Time to dust ourselves off and put the Demons loss behind us and look forward to a great opportunity to get to our 2nd successive Preliminary Final. Huge test coming against a finals hardened team in the Bulldogs, we're coming off the back of a comprehensive loss to the Demons albeit there were mitigating factors/reasons (not excuses) for it. ie. losing McStay early and a down day for a few of our usual stars in Harris Andrews, Jarryd Lyons, Lincoln McCarthy, Mitch Robinson, Joe Daniher, Zac Bailey + the inability of some of the younger/injured players to step up ie. Tom Fullarton, Jaxon Prior. Nakia Cockatoo and Jarrod Berry.
The Bulldogs- We all know how they like to play, zip the handballs around and find an opening for overlap run and a quick counter attack, they like to get the ball in the hands of preferably Caleb Daniel and if he's covered Bailey Dale when coming from the back half. Bontempelli is a huge threat if not kept a close eye on, Naughton can clunk a mark, Weightman good at ground level, Macrae and Hunter get leather poisoning wracking up possessions, Liberatore a contested beast.
Tactics- Simple > pressure, pressure, pressure all over the ground or we go out in straight sets, if we are on in that area I am confident we can upset their zippy over handball style and force them into error. Lower our eyes going into F50.
Changes- Dan McStay is a definite out with concussion, Grant Birchall also looked proppy late in the game. Callum Ah Chee if fit comes straight back in, we definitely need another tall as Joe can't be expected to be the lone tall... Fullarton doesn't play a KPF type game, IMO.
Outs- Dan McStay, Grant Birchall, Jaxon Prior, Nakia Cockatoo, Tom Fullarton.
Ins- Connor Ballenden, Dev Robertson, Jack Payne, Callum Ah Chee, Tom Berry.
Cockatoo will be good for us eventually but he is not up to the pace of a big final yet, Berry and Gardiner lucky, them out would be too many changes, Ballenden to play forward at first but him and Payne can be interchangeable in that regard. Dev Rob, Ah Chee, T.Berry to bring some much needed gut running to the side.
What the result will mean- We are now 1-4 in the Fagan finals era, however the 1 win was a magnificent performance against the eventual premiers so we have shown we can do it on the big stage. Going 1-5 and out in straight sets would throw questions up as to whether our current list can win us another flag, a win and we head to Adelaide against Port who we have matched up really well with in recent times.
Never waste an opportunity in finals footy- I distinctly remember being at Brunswick Street Oval the morning after our 2004 GF loss and Lethal telling everyone assembled there to not get used to making GFs as it is bloody hard to do "it could be another 20 years before we even get the chance" the great man said, these opportunities can pass you by before you even realise what's happening.
The time is now-
Tip- Lions by 9.
I'm interested in what my fellow Lions supporters think is going to happen for us in the rest of September, please vote in the poll.
The Bulldogs- We all know how they like to play, zip the handballs around and find an opening for overlap run and a quick counter attack, they like to get the ball in the hands of preferably Caleb Daniel and if he's covered Bailey Dale when coming from the back half. Bontempelli is a huge threat if not kept a close eye on, Naughton can clunk a mark, Weightman good at ground level, Macrae and Hunter get leather poisoning wracking up possessions, Liberatore a contested beast.
Tactics- Simple > pressure, pressure, pressure all over the ground or we go out in straight sets, if we are on in that area I am confident we can upset their zippy over handball style and force them into error. Lower our eyes going into F50.
Changes- Dan McStay is a definite out with concussion, Grant Birchall also looked proppy late in the game. Callum Ah Chee if fit comes straight back in, we definitely need another tall as Joe can't be expected to be the lone tall... Fullarton doesn't play a KPF type game, IMO.
Outs- Dan McStay, Grant Birchall, Jaxon Prior, Nakia Cockatoo, Tom Fullarton.
Ins- Connor Ballenden, Dev Robertson, Jack Payne, Callum Ah Chee, Tom Berry.
Cockatoo will be good for us eventually but he is not up to the pace of a big final yet, Berry and Gardiner lucky, them out would be too many changes, Ballenden to play forward at first but him and Payne can be interchangeable in that regard. Dev Rob, Ah Chee, T.Berry to bring some much needed gut running to the side.
What the result will mean- We are now 1-4 in the Fagan finals era, however the 1 win was a magnificent performance against the eventual premiers so we have shown we can do it on the big stage. Going 1-5 and out in straight sets would throw questions up as to whether our current list can win us another flag, a win and we head to Adelaide against Port who we have matched up really well with in recent times.
Never waste an opportunity in finals footy- I distinctly remember being at Brunswick Street Oval the morning after our 2004 GF loss and Lethal telling everyone assembled there to not get used to making GFs as it is bloody hard to do "it could be another 20 years before we even get the chance" the great man said, these opportunities can pass you by before you even realise what's happening.
The time is now-
Tip- Lions by 9.
I'm interested in what my fellow Lions supporters think is going to happen for us in the rest of September, please vote in the poll.
with no goals. McCarthy to score 4.1 and have 3 run down tackles on 
