3KZ is Football
🏆 🦍 RZSS Curator of Sticks and Stuff.
- Jun 17, 2008
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Details:
Thursday 28th March, Yuggera - Turrbal (Gabba, Brisbane) 7.30pm
2024 Form Lines:
Brisbane 0-2
L - Brisbane Lions 12.13.58 def by Carlton 13.8.86
L - Fremantle Dockers 14.9.93 def Brisbane Lions 10.10.70
Collingwood 0-3
L - GWS 18.6.114 def Collingwood 11.16.82
L - Collingwood 10.9.69 def by Sydney 15.12.102
L - St.Kilda 14.10.94 def Collingwood 12.7.79
2023 Head to Head:
Rd. 4 - Brisbane Lions 18.8.116 def Collingwood 11.17.83
Rd. 23 - Collingwood 15.10.100 def by Brisbane Lions 19.10.124
Grand Final - Collingwood 12.18.90 def Brisbane Lions 13.8.86
Match Preview
There can be no doubt that when the 2024 AFL Draw was announced, almost the entire football world looked at this match as the first truly big clash of the 2024 season. After all, what could be bigger that the two grand finalists from the previous year facing off early the following season? In horse racing terms, this shaped as a Group 1 Classic before the season started, but now, three weeks in, it looks like a midweek Maiden Handicap at Warrnambool. Thursday night is a bit like an episode of Hard Quiz, 'BATTLE OF THE DUDS' where we know that someone will win, but it’s hard to get overly excited.
It is a strange paradox. I was at the Grand Final last year, still on crutches from my knee replacement surgery, whacked off my face on opioid pain medication, Lions scarf tied to my crutches and 3KZ Junior to keep me steady. It must be a phenomenal experience playing in a Grand Final, because just being at one is an enormous buzz. Then we lost. Funny thing was, in the moment, my son and I both responded much better than I thought we would. It took a couple of weeks to fully process the loss, but we both seemed OK on the day and in the weeks that followed. In retrospect, I think we both drew consolation from our belief that the 2024 Season was going to be a 'redemption story' and while we fell short in the Grand Final last year, we were going to take the ultimate step this year. I guess it was like an emotional 'Suspended Sentence' and this is why the first two games of this year have been so disappointing and why the response from many posters has veered erratically from comic disbelief to open dismay. The sobering thought is that 2023 might be as good as it gets for this list. I guess time will tell.
Anyway, enough of the Psychobabble ... let's look at Thursday Night, starting with team selection. It is hard to know who is going to run out for us on Thursday, because there are decisions to be made about Tom Doedee for one and there are holes to plug with injuries to Gardiner and McKenna. I know many of us want to see Doedee in the Senior side at the earliest opportunity, but I wonder if Fagan will hold off selecting him this week and ease him in over a slightly longer time frame. By all accounts and judging from his career highlights, Doedee is a valuable asset and adopting a conservative approach may be wise. With this in mind, I would select the following team against Collingwood:
FB: Starcevich, Andrews, Joyce
HB: Wilmott, Lester, Answerth
C: McCluggage, Dunkley, Tunstill
HF: Cameron, Hipwood, Ah Chee
FF: Bailey, Daniher, Rayner
FOL: McInerney, Neale, Robertson
Interchange: McCarthy, Fletcher, Lyons, Madden
SUB: Zorko
The implications of these selections are clear and can be debated below, but having watched how Collingwood have been beaten this year, including extra pace in the form of Tunstill and Madden, while retaining the hard tackling and first hands on the ball qualities of Lyons and Robertson, might just about be the right way to go. Collingwood have been coughing the ball up BIG TIME this year and it really does seem that they are not handling teams that can apply physical pressure AND an ability to run hard and make them pay on the scoreboard. As the pundits were saying after the St. Kilda game, the way to beat Collingwood is to kill them between the arcs. In that respect, getting Neale back is massive for us, but it is also why I would be giving limited midfield time to Bailey and Rayner, because neither is renown for their defensive midfield efforts. We have to get first hands on the ball and for that reason, we have to really rely on Neale, Dunkley and Lyons to get that job done.
I am expecting the Lions to bring manic pressure to bear against Collingwood and while that starts in the midfield, we really need to see the forwards firing and putting that pressure on the scoreboard. Daniher was great against Fremantle, but he needs some help, particularly from Eric Hipwood, who had a great start to the Fremantle game, kicking two goals in the first quarter, before managing a single disposal for the next two quarters and not troubling the scorer. Cameron also needs to lift, managing a paltry 3 disposals to half time against Fremantle and a disappointing 6 disposals and a solitary behind in the first three quarters of the Feemantle loss. Both Cameron and Hipwood are great footballers on their day and we need them to be great against Collingwood.
What the Experts Are Predicting
"I predict Cam Rayner will have his BREAKOUT GAME! Lions by 47 Points."
"I predict the Lions will not need a Traditional In-Game Nap Time against Collingwood. Lions by 65 points" #TINT
"I predict the sportsbet will have the Lions at 1.38 and Collingwood at 3.05 Head to Head. Lions by 48 Points."
The Verdict:
I agree with the experts. I think we will win this one and win it handsomely. A loss on Thursday night will be catastrophic for us and even more so for Collingwood. The most important thing for us is that we play four quarters and we regain the 'fire in the belly'. If I were Fagan, I would be showing the boys this clip and really letting them know that we have a chance to wipe the smile off Collingwood’s face and set the record straight this year. We need to stop drinking our own bathwater and as Ryan Lester said in his recent presser, we need to DIG IN! As an aside, I'm really starting to take a shine to Lester.
The Hubris:
The Pre-Match Pressers:
LIONS BY LOTS!
Thursday 28th March, Yuggera - Turrbal (Gabba, Brisbane) 7.30pm
2024 Form Lines:
Brisbane 0-2
L - Brisbane Lions 12.13.58 def by Carlton 13.8.86
L - Fremantle Dockers 14.9.93 def Brisbane Lions 10.10.70
Collingwood 0-3
L - GWS 18.6.114 def Collingwood 11.16.82
L - Collingwood 10.9.69 def by Sydney 15.12.102
L - St.Kilda 14.10.94 def Collingwood 12.7.79
2023 Head to Head:
Rd. 4 - Brisbane Lions 18.8.116 def Collingwood 11.17.83
Rd. 23 - Collingwood 15.10.100 def by Brisbane Lions 19.10.124
Grand Final - Collingwood 12.18.90 def Brisbane Lions 13.8.86
Match Preview
There can be no doubt that when the 2024 AFL Draw was announced, almost the entire football world looked at this match as the first truly big clash of the 2024 season. After all, what could be bigger that the two grand finalists from the previous year facing off early the following season? In horse racing terms, this shaped as a Group 1 Classic before the season started, but now, three weeks in, it looks like a midweek Maiden Handicap at Warrnambool. Thursday night is a bit like an episode of Hard Quiz, 'BATTLE OF THE DUDS' where we know that someone will win, but it’s hard to get overly excited.
It is a strange paradox. I was at the Grand Final last year, still on crutches from my knee replacement surgery, whacked off my face on opioid pain medication, Lions scarf tied to my crutches and 3KZ Junior to keep me steady. It must be a phenomenal experience playing in a Grand Final, because just being at one is an enormous buzz. Then we lost. Funny thing was, in the moment, my son and I both responded much better than I thought we would. It took a couple of weeks to fully process the loss, but we both seemed OK on the day and in the weeks that followed. In retrospect, I think we both drew consolation from our belief that the 2024 Season was going to be a 'redemption story' and while we fell short in the Grand Final last year, we were going to take the ultimate step this year. I guess it was like an emotional 'Suspended Sentence' and this is why the first two games of this year have been so disappointing and why the response from many posters has veered erratically from comic disbelief to open dismay. The sobering thought is that 2023 might be as good as it gets for this list. I guess time will tell.
Anyway, enough of the Psychobabble ... let's look at Thursday Night, starting with team selection. It is hard to know who is going to run out for us on Thursday, because there are decisions to be made about Tom Doedee for one and there are holes to plug with injuries to Gardiner and McKenna. I know many of us want to see Doedee in the Senior side at the earliest opportunity, but I wonder if Fagan will hold off selecting him this week and ease him in over a slightly longer time frame. By all accounts and judging from his career highlights, Doedee is a valuable asset and adopting a conservative approach may be wise. With this in mind, I would select the following team against Collingwood:
FB: Starcevich, Andrews, Joyce
HB: Wilmott, Lester, Answerth
C: McCluggage, Dunkley, Tunstill
HF: Cameron, Hipwood, Ah Chee
FF: Bailey, Daniher, Rayner
FOL: McInerney, Neale, Robertson
Interchange: McCarthy, Fletcher, Lyons, Madden
SUB: Zorko
The implications of these selections are clear and can be debated below, but having watched how Collingwood have been beaten this year, including extra pace in the form of Tunstill and Madden, while retaining the hard tackling and first hands on the ball qualities of Lyons and Robertson, might just about be the right way to go. Collingwood have been coughing the ball up BIG TIME this year and it really does seem that they are not handling teams that can apply physical pressure AND an ability to run hard and make them pay on the scoreboard. As the pundits were saying after the St. Kilda game, the way to beat Collingwood is to kill them between the arcs. In that respect, getting Neale back is massive for us, but it is also why I would be giving limited midfield time to Bailey and Rayner, because neither is renown for their defensive midfield efforts. We have to get first hands on the ball and for that reason, we have to really rely on Neale, Dunkley and Lyons to get that job done.
I am expecting the Lions to bring manic pressure to bear against Collingwood and while that starts in the midfield, we really need to see the forwards firing and putting that pressure on the scoreboard. Daniher was great against Fremantle, but he needs some help, particularly from Eric Hipwood, who had a great start to the Fremantle game, kicking two goals in the first quarter, before managing a single disposal for the next two quarters and not troubling the scorer. Cameron also needs to lift, managing a paltry 3 disposals to half time against Fremantle and a disappointing 6 disposals and a solitary behind in the first three quarters of the Feemantle loss. Both Cameron and Hipwood are great footballers on their day and we need them to be great against Collingwood.
What the Experts Are Predicting
"I predict Cam Rayner will have his BREAKOUT GAME! Lions by 47 Points."
"I predict the Lions will not need a Traditional In-Game Nap Time against Collingwood. Lions by 65 points" #TINT
"I predict the sportsbet will have the Lions at 1.38 and Collingwood at 3.05 Head to Head. Lions by 48 Points."
The Verdict:
I agree with the experts. I think we will win this one and win it handsomely. A loss on Thursday night will be catastrophic for us and even more so for Collingwood. The most important thing for us is that we play four quarters and we regain the 'fire in the belly'. If I were Fagan, I would be showing the boys this clip and really letting them know that we have a chance to wipe the smile off Collingwood’s face and set the record straight this year. We need to stop drinking our own bathwater and as Ryan Lester said in his recent presser, we need to DIG IN! As an aside, I'm really starting to take a shine to Lester.
The Hubris:
The Pre-Match Pressers:
LIONS BY LOTS!
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