Review Semi Final, 2022 - Melbourne vs. Brisbane Lions

[LongLion]

Such a weird game from McStay. His contest work was immense, but everything he did was ultimately meaningless because 9/10 times he would immediately kick it straight to a Melbourne defender standing by himself.

Kicked the sealer in the end so hats off regardless

McStays passes are nearly always low & hard & unfortunately they were getting picked off. Solid game from him though.

 

[Mighty Lions]

To those who didn't believe - suck it up princesses we know who you are you made it quite clear here.

To those that criticised Fagan and said we lost it at the selection table - $#ck You

To those that though Lester had to be in the team - $#ck You

To the fair weather supporters that love to shoot their mouth off on here - $#ck You

To those that said we couldn't win, to those that said the MCG was our grave yard, to those that said Melbourne was out bogie team - oh dam to anyone that didn't have a glass half full or even overflowing - get stuffed, we just have to read back and find how many depressive supporters we have.

Get this up ya - I've had two bets this calendar year and they have been in the last 2 weeks - winning.

Well done boys, next week is a new week, new game, new tactics.

And best of all, Joe I hope you and your partner have the birth you planned.


View attachment 1504333

Love it. And I 2nd that.

 

[PertRoosOsborne]

When you set the game to pre-record and channel 7 move the game to another channel for some royal bollocks……aaaaaaggggggghhhhhhhhh!!

 

[janty]

I voted for Mathieson because I didn't want to be disrespectful to the 22 players on the ground.

 

[dlanod]

One thing that we massively improved was acknowledging that we wouldn't necessarily mark everything going forward and actually having a spare set up at the front of the contest. In week 23 we got absolutely slaughtered by Melbourne doing the same, but when we were playing our best and putting real pressure on Melbourne it's because we were targeting those spillages to the front.

Also Fullarton frustratingly short steps to a contest even when not working through contact. He might not stop the mark, but there were several times where he could have at least brought the Melbourne player down fairly in a contest if he'd been more willing to commit to contesting.

 

[3KZ is Football]

Watching some highlights, gee whiz how’s the noise from the Lions fans. The Hipwood run and kick to Cameron in the last was extraordinary. Good stuff I reckon that’s as loud as it gets.

We were in a bay of exclusively Lions supporters at the end we were kicking to in the last and the Lions chant was epic! There was so much emotion in the crowd tonight. People were crying with joy. The relationship between crowd and players was pure symbiosis. When we pegged back a couple of goals in the second, the crowd lifted and the noise and voice from supporters seemed to go up a notch. The Lions chant was like a self fulfilling prophecy. The harder we chanted the more heroic the players performed. There were plenty of old Fitzroy fans at the game but hats off to the Lions fans who came down from QLD and other places. I sat with a mate and his wife who drove four and a half hours from far western Victoria to be at the game. This sort of win unifies our beautiful and diverse club beyond measure. In a year where the media and many fans, myself included, have questioned our mental toughness, the improvement of the last two weeks has proved me wrong and shown that we are a fair dinkum football club.

P.S. It was good to win the second half

 

[zorkoooooooooo]

Thanks to each and every one of you who were there last night. We were unbelievably loud, way louder than them. Possibly the best night of my life haha. Dare to dream baby

Joe who?

 

[Helicon1]

Rewatching the second half now with a massive smile on my face. The continued pressure, composure and desperation is absolutely amazing. That spoil from Rayner with 6 min left was phenomenal. The resulting throw-in lead to Charlie’s snap.
Where has this belief and pressure game come from. That was premiership football last night. So much would come from it. Fagan has much positivity to work with between the ears this week within the team. Loving what I’m seeing. I’d written us off. That game has left me feeling anything is possible.

 

[luthor]

Our supporters at the ground even got the ironical cheer going at one point when we got a free after a particularly bad run with umpiring.

Second quarter I think.

Came through loud and clear on the tellie.

Support at the ground makes a difference not only to to players but also to the psyche of the officials. For once, it felt like we got our share of the 50/50's

Loved your work boys and girls.

 

[Squizz89]

I’ll put my hand up and be the first to admit that I wrote us off all year and again in the third quarter last night when we got back level, for them to kick ahead by 2 goals late in the term I thought that was all she wrote and we’d put it down to a “proud performance”. To steady and go on with it and even when they came again late only for us to hold on again shows the years of putting ourselves into contention has taught us something.

Hard to put into words just how much belief that should give us, not just for next week but next year as well, beating both teams who have treated us as their “bunny” for so long.

 

[dlanod]

McStays passes are nearly always low & hard & unfortunately they were getting picked off. Solid game from him though.

Not even picked off, literally hitting Melbourne players on the chest.

 

[Lazza16]

Hodgey seems the worst bias commentator against us that there is around.
He just needs to stop.
I hope we can get him back as an assistant next year.

We r doin ok without him.....my head hurtzzzzzzzz

 

[rye]

didnt think wed be standing here but we move

apparently we outran melbourne to the tune of 16km AND had our highest pressure rating of the season. we really did just want it more then melbourne. selection masterstroke by the coaching staff and if we bring that next week i dont see why we cant go all the way

 

[dlanod]

Watching the replay. Still can't believe Melbourne stuffed the 5 on 3 in their forward 50, let alone us then going end to end and Charlie bowling Gatting at the other end.

Also if Petracca was fully fit it would've been a different story I feel - the number of times where he went to burst away from a contest after getting free and couldn't was substantial. Saved us a good 15+ metres every time.

 

[Warwick]

Credit: Albertross

 

[NotQuiteJezza]

Player of the match - Berry and the selectors.

I loved Wilmott’s energy just before they went down the tunnel, infectious.

 

[Lazza16]

The best part of tonight's game was Lever's dummy spit.

The guy can't run out of sight on a clear night and wanted to watch the big screen of a clear htb.

Embarrassing.

I gained great PLEASURE also Marty from watching Lever n the greatest fullback ever continually arguing. "That was ur fault no it was urs lol no it was urs"

 

[Gadzorks]

Do you believe in miracles? All our monkeys are gone, the path is clear, stick to what we are doing and we have a good shot against anyone! GO LIONS!!!

Nope. There will still be one entry on the list to cross off - WINNING A PREMIERSHIP!!!

 

[Ceebee]

Loved watching JB harass the hell out of Oliver .

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Berry took the **** out of Oliver's lunch money. OMG!

 

[POBT]

Massive coaching effort:

• deliberately went away from our contest game to pick our best pressure team of the year
• made a couple of tough and/or risky selection decisions
• gave the players belief at half time, despite being down by 20+ and getting pumped in most key stats
• motivated the players to be brave with their ball movement, when every instinct against Melbourne is to do the opposite
• made the right in game positional and tactical changes, including the change of the year in Berry going on ball.

Given the gap between these 2 sides for the last couple of seasons, the mental damage caused by previous thrashings and what was at stake in a final, it was arguably the finest all round coaching performance of any club all year.

 

[jonnobackpocket]

I’m am still shaking

 

[On the quiet]

To all who wrote us off, but especially David King eat humble pie. Making a prelim is a pass for this year.

Those who were calling for some changes throughout the year, we have been justified. Lyons cannot play now. I thought for someone with 20 odd games Dev played well. Hippy had a poor 1st Q but had a fantastic game for the remaining 3 Q. Berry Berry Berry enough said just simply best game he has ever played.

 

[Dalions]

Berry is an inside mid - surely.
You just can’t keep him out of there anymore.

 

[MSB ROYS]

To all who wrote us off, but especially David King eat humble pie. Making a prelim is a pass for this year.

Those who were calling for some changes throughout the year, we have been justified. Lyons cannot play now. I thought for someone with 20 odd games Dev played well. Hippy had a poor 1st Q but had a fantastic game for the remaining 3 Q. Berry Berry Berry enough said just simply best game he has ever played.

I agree, but if Lyons is injured we should at least wait until he is fit again before writing him off.