membership should include complimentary counselling. I would use the service now.

 

[Kernel Kurtz]

The players deserve most of the blame for sure but can anyone explain why we have a clear plan of trying to slow the game down immediately after we get a lead? We dominate for 30 mins and then essentially reset the game so the opposition can get back into it

Tbh for mind it’s the opposition stepping up with their game and we struggle to lift and match them.
Then some bad play
Like Oscar doing dinky kicks out of the centre going straight to two pies players
Team burning goals
Little things or even game awareness sees us fall back.

 

[On the quiet]

So much wisdom in hindsight, so much scapegoating of individual players.

I'm actually pretty disgusted at the vitriol" being directed towards Zac Bailey, Joe, Cal , Brain and others.

I thought our guys tried their guts out.

It was a shattering loss from so many angles but there's no doubt in my mind that we win if not for the avalanche of one way umpiring calls in the last quarter.

I think the guys will be hurting like hell. Two losses in a row when they had the games in the palm of their hand

Instead of throwing in the towel, can we maybe please have a bit of empathy with how our guys are feeling instead of sooking about our own hurt little feelings?


I really hope certain players don't read the stuff on here or other Social Media platforms

Agree. I am as disappointed as anyone, but tend not to go too hard at individuals because , despite what the club states, IMO, like other clubs and other sports, we play injured players. Eg Berry last year with Shoulder, Joe with shoulder, Andrews two years ago with knee, Payne last year and this year with ankle/foot, Neale earlier this year with ankle.

At this time of year I am sure there are probably a few players that are playing either with needles/pain killers or at least with niggling injuries.

 

[On the quiet]

Lost it in kicking for goal. Easy ones too.

First week of Home Final against Pies or Freo might be on the cards. I don't expect Carlton to win anything from here on with their long injury list.

would love Freo. They beat us in R1 at Optus with Payne out and Gardiner getting injured, and that exposed Lester to KPF's

No Hawthorn, most of their players have not played at the GABBA, but just do not want to play Hawthorn

 

[notliondown]

This is shocking defence. Huge hole to run into - and even a loose player 10 metres off the pack in an acre of space.

View attachment 2082779

And all of the pies players goal side of the pack... Happens at the centre square too.

Is it coaching or just complete unawareness by the players?

 

[Lion_LegacyXL]

Our form the past 2 weeks has regressed back to our pre mid season bye form and our lack of luck with injuries to match. The pre finals bye would hopefully be the hard reset we need.

 

[notliondown]

Lost it in kicking for goal. Easy ones too.

First week of Home Final against Pies or Freo might be on the cards. I don't expect Carlton to win anything from here on with their long injury list.

Actually I think that's a cop out now. Yes we can be shit in front of goal but how many times do we cough up 3 4,5,even 6 goal leads?

The lapses in the midfield are the biggest culprit.

We go from complete domination to jelly without a whimper. It's unfathomable how it turns so completely... And almost regardless of opposition.

 

[royboys4eva]

Bailey has no awareness and no left foot. Nothing has changed in this department. Cost us big time yesterday. Is their no room in our side for someone like Dev Robertson? Bit more run and dare?

 

[Ceebee]

Bailey has no awareness and no left foot. Nothing has changed in this department. Cost us big time yesterday. Is their no room in our side for someone like Dev Robertson? Bit more run and dare?

He has been tried and failed . Hopefully Zac gets his confidence back .

 

[Nathan Barley]

It would not be unexpected to have less tackles in a big win. However, tight games are a completely different story, we have not put enough pressure on the opposition in these games.

We won contested footy pretty comfortably

 

[Nathan Barley]

Bailey has no awareness and no left foot. Nothing has changed in this department. Cost us big time yesterday. Is their no room in our side for someone like Dev Robertson? Bit more run and dare?

Are you saying Dev can offer more run and dare than Bailey?

 

[Scubaveg]

Are you saying Dev can offer more run and dare than Bailey?

Dev can offer more grit, more determination and more desire to get dirty.


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[CarterS]

Blaming my brother for this loss, when Daniher was kicking for goal with a few mins left he said “it’s over”

 

[PertRoosOsborne]

We won contested footy pretty comfortably

Allan Jeans ran a training session for my team when I was a kid. Still remember him saying that there are 3 phases of a game, either we have it, they have it or the ball is in dispute…..it’s the bit when they have it that is a problem.

 

[janty]

Thought Joyce was getting very close to Ben McKay

32

Ben Mckay

Age

26

Ht

202cm

Wt

104kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.5

2star

K

3.7

1star

HB

3.8

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

1.7

4star

MG

77.2

1star

D

7.5

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.5

3star

T

1.5

2star

MG

88.5

2star

D

7.0

2star

K

3.4

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.0

4star

MG

67.8

1star

territory with his disposals.

 

[LionsMaw]

We should just merge with the suns and stop trying to be relevant. Just a laughing stock of the competition because we’re mental short people. I hate football

The suns shouldn't even be in the comp. We ain't merging with no one. Just need to learn to stop self sabotaging with bad kicking

 

[martinson]

Berry going off cost us big time yesterday . Still the Pies have won their last 3 against us and whether it's luck ,umpires or us coughing it up they find a way and never give up.

Bailey is one player who can't cope with a niggle. The coaches need to tell him when he gets the ball and we have momentum and there is someone in a better position dish it off immediately, not run around in circles trying to make a better opportunity for yourself.

The worst thing to happen to Bailey's career was kicking the supposed GOTY in last years GF

 

[LionsMaw]

Hawthorn at the Gabba week 1 is looking almost certain now.

Bout time they played us at hm. We'll see how much they'll crow about having our measure when it's us with ground advantage.

 

[Nathan Barley]

Allan Jeans ran a training session for my team when I was a kid. Still remember him saying that there are 3 phases of a game, either we have it, they have it or the ball is in dispute…..it’s the bit when they have it that is a problem.

Yep. We do well when we don't let them get it. Generally speaking

 

[LionsMaw]

Emotions aside, which are pretty much at low levels. We just aren't coached well on game day.

I've seen far too many games now where we get mowed down. Maybe that's conditioning as well. We start so well and the way we manage these games is just awful. It's almost like we go into QT and the boys are told to slow it down and cool off. Like what, we just smashed the oppo by playing fast flowing footy and then revert back to kick around and let them set up and pick us off?

I love Fagan, aboslutely think what he has done for the club is next level, along with a few others. I've been quite open about my desires to see a succession plan put in place as I don't want him sacked but the club is just not fair dinkum if they're not even remotely considering it/planning it. You cannot extend him at this point, his age alone is catching up and we don't want to look at Port/Hinkley and see how things can get even worse with time between fanbase/coach.

Our winning streak papered over a few cracks, although I don't believe the dam wall has blown open. Arguably should have beat the Giants & Pies, didn't. On-field we wasted our chances against the Giants and off-field we were outplayed/managed by McRae & co.

Ultimately I still think we can do damage come finals, but I just don't trust this team anymore. I see our fast starting 1st quarters and I don't bite anymore, I know that any lead we obtain is easily erased. Very mentally weak and just lack the ability to stop the rot. I do apologise for the negativeness in this assessment but there is little positive to say this week. I hope this also doesn't come across as a "sack Fages" kinda post because it is not. I still think he can coach out next year as his last year, with a succession plan in place for 2026, I hope.

Dewy to be our new coach?

 

[CarterS]

Hawthorn at the Gabba week 1 is looking almost certain now.

Only way they will play at the Gabba as the afl certainly won’t schedule it