Review Semi Final, 2021 - Brisbane Lions vs. Western Bulldogs [Moratorium on negative opposition posting]

[PTizzle]

Absolutely stoked to even be in this position tbh. If you told me four years ago that we’d finish top 4 the next three years, I would’ve laughed in your face.

Agreed, as painful as nights like tonight are it beats the hell out of having mentally checked out of footy two-thirds of the way through the season.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

Started watching First Crack tonight and had to turn it off, genuinely can't stand any of them. Kingy saying stuff like Daniher has been a better 2nd ruck than a forward this season goes a long way to killing any weight to his opinion in my mind.

Don't worry about kingy, a gambling Drunk

 

[lioninthesand]

The most frustrating thing is that we are not a premiership team but we have it all over Port and would fancy our chances against Geelong if they somehow do Melbourne. Especially in Perth.

Reckon we were a better chance because of that this year than last.

We were so banged up and that would have taken so much out if us, a fresh Port would have won by 60 points at home, lets be real.

Making a prelim would have been nice, but we can't even win finals and big games - hypothesising that we might have gone all the way is just not at all realistic IMO.

We are a 5 to 8 team, we finished where we belong.

We are going to carry a huge monkey on our back into finals next year, if we make it, that's for sure.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

6 losses in 35 at the gabba. 4 of them in finals. There's a chokers rep gripping our club

 

[lioninthesand]

Anyone seen the video of Rayner consoling hipwood??? fu** I love this club!!! Heartbreaking but so good to see us around each other

I reckon its matho?

 

[wikinick257]

As a neutral, I highly doubt it.

Do you think the Bulldogs can beat Port in Adelaide, and then back up to beat (likely) Melbourne in the Grand Final? I don’t, but if they do, we’ll be talking about how we lost by 1 point to one of the greatest teams of all time. If not, their season will be forgotten - just like my team and just like your team. History only remembers the winners

 

[luthor]

I reckon its matho?

Cam is class.

I want him to smash it in 2022 really badly.

 

[Lion_LegacyXL]

Next year we get Rayner, Mcstay & Hipwood back. Hopefully by next year Andrews, Gardiner & others get fit and return to their best and others will continue building on their craft. We were really up against it this year with injuries and being on the road for 3-4 consecutive week periods. I hope this is the year we needed to make that next step in being a genuine finals winning powerhouse.It wasn't our year. But we'll be back stronger in 2022.

 

[Boristown]

Do you think the Bulldogs can beat Port in Adelaide, and then back up to beat (likely) Melbourne in the Grand Final? I don’t, but if they do, we’ll be talking about how we lost by 1 point to one of the greatest teams of all time. If not, their season will be forgotten - just like my team and just like your team. History only remembers the winners

Well, they've beaten both those sides this year including Port in Adelaide.

But that's not the point you were making which was Dogs fans wouldn't be enjoying the win tonight. I can tell you that they are.

 

[Toffee Lion]

Well, they've beaten both those sides this year including Port in Adelaide.

But that's not the point you were making which was Dogs fans wouldn't be enjoying the win tonight. I can tell you that they are.

Agreed. I'll be honest and say our QF win against the Tigers in 2020, we were a bit favoured by the umps. Nothing crazy like tonight but certainly didn't get reamed and had a few things go our way.

I couldn't have cared less, we won, we broke a hoodoo and headed into a PF.

Just like if we had of had 10+ extra free kicks tonight and won, I wouldn't have cared at all. Being on the receiving end sucks and we can obviously be upset & complain but to say the Dogs are upset they won due to the umpires is a bit weird. I've seen their board, they're over the moon.

 

[pegalion]

Saw Starcevich go down and stay down at 1:30 left in last quarter. Didn't look great - anyone know if he was ok or would that have been yet another concussion?

Sent from my SM-N950F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[JasRulz63]

Next year we get Rayner, Mcstay & Hipwood back. Hopefully by next year Andrews, Gardiner & others get fit and return to their best and others will continue building on their craft. We were really up against it this year with injuries and being on the road for 3-4 consecutive week periods. I hope this is the year we needed to make that next step in being a genuine finals winning powerhouse.It wasn't our year. But we'll be back stronger in 2022.

Berry Snr is another one that's due for some luck next year. Missing the second half with an innocuous head knock from tackling someone about sums up his year.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

Saw Starcevich go down and stay down at 1:30 left in last quarter. Didn't look great - anyone know if he was ok or would that have been yet another concussion?

Sent from my SM-N950F using BigFooty.com mobile app

He couldn't stay on his feet all night. Wrong choice of boots

 

[Lion_LegacyXL]

Berry Snr is another one that's due for some luck next year. Missing the second half with an innocuous head knock from tackling someone about sums up his year.

He was building back to his best the last few weeks, just need some luck with injuries again next year.

 

[mpal6]

Fagan was so emotional in presser. I was worried damn walls might break for our poor coach but he held it together in the end. Matho was like any of us, just broke down and Rayner/Matho's level of care did soothe my pain tonight a little. Still can't sleep, feeling so bad for my poor team and coach.

 

[Shinboner1]

I reckon its matho?

Yes I posted it 2 pages back

 

[mpal6]

We were walking wounded again and with Berry, Payne gone - may not have had much in tank next week. That's what I keep telling myself but it still doesnt make things any better.

 

[Toffee Lion]

I saw someone say that the best 4 teams made it to the PF. They're honestly right. You'd be hard pressed to say we were better than Melbourne/Geelong/Port/Doggies this year. Dogs were Top 2 basically all year.

We were 5th and in the end, finished 5th. We've just got to be a bit better next year, which I think we will be.

 

[LittleCrowBoy]

Even allowing for my obvious bias, it did seem that they were looking for reasons to penalise us while turning a blind eye to most of the rule breaking happening the other way.

Like I said before, I think at a subconscious, or even conscious level they are influenced by what they regard as an aesthetically pleasing game style versus a more tradesman-like approach to the game.

Whatever, it's bloody frustrating when you feel you are getting a raw deal.

It's also mystifying how we went from 8-5 ahead in the free kick count at quarter time , to losing it 19-28 for the match.

We still had the lead for most of the rest of the match, won the inside 50's by 14, the tackles by 3, effective disposals 245 to 239 , marks 79 to 65 but lost the clearances 47 to 37.

So on that basis we were cleaner with the ball, tackled harder, marked the ball more often but somehow managed to break the rules 23 times to our opponents 11 after quarter time....apparently.

Very odd.

Not sure if it's relevant...but perhaps the umps are Victorians???...That might have something to do with it.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

Joe ain't much chop as a main target. Borderline shit actually. Hopefully Nadal fit for round 1

 

[Lion_LegacyXL]

I saw someone say that the best 4 teams made it to the PF. They're honestly right. You'd be hard pressed to say we were better than Melbourne/Geelong/Port/Doggies this year. Dogs were Top 2 basically all year.

We were 5th and in the end, finished 5th. We've just got to be a bit better next year, which I think we will be.

Honestly I think we're better than Geelong, which is significant considering our injuries and challenges this year.

 

[LittleCrowBoy]

We were so banged up and that would have taken so much out if us, a fresh Port would have won by 60 points at home, lets be real.

Making a prelim would have been nice, but we can't even win finals and big games - hypothesising that we might have gone all the way is just not at all realistic IMO.

We are a 5 to 8 team, we finished where we belong.

We are going to carry a huge monkey on our back into finals next year, if we make it, that's for sure.

Yep...a monkey and 3 Victorian umpires...good luck with that.

 

[Rookie]

Always hard to judge the umpiring in the heat of the moment when it's your team supposedly on the good end of things. There weren't many decisions I disagreed with (other than the Daniel soccer) which is probably an indicator things were flowing our way though.

Thought the Lions were gallant and brilliant all night. The injuries before and during the game cost your dearly, McStay a huge loss, no Hipwood, and then extra pressure on Danniher after the sub further robbed you guys of potency in the air. That's a lot to overcome (+ potentially other factors) and yet you still almost found a way.

A tough, hard and brilliant game . One point separated us during the season and one point separated us in the finals - absolutely incredible.

 

[topend]

Lost by a point to a fairly half decent side and we still get our muppet supporters bagging us out. People forget the Dogs were out there to win as well, they weren’t going to just lay down and let us give them one. Both teams had their opportunities to put each other away big time. Umpires didn’t help though in a game so close.

 

[topend]

1point and you reckon the umpires didn’t have an effect. Were you watching the same game?

Dees/Geelong/Port all would’ve won that, and comfortably.

It is what it is - umpiring didn’t decide this game.