Review Thoughts on 2017.

[Maverick]

Positive -
2016 draft - to have first 5 draft picks playing so well.
Mccluggage berry witherden and cox outstanding selections. Allison a steal so late in draft.

Negative -
Tom cutler far too good a footballer to be in 2s. Needs to knuckle down like Sam Mayes did a few years back after spell in ressies.
Schache...pressure of re sign and 2nd year blues. Good skill set ...be patient.

 

[jackess]

I went 7. Tempted to go 8.

6 wins is a positive (assuming we win this weekend). Only expected 4 or 5.
Individual improvements is another
Re-signings another positive

Main negative is only a slight improvement to team defence. We're still by far the worst defensive team. Midfield the worst offenders. Hopefully as we phase out Beams and Rocky this will really improve.

 

[MacMum]

Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would see such a turnaround in one season like we have this year. I thought it would take a couple of years at least.

The number of games won became secondary to what we were seeing out on the ground.

What we were seeing was belief, hope, potential and our future.

I gave them an 8

 

[Milux]

Where do you start?

Biggest positive for me is Hipwoods development. No second year blues for him. 30 goals so far with a solid chance to get a bag on saturday.

2nd biggest positive for me is Fages and co's ability to get the most out of our b graders in rich and basti. Basti copped a baking from fages and supporters early on. And has turned it around to be a handy goal sneak. Rich has gone from flunking contests to diving in hard and kicking long range goals.

3rd biggest positive is our back line. Has copped a lot of heat this season. And mostly can hold their heads high. Only time they got well and truly beaten is when our midfield and structures let them down. Andrews Mcstay and Gardiner will be solid.

 

[charles202]

Don't worry about Rocky. He has plenty of good footy in front of him & now loves pulling on the Lions jumper. He injured his shoulder against Hawthorn down in Launceston and has needed an operation ever since however the club has asked him to wait until the season's end & play with the injury.......hence why his form has dropped off a little but is still adding value to the team. He will be an intergral part of an improving side in 2018, 2019, 2020 & hopefully 1 or 2 more after that.

Hey FWG not surprised to hear he is playing under duress, would be a massive loss if he leaves from an outsider looking in his passion for the club (images of rocky in the Fitzroy throwback jersey from a few years ago is are some of my favourite- is there anyway to get these still btw???)seems obvious and I hope he gets to reap the benefits in our colours over the coming years

 

[Albi_Mangler]

Amazing to see the development in the team this season compared to the past few seasons. The coach is one factor in the skills and game plan but I think much of the improvement in attitude can be attributed to our young leaders like Hippy, Andrews and Matho. There is some mongrel and fight in the young Lions and it is great to watch. They don't take a step back - won't be pushed over - no matter the opposition - no matter the scoreboard. I noticed this more and more throughout the season and especially in contrast with the Suns who have be insipid in this area especially.

I think due to the evenness of the competition we may see a quick rise next season - contend for finals - then a bit of a plateau as a result of a tougher fixture before we can seriously expect to challenge.

 

[mish33]

Have to give a plus to the fitness and conditioning staff too. I can't remember a time when we've had this many players available week in week out.

 

[M Malice]

While Chris Fagan rightfully gets a lot of praise, these blokes have got a little less appreciation than deserved, fantastic development this year from most players.



Paul Henriksen
Development Coach

Zane Littlejohn
Development Coach



Mitch Hahn
NEAFL Coach



Scott Borlace
Head of Development

 

[Kevvo]

Zane Littlejohn really looks like the kid who sledged you from first slip.

 

[Fitz Roy]

I've gone 6. All the positives have been mentioned, however, to still have the highest average losing margin in the league by some way has been disappointing as I see this as a real sign of development.

 

[Kevvo]

I've gone 6. All the positives have been mentioned, however, to still have the highest average losing margin in the league by some way has been disappointing as I see this as a real sign of development.

I agree, although snipping from Panthera in another thread:

Further to the above, there are only 4 teams to average over 90pts per game since the bye and we are one of them (Adelaide, Sydney are two of the others).

Source: Scott Lucas on his Not So Obvious segment on SEN last night.

So, in simple terms since the bye:

Brisbane Lions 92
Opposition 106

Our losing margins improved significantly as the year went on, which you'd hope for with a young side learning a new gameplan and a coach figuring out how best to use the players at his disposal. That is to say that, while the losing margin isn't great, we're heading in the right direction.

 

[lions27]

I've gone 6. All the positives have been mentioned, however, to still have the highest average losing margin in the league by some way has been disappointing as I see this as a real sign of development.

Take out the pre bye rounds mate

 

[notliondown]

While Chris Fagan rightfully gets a lot of praise, these blokes have got a little less appreciation than deserved, fantastic development this year from most players.



Paul Henriksen
Development Coach

Zane Littlejohn
Development Coach



Mitch Hahn
NEAFL Coach



Scott Borlace
Head of Development

Yep... and add in with it the simple strategy of the NEAFL team playing the same style with the same game plan and look how easy it is to see and measure improvement in the players. These guys now know what to coach and how to coach it. If they don't they have a head coach on same hymn sheet to turn too. They've done bloody well this year and it can't be understated.

It's an indictment on us as a club as to how bad things were if we really weren't doing this in previous years, and a sign of the changes that we are now.

 

[FFB1]

He will take a few years to put the meat on the bones. By the time he is 22 he will be a beast

Hope you're right but word I got (third hand) was that the club health/fitness gurus don't expect him to fill out much at all and what we see is pretty much what we've got.

Imagine him with an extra 10-15kg, immense extra strength and not losing any of his pace and flair. Buddy!

 

[dlanod]

Take out the pre bye rounds mate

The first half of the season still counts, otherwise we'd be looking at pick 6 or 7 instead of 1 or 2.

 

[Cockliff38]

Zane Littlejohn really looks like the kid who sledged you from first slip.

"On his toes, off he goes"

 

[Forward We Go]

Hope you're right but word I got (third hand) was that the club health/fitness gurus don't expect him to fill out much at all and what we see is pretty much what we've got.

Imagine him with an extra 10-15kg, immense extra strength and not losing any of his pace and flair. Buddy!

Think the emphasis is placed on him improving his core strength and overall adding muscle rather than just adding weight to his frame. I think its a work in progress with him as you definitely want to keep that pace & athleticism while getting stronger to stop those KPB from bullying him as they have done this year. I am sure that after this next pre-season our health/fitness/dieticians will produce a physically stronger player that could even be faster & more agile than this year. Fingers crossed anyway.

 

[Fatcat08]

Think the emphasis is placed on him improving his core strength and overall adding muscle rather than just adding weight to his frame. I think its a work in progress with him as you definitely want to keep that pace & athleticism while getting stronger to stop those KPB from bullying him as they have done this year. I am sure that after this next pre-season our health/fitness/dieticians will produce a physically stronger player that could even be faster & more agile than this year. Fingers crossed anyway.

agree it will all be about strength with Hipwood, just don't think he'll ever be that bulky guy and doesn't really need to be. Dustin Fletcher was never a real bulky guy but boy was he strong, that will be the sort of body shape he ends up at IMO. Plenty of big lumbering bulky guys out there, but a 200+ cm who does what he can is pretty bloody rare.

 

[winged1]

Hope you're right but word I got (third hand) was that the club health/fitness gurus don't expect him to fill out much at all and what we see is pretty much what we've got.

Imagine him with an extra 10-15kg, immense extra strength and not losing any of his pace and flair. Buddy!

I would be stunned if he didn't naturally bulk up a fair bit. He went through a late growth spurt so he is a bit "elongated".

But as you said it is strength and mobility and as a teenager he has shown a hell of a lot since his, to quote kostya tszyu, "man strength" is years away.

 

[Harris Specter]

There were 3 games this year where we were a genuine chance to win, but just couldn't hold on. Essendon earlier in the year, and both Bulldogs games. We could have been on 8 wins if we had a bit more composure, and only 2 wins away from the top 8. Lots of promise this year.

 

[M Malice]

Another unsung hero of 2017-

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

Must also take into account that we played Carlton and North only once. Play them twice, two more wins possibly.

Cutler and Schache the disappointments but both have plenty of time.

Looking like a competent footy team in the second half of the season is the high light

 

[pauldrc]

Our draw was (once again) way out of line with our previous years finishing position, despite the fact that it's not actually supposed to work like that.

Give us Ports easy draw and we may have made top 8! (Ok maybe not but a few more wins anyway....)

 

[morsie]

I would be stunned if he didn't naturally bulk up a fair bit. He went through a late growth spurt so he is a bit "elongated".

But as you said it is strength and mobility and as a teenager he has shown a hell of a lot since his, to quote kostya tszyu, "man strength" is years away.

Hope so.Some players just transform.If you look at early pics of Warren Tredrea he is skinnier than Hipwood.

 

[Bjorn Again]

Hope you're right but word I got (third hand) was that the club health/fitness gurus don't expect him to fill out much at all and what we see is pretty much what we've got.

Imagine him with an extra 10-15kg, immense extra strength and not losing any of his pace and flair. Buddy!

No way! He will fill out. He grew 3cm or so last year - very hard to put on muscle bulk when he is still growing like that. Just give him time. I'd expect another 10kg or so in 2 years time.