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

[Sherrinator]

Let’s be real - the dogs weren’t even that good. We lack genuine depth across the park and it shows with the lack of faith our best 22 players have in the fringes. This is why our ball movement has been slow, why our entries have been bombs and why our forwards run in the same space/leap when one should stay down.

Coleman (though made a few holding the ball errors) needs to immediately replace Birchall. This was the only game of the year where Birchall actually followed up and gave someone a runner but it shouldn’t take a last ditch final for it to happen.

We need to be prepared to drop mainstays and encourage players like Payne multiple opportunities to play by letting him be that forward (same with Lester).

We had tons of chances to ice that game but just don’t have the team chemistry anymore to make a smart decision.

 

[mattsmob]

Mitch Robinson is biting his tongue on social media. Let rip Mitch!

For Mitch in particular it would cause more trouble than it's worth, if he were to let rip he would cop it form all sides of the media and AFL.

 

[Sherrinator]

I didn't think the umpiring robbed us of the game but they may have got 2-3 that weren't there. I thought the dogs got some 50/50 ones in the 2nd and 3rd that we didn't but we had the opportunity to win and we didn't. The two that were clearly incorrect was the Bont mark and the big O handball. I'm pretty sure Bailey ran too far for his goal as well.

Noticed in the first quarter on 2 occasions that Fullarton was being directed where to run by his teammates which just shows how important his role is to our structure and that he's just not there yet. He's not a clean mark of the footy either, any body contact and the ball bounces straight off his hands. I recall him being a good mark in his first few games?
We need players like him to really improve this off season otherwise our structure will look B grade again with any key forward injuries. Needs a big pre season of marking the ball against guys like Adams and Andrews and he will be ok for us.

Speaking of being bumped easily - Gardiner was a sitting duck.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

Article on news.com

"FANS SLAM UMPIRE DECISIONS"

All they talk about is Bonts touched behind being a goal and caleb daniels deliberate out of bounds

then this

The Lions copped their fair share of contentious umpiring calls as well.

Which was in regard to Alex Keiths 50m penalty which was correct.

 

[Full Wingspan]

Commiserations about your loss, it sucks hard. I still remember our 2001 prelim loss when Goldspink paid them 5 free kicks in front of goal, of which 4 were not there at all and the 5th soft. He cheated plain and simple, but nothing healed the pain and anger except for time and premierships.

If it’s too raw just say so but I’m so curious to ask about Joe Daniher. From the outside in he is someone who doesn’t belong in your side. He doesn’t put his body on the line, he doesn’t care about his defensive game, he appears to be a player who might get a few cheapies but ultimately is a liability.

Fagan will likely be regretting the move of him to Brisbane, he just doesn’t suit your team. What do you guys think, am I being too hard on him?

Daniher is a quality player and is one of the key reasons we have been the best offensive team this year.

Given he is coming off his first full pre-season in 3 or 4 years and has transitioned into an established top-4 side, I would say his contribution to the side has been better than most expected.

Whilst that transition has not been flawless, let's not forget he managed to play every game this season and kicked goal in all but one of those matches (where our forward structure was thrown out 5 minutes into a game against the best defensive team in the league).

Early in the season, he was playing as a forward/ruck to support Big O. There were some defensive efforts (or lack thereof) which were concerning, yet understandable given his lack of match fitness and the additional workload associated with being the second ruck.

The Melbourne media's reporting on Daniher in the last 24 hours has been nothing short of pathetic. It's precisely the reason he has come to the club to escape the unfounded and excessive media scrutiny. Has his performances in finals been disappointing? Yes, however one must consider we lost our CHF early to concussion in both of those matches, which significantly impacted our forward structure and ultimately his game.

TL;DR: we're stoked to have Joey in our team, what he lacks in perceived defensive pressure or physicality, he makes up for with class, skill and sheer brilliance.

 

[M Malice]

We had tons of chances to ice that game but just don’t have the team chemistry anymore to make a smart decision.

Our best opportunity to ice the game was late in the 3rd quarter when we were 3 goals up, another goal there or even just hold that lead to the break and a Fagan talk and it would have been extremely hard for the Dogs to come back.

 

[Gadzorks]

I get the positive spin but getting a bit sick of hearing this will hold us in good stead for next year etc etc. You never know if you will get another chance.

Maybe we won't get another chance.

I want the boys to have the history of having won a premiership. However there are lots of players I've loved watching that never got that opportunity, and they weren't failures. Pretty sure they will always want to have won one, but the reality is very few do.

Like them, I don't think I'm going to be destroyed if we don't. Maybe because I look back at my sporting history and I was there so the good people had someone to beat. Made them feel good. Once an never was, always a never was.

 

[Sherrinator]

Agree - like Fitzroy in 1986. Two huge wins and then ran out of players and got hammered by a terrific Hawks team. Need to look at what Demons have done in re-jigging their game play and shoring up the defence.

It’s called team stability. Wonder what they have done in their medical team compared to last year.

 

[M Malice]

Maybe we won't get another chance.

I want the boys to have the history of having won a premiership. However there are lots of players I've loved watching that never got that opportunity, and they weren't failures. Pretty sure they will always want to have won one, but the reality is very few do.

Like them, I don't think I'm going to be destroyed if we don't. Maybe because I look back at my sporting history and I was there so the good people had someone to beat. Made them feel good. Once an never was, always a never was.

Well said Gadz, some great players have never won a GF eg, Gary Ablett Snr, Tony Lockett, Nathan Buckley, Nick Riewoldt.

 

[SSwans2011]

I reflected a bit this morning and tried to decipher how major an impact my own biases had on my feelings regarding the umpiries last nignt. I think the best sporting event I've ever witnessed live was day 5 of the GABBA Test this year. I left flat and as sunburnt as I've ever been, but within a few hours I was able to accept that I'd witnessed an incredible day of sport where the deserving team won. I truly don't think anything will ever top that as an incredibly memorable sporting event to have witnessed live.

The game last night was brilliant. Both teams played awesome foothall, but I still truly feel that the more deserving team lost last night due to how it was officiated, and it's hard not to be extremely disillusioned by that, and not have that leave a sour taste in your mouth (but that might just be the poorly extracted coffee). Brisbane were awesome last night. After going into your shells a bit last week, you played an exciting brand of football that will take you to a flag if you can execute that game plan when it matters and have a good run with injuries. There were a numner of times last night where players didn't make the right decision trying to move it on at all costs, but it was an awesome way to play the game. Do that next year and tinker with the structure a bit and you will be hard to beat. Kudos to the coaching and playing staff for how they went about it last night. Sensational football.

 

[lioninthesand]

Sitting here right now, knowing deep down we should have won that game last night, is an extremely bitter pill to swallow.

Not talking about umps, our ability to get it done.

Yes lots of learnings, positives, injuries etc - but as we sit here - today, we are out in straight sets again. We should have found a way to win that at home, it was all there for the taking.

Dooms day scenario, plain and simple.

I just felt we would get it done at halftime, seeing Dogs fans say it felt like a lost cause all night and for them to sneak up and snatch it. Just gut wrenching.

I thought the cold light of day would help like it usually does but it just made it worse.

I want what Dogs fans have this week, I thought at times last night we would have what Dogs fans have right now.

Something need to change if we are going to go any better next year, defensive mindset being the first thing.

That monkey we will carry into next year's finals if we make it, will be a gorilla - we have an enormous hurdle waiting for us.

 

[BRAB]

Maybe we won't get another chance.

I want the boys to have the history of having won a premiership. However there are lots of players I've loved watching that never got that opportunity, and they weren't failures. Pretty sure they will always want to have won one, but the reality is very few do.

Like them, I don't think I'm going to be destroyed if we don't. Maybe because I look back at my sporting history and I was there so the good people had someone to beat. Made them feel good. Once an never was, always a never was.

This group of players will always be the group that took us out of the gutter which I think is pretty special in it of itself.

 

[SSwans2011]

This group of players will always be the group that took us out of the gutter which I think is pretty special in it of itself.

And they did it playing the best brand of football to watch in the comp over a number of years. Sydney seemed to take a bit of influence from it and the attractiveness of their footy increased tenfold. I have not been more excited to watch any opposition team play than I have the Lions these last few years.

No matter what this team does from here on, what it has done for footy in QLD will never be forgotten. Of course, nothing will top the 2001-2003 team, but the team you guys have at the moment is the one that has made AFL more relevant than NRL in QLD (I also think the AFLW side has had a huge impact too), and that's a simply remarkable achievement.

 

[Nunez]

And they did it playing the best brand of football to watch in the comp over a number of years. Sydney seemed to take a bit of influence from it and the attractiveness of their footy increased tenfold. I have not been more excited to watch any opposition team play than I have the Lions these last few years.

No matter what this team does from here on, what it has done for footy in QLD will never be forgotten. Of course, nothing will top the 2001-2003 team, but the team you guys have at the moment is the one that has made AFL more relevant than NRL in QLD (I also think the AFLW side has had a huge impact too), and that's a simply remarkable achievement.

This is such a great way of looking at it and quite tangible. Thank you friend

 

[RU_]

So.. what other sports are on until April?

 

[Lion_LegacyXL]

So.. what other sports are on until April?

NBA

 

[mattsmob]

So.. what other sports are on until April?

NBA starts up again mid October, have gotten into it the last couple years and really enjoyed it.

 

[Lion_LegacyXL]

NBA starts up again mid October, have gotten into it the last couple years and really enjoyed it.

Supercars E series between now & then

 

[Happy_Neale]

From the moment Rayner went down in pre-season we were up against it. With the loss of Hipwood we basically lost 80% or our x-factor in the forward line...thankfully Bailey stepped up this year as an elite small forward/mid which helps us a lot next year. Add inMcStay and a fit Gardiner and structurally we are so much better from round 1.

I'm obviously only saying this because we lost, but it's a good year to not make the Grand Final considering there's zero chance of being able to go to the game. Losing in that manner was horrible but it is what it is. The coaching staff will be banking on internal improvement to take us to the next level but I reckon we still need a shrewd pickup or two in trade week.

 

[md20]

So.. what other sports are on until April?

NFL starts next weekend

 

[Toffee Lion]

NBA starts up again mid October, have gotten into it the last couple years and really enjoyed it.

As a Bucks fan, I'm still not over the high of winning it all.

 

[Boristown]

I reflected a bit this morning and tried to decipher how major an impact my own biases had on my feelings regarding the umpiries last nignt. I think the best sporting event I've ever witnessed live was day 5 of the GABBA Test this year. I left flat and as sunburnt as I've ever been, but within a few hours I was able to accept that I'd witnessed an incredible day of sport where the deserving team won. I truly don't think anything will ever top that as an incredibly memorable sporting event to have witnessed live.

The game last night was brilliant. Both teams played awesome foothall, but I still truly feel that the more deserving team lost last night due to how it was officiated, and it's hard not to be extremely disillusioned by that, and not have that leave a sour taste in your mouth (but that might just be the poorly extracted coffee). Brisbane were awesome last night. After going into your shells a bit last week, you played an exciting brand of football that will take you to a flag if you can execute that game plan when it matters and have a good run with injuries. There were a numner of times last night where players didn't make the right decision trying to move it on at all costs, but it was an awesome way to play the game. Do that next year and tinker with the structure a bit and you will be hard to beat. Kudos to the coaching and playing staff for how they went about it last night. Sensational football.

Was definitely a brilliant game to watch, both sides were uncompromising and gave it everything until the final siren and it's a shame either had to be declared the loser.

That said, the bold statement is incorrect. Did the Lions miss straight forward opportunities to kick a goal or even a point to tie it? Did they cough up the ball or have defensive lapses that cost goals.

Yes, they did.

Which means in a 1 point game, destiny was in their own hands, not the umpires. To suggest otherwise is just a coping mechanism to deal with a painful result.

 

[SSwans2011]

That said, the bold statement is incorrect. Did the Lions miss straight forward opportunities to kick a goal or even a point to tie it? Did they cough up the ball or have defensive lapses that cost goals.

The Lions missed a few chances that could have won them the game and the umpires made a few dogshit calls that could have changed the result. These two things can exist simultaneously.

 

[Ceebee]

This group of players will always be the group that took us out of the gutter which I think is pretty special in it of itself.

That brought tears to my eyes

 

[Elixuh]

This group of players will always be the group that took us out of the gutter which I think is pretty special in it of itself.

Bless you Brab.