Review Round 7, 2015 - Brisbane Lions vs Port

[CarterS]

The crowd was only 15K but what an atmosphere! The atmosphere reminded me of good old Round 10, 2001 against the Bombers, the "If it bleeds we can kill it" game.

 

[Eons]

He may well become a star, but not if he cops the blocking, holding and outright cheating he was subject to yesterday from bigger-bodies but less skilled lardheads.

Couldn't get a clear run at it for love nor money, bar the odd exception.

Not much good having umpteen umpires if they can't even spot the obvious.

This is where a bigger bodied assistant would come in handy.

He got blocked a few times and was out muscled a few times. I kept thinking yesterday how good our young talls will be in another few years, they have the skills they just need a few more pre seasons in the gym and they will be quailty AFL players. Future looks very bright if we can keep this group together.

 

[piari]

Pretty sure I started it!

Though I'm sure someone else will claim similar!

The "Brisbane clap clap clap" brigade are the real enemy.

I am sure it wasn't the Power supporters behind us as they left just after half time.
Shades of Collingwood in GF

 

[POBT]

Every defence does that blocking, scragging thing to prevent athletic forwards getting a run at the footy. The better players work through it.

 

[Tassie4ever]

And one other thing about about McStay- he has the potential to be something special [and if he'd kicked 6 or 7 v Carlton as he should've he might already have this tag] but he has ZERO defensive skills.

Something to seriously work on.

 

[lukiuslion]

Something I noticed was that, in the first half, Port regularly had a man or two stationed well behind the Lions forward press - mostly Wingard or Schulz were comfortably deeper than the Lions' defenders. It appeared to me to be a structure based on an assumption that the Lions would either turn the ball over or Port would pick their way through the zone and spot the deep forward/s who would have 15-20 metres on their opponents. For once, our ball use wasn't deplorable and our defensive structure held up better than it has all year. That meant that the Lions 18 was effectively up against 16 or 17 from Port...a numerical advantage which manifested on the outside of the contest.

I dunno if it is a tactic Port use regularly or if it was a result of playing a lowly side but I don't think it worked. To Leppa and the team's credit, they stuck with their structure and didn't push a man back to mark the loose forward.

A big part of the game plan change I noticed was - we totally avoided any of those dinky 20-30 meter kicks in board out of defence that kept getting cut off in the first 5 weeks. These kicks when they get cut off and result in a scoring shot, tear the teams confidence to pieces, yet we persisted with 15 or so of them a game. The chip kick sideways, when used properly, is designed to start a stream of run of a half back flank without going directly down the middle (high risk) or along the boundary (where we didn't have any marking targets), and if that isn't on.. players are encouraged to utilise a switch instead.

Unfortunately for us, we had no clue for the timing of the kick, the confidence in our ability to make the pass or an understanding of its use and IMO it was one of the main factors we dropped our heads, the early rounds they were getting cut off and stifled almost every time.

I am not sure if it was player led or a directive, but we tended to go much more direct through the corridor, or with much more along the boundary line , trusting that Steph or another target would bring it to ground where we continually had numbers to get the ball over the back to a running forward. We used a healthy mix of both without that 'half / half' in board chip kick, and it paid dividends imo.

 

[PattyKwasagun]

Have basked in the afterglow of that match for the past 20 or so hours. There'll still be tough times to come, but I've got a feeling we'll look back on yesterday's match in future years as a pivotal moment in what we're building.

 

[royboys4eva]

And one other thing about about McStay- he has the potential to be something special [and if he'd kicked 6 or 7 v Carlton as he should've he might already have this tag] but he has ZERO defensive skills.

Something to seriously work on.

Exactly right mate. That's my biggest issue with McStay. He is working harder with his attack on the ball but he has zero defensive game. Really needs to work hard on that part of his game.

 

[jackess]

Exactly right mate. That's my biggest issue with McStay. He is working harder with his attack on the ball but he has zero defensive game. Really needs to work hard on that part of his game.

Zero defensive game is a bit of an exaggeration.

 

[Back2Back2Back]

James North TheBrownDog I'm assuming you guys sit somewhere up in the stands on that wing. A question I have, if the rain is blowing into the stand do people in the upper tier regardless of row get wet at all? Or its all protected?

FWIW I'm section 67, second row from the front - we had no rain issues last night - though that close to the front I'm expecting it when the wind shifts at some point. I used to be row G in the same section with the rest of my family for many many seasons, we never had any rain issues ever.

 

[triplezero]

Gold.

 

[Davemonkey]

Reckon the Lions chant in the 4th quarter emanated from around your area.

Yeah but did they begin the "Robbo" chant? That was gold!

 

[Elixuh]

The Rich incident not even looked at by the MRP. Common sense prevails.

 

[jjami15]

If you look at the majority of our back six on the weekend it really is pretty mind blowing for what they are achieving as a group when you look at their ages.

Andrews - 18
Gardiner - 19
Cutler - 20
Paparone - 20
Clarke - 21

This is something that you wouldn't see too often and you would think that they can only improve over the year and future seasons. An outstanding job by them in all honesty and I think that it should be quite understandable when there is some ups and downs in their performances. Granted that the mids and forward did bring that all over team defence that is needed to help out but it still is an amazing result.

 

[jackess]

If you look at the majority of our back six on the weekend it really is pretty mind blowing for what they are achieving as a group when you look at their ages.

Andrews - 18
Gardiner - 19
Cutler - 20
Paparone - 20
Clarke - 21

This is something that you wouldn't see too often and you would think that they can only improve over the year and future seasons. An outstanding job by them in all honesty and I think that it should be quite understandable when there is some ups and downs in their performances. Granted that the mids and forward did bring that all over team defence that is needed to help out but it still is an amazing result.

Plus Aish spent most of the game down back as well.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

I'm in Row A down at ground level. Can get a bit wet.

From the descriptions, could be spray from above.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

I think McStay's defensive game will come in time. But not many players have the weapons he does have so you take the good with the bad for the time being.

 

[MacMum]

Neutralised so many loose ball situations where it looked like Port were about to swoop. He won over the whole Gabba last night.

...and me. (bit to go, but 80% there)

 

[pOleK]

Beams has been steadily working into his groove, has been getting a lot of it but hasn't had ideal support but whoa man, anyone who doubted the value he would bring to the club got schooled; his best game for the club
Stef has been humungous, he has seriously been everywhere. It's like that old footy ad where Roo won the ball kicked it and then marked it. Ruck and mid.
Robbo was able to bring that hardness that he's offered and was able to spend more time around the forward half where his pressure and overhead ability was extremely valuable. Loved his game and loving his move to the club.
Rich couldn't stop getting his hands on the ball. He must be relishing clubs tagging Rocky and Beams. **** sticking him at half back, he can give us great drive from there but if we can have him getting touches in the mids we are winning.
Lester has had two very good game back to back. Numerous efforts by him that resulted in absolutely no stats constantly created opportunities for us. Really appreciated his game and that mark and goal; whoa. It might just have clicked for him, big bodied mid who can take a mark up forward is just what the doctor ordered.
Aish had a great game. I rate him so much but part of me struggles to get attached but I hope some of the moments he experienced tonight really helped him realise he is part of a team that wants him there and can succeed. Good chance he'll leave but hopefully he realises he's part of a team that can be successful and cares about him being a part of it.
Green has got his form back: yay!
Paps getting better with each game. I'm getting giddy about Merrett coming back, could loosen him up even more. Snatching marks all over the shop and pushing play forward, very valuable.
N Robbo is looking good. Confident at this level. Leppa patient with him and it's paid off. Don't see him dropping to the ressies any time soon.
Leuie had his best game in a while and his best game playing a significant portion up forward. Really showed the Steburger combo can work. Just needed to show he can have an impact up forward and he did and around the ground too. Loved it.

Very happy. Gonna ride this win all week.

Thats the advantage of having so much depth in our midfield (including Hanley once he recovers)

 

[patfullfankezz]

I need to get seats in section 67, I sat there last night and actually enjoyed it, although the whole heights thing still freaked me out.

 

[pOleK]

Top 8 I think is still open to all teams (maybe even the Blues) this year. Looking at the ladder and wins have been fairly shared (excluding Fremantle). The ladder shows we're only 2 wins from the 8 and 3 wins from 2nd. Taking this in though we desperately need to boost our percentage. We're still coming last for that by 0.6 to the Dees and 1.9 to the Blues. Still, the season is looking alive again

 

[Nunez]

I'm in section 53 and love it. Haven't ever felt a desire to change it. So close to the matilda bay bar and a good view away from rain.

 

[Dr Noodles]

Had a seriously good sleep last night. Read the entire game day thread on the Power boards before I nodded off. Nothing like a good bed time story.

 

[charles202]

In fairness to McStay can't recall to many key forwards across the competition putting in the hard yards in a defensive role, it should be encouraged but at the end of the day he is there to kick goals. Would be easier without some of the illegal holdings but he will need to work through that until he gets some 'superstar' attention from the umps.

Best team performance for a couple of years, must say I enjoyed the game more than the miracle on grass, we deserved this one we beat them over the course of the entire game....better to grind it out than the hail mary at the finish.

I'm still concerned how we will kick a winning score week in week out with the current line up. Think the team would benefit with the inclusion of another mid size leading forward, ala a Mayes or a Dawson. Not sure how you fit them in but just sayin.

Was super impressed with NRobbo's game, his awareness appears to have doubled since last year, a couple of his little shimmys around contests rather than trying to bullock his way through were testament to his development, in saying that two weeks in a row he has absolutely destroyed an opposition senior player with a fend off (last week Judd) missed who was the Port victim yesterday, will rival Dustin Martin soon in this area if he keeps it up.

 

[Sausages]

Well, I'm not on the bandwagon at this point. It was a good win, but Port played terribly. How well we played is what can be debated - but Port played poorly.

I'd like to see us beat the Bombers, if only because I'll have tele

Beyond that, I'll re-assess week by week.