Review Round 15, 2015 - Brisbane Lions vs Sydney

[jackess]

The knock on effect of Merrett's inclusion was significant. Clarke got to take a player further afield, Andrews didn't have to take a key forward and Paparone effectively played as a small. All played better as a result.

Had an immediate impact. Whole backline looked far more settled.

How good was Merretts bump at the start of the game?! Set the standard.

 

[Greggy85]

Not to excuse his disposal errors but a couple of those run downs came when he literally had nothing to kick to.

He had options. I think, rightly, he had no confidence in his disposal. He should work on that in the twos.

 

[Greggy85]

Can't really fault our effort, although i love how people are quick to slam on aish, even though robertson had a complete shocker and was easily worst on ground for us.

Agreed.

 

[jonnobackpocket]

McStay has to have a spell in the two's, Nick Robbo needs to take first option more and the mystery behind Aish's form is easy-he is shit. Midfield were great, umpires were just confusing, Merrett is vital to us and we need to play 4 quarters.

 

[POBT]

He had options.

Not true. At least twice, we had no-one forward of him. The players forward had not moved across and down the line was covered.

 

[royboys4eva]

Frustrating but also encouraging. Hard to know how to feel after three similar efforts. The fact that we have been in a position to win at 3/4 time in each of our last three games is a good sign. Our last quarters in all three are proof we still have a long way to go. Young sides - especially ones with no key forward targets will always struggle to run a game out. Saying that i thought we ran the game out ok tonight and probably could/should have won. Poor kicking for goal and decision making cost us big time. Not to mention the 5 HTB decisions that went the Swans way!

I think we can all agree we have a come a fair way though if you think of some of the hidings the Swans have dealt us in the last five years. Today we actually made them look poor - disorganised and forced them into panic at times. Throw Buddy and Tippett in our forward line today and we win by 8 goals.

Having Rocky Beams Hanley and Redden playing through the middle for the first time was fantastic and we can only get better as they get more games together. Beams played another blinder. Any Collingwood fan who thinks they won that deal hands down needs a reality check.

Robbo needs a bit more awareness and i think sometimes he is to keen to get the ball and just take off without first looking at the options. I can understand that sometimes he and others get caught holding the ball because they don't really have options to kick too.

Redden been much better last few weeks. Mayes played his best game in ages and can get much better with regular game time.

Really liked Clarkes game - you can see how much he appreciated big Rog back. Merrett played better than i thought he would after such a long time out.

Really think we can beat Melbourne next week but we have been up for three weeks lets hope next week we don't drop away. It's inevitable that we will sometime in next month.

 

[Greggy85]

Not true. At least twice, we had no-one forward of him. The players forward had not moved across and down the line was covered.

He's a professional footballer. Is that what they're trained to do? No options directly ahead of you, take the tackle and drop the ball? Bereft of options, give away a free?

 

[POBT]

Got a feeling that midfield is going to tear someone apart in the next few weeks. It is so very close to clicking into place. It was a real "nearly" game. Creative handballs nearly found their mark. Ruck taps nearly hitting the player bursting through. Players going left occasionally when their teammate wanted them to go right.

When these guys start to sing from the same song sheet, they will be lots of fun to watch.

 

[POBT]

He's a professional footballer. Is that what they're trained to do? No options directly ahead of you, take the tackle and drop the ball? Bereft of options, give away a free?

So now you think he did it deliberately?

I am suggesting that on those occasions, the fault lay with the half forwards who were loitering and had not done their job. Robertson was entitled to expect them to be there. When they weren't, he had no other option and was easy pickings.

Robertson was ordinary tonight but there were occasions when he was let down by his teammates. Just think you should acknowledge that.

 

[TheRoyLuckClub]

The last three weeks hasn't been an example of us playing well. It's been an example of far better teams coming up against us knowing that we the competition's easybeats (as Mitch Robinson revealed to us in the preseason) and doing the bare minimum to get across the line easily. It is remarkable how easily the swans, crows and dockers put us to the sword when they needed to. The bare minimum was all it took.

 

[POBT]

The last three weeks hasn't been an example of us playing well. It's been an example of far better teams coming up against us knowing that we the competition's easybeats (as Mitch Robinson revealed to us in the preseason) and doing the bare minimum to get across the line easily. It is remarkable how easily the swans, crows and dockers put us to the sword when they needed to. The bare minimum was all it took.

Wow. Glass half empty.

There is an alternative way of looking at it. We busted our arses for three quarters, putting quality opposition under pressure and forcing them into error. We can't sustain the effort required and drop off against teams who are conditioned to play games out.

 

[luthor]

<SIGH>

Another gutsy performance with the midfield playing really well...................and nothing to show for it.....again

Though we were defeated by the bounce of the ball on a few occasions as well as screwing up some golden opportunities.

And if Buddy or Tippett were playing for us, I think we win that match.

 

[Greggy85]

So now you think he did it deliberately?

I am suggesting that on those occasions, the fault lay with the half forwards who were loitering and had not done their job. Robertson was entitled to expect them to be there. When they weren't, he had no other option and was easy pickings.

Robertson was ordinary tonight but there were occasions when he was let down by his teammates. Just think you should acknowledge that.

His disposal is ordinary and his decision-making is poor. I literally cannot watch when he has ball in hand. And I won't be blaming his teammates for consistently poor performance.

 

[JasRulz63]

Didn't know Staker had that agility still in him with that step he put on bursting through the pack. Shame he missed the goal, but it was pretty exciting none the less.

Game showed the importance of having effective big key targets too. 6 of the 10 goals for Sydney came from Tippett and Franklin.

 

[wantok]

He's a professional footballer. Is that what they're trained to do? No options directly ahead of you, take the tackle and drop the ball? Bereft of options, give away a free?

Very evident live at the game that he was disappointed for forward options twice when run down. He provides creative run, spirit and backbone. I'd take that every time over somebody who just takes the conservative option. The kid will be a star and I'm quite happy to watch him evolve and cut some slack this early in his career.

 

[TaylorMade]

Gave my votes to Zorko, Beams, Merrett, Christensen, Hanley.

The effort was there, execution not so much.

That game was ours to win if we had used the ball better.

 

[bato]

It'll click against weaker opposition, then click against the big boys once our confidence is up. Just can't keep having set backs with injuries, we need to put out the same/very similar 22 every single week like every other side is doing. Then we'll start winning more games. Pretty simple really.

 

[TheRoyLuckClub]

Wow. Glass half empty.

There is an alternative way of looking at it. We busted our arses for three quarters, putting quality opposition under pressure and forcing them into error. We can't sustain the effort required and drop off against teams who are conditioned to play games out.

I'm still relatively pleased to have been in it until late in the game, but when we come up against a switched on team we will get walloped, a la bulldogs game, a la essendon game. Let's call my glass 1/4 full.

 

[BigCat2]

His disposal is ordinary and his decision-making is poor. I literally cannot watch when he has ball in hand. And I won't be blaming his teammates for consistently poor performance.

Sorry can't agree with his. Plays with intensity, aggression and run. Yes was caught out by the pace in a couple of occasions, as is often the case when young players come back from injury. Prior to his shoulder he had looked with decision making.

And he's not alone in getting caught when nothing up he ground presents itself. If he had bombed long down the line to a contest well covered by the opposition then it'll come straight back. Have heard many coaches mention that players taking wrong options / too slow are often the result of their teammates not working hard enough to create options.

Nick isn't perfect yet by any means, but think you're bring a bit harsh.

 

[pulpdriver]

For those at the game did McStay ever get in front of his opponent and make leads when in the forward 50? Granted it gets so bloody crowded in there there's often not much space to lead but he often seems way too stationary for a guy with his athleticism, especially when we're streaming through the corridor. Can't expect to mark everything from behind. When Clarke surged through the corridor and planted the ball towards him he should have been right on that, instead his opponent ends up leading in front and marking on his chest with McStay caught out five metres behind. So deflating.

 

[Big Sauce 21]

Loved the look of the midfield. Some positives out of the game for sure. Zorko 3 good games in a row. Rocky having 11 tackles, looks fully fit with 7 weeks out, Sauce nailing Lloyd favourite of the night was Clarkey putting it down Bewicks throat from 60m. Robbo had a mare but would definitely rather have him out there next week than Aish

 

[AFLQLD]

It would be easy to only see three losses in the last three weeks. If that is all that some can see they know very little about what football is really like, very little about long term team development and very little about building a sustainable, quality group of players to eventually challenge for finals. While it is disappointing at the time, the last three weeks have shown that we have a group of players who are learning to compete and will be a genuinely hard team to defeat within a season or two. Yes, we are missing a couple of important pieces of the puzzle but already we can see that much of the rest of the jigsaw is in place. Some players tonight won't be there when we are back up the top, but the great thing is that many will. We have some real talent developing in this team that just needs time now - Clarke, Gardiner, Andrews, Taylor, McStay, Paparone, Robertson, Dawson, Freeman, Cutler, Mayes.

As odd as it may be to say while we are at the bottom of the ladder, enjoy this stage because it is being on board with the team now that will make the next five years much more enjoyable - the journey from the bottom to the top.

 

[chopperduck]

Not true. At least twice, we had no-one forward of him. The players forward had not moved across and down the line was covered.

Was at least a couple of times where he had either nothing forward to kick to, or he had 1 player in support for a handball but they just didnt manage to run free or were looking to recieve when he was looking to get rid of it.

Few times he just wasnt in sync with the play unfolding. Took off when there was no support, or just didnt give himself the opportunity to think his way through it. This is more of an experience thing than an ability thing though i believe.

Either way, i think Leppa would be fairly happy with his game and the role he played. He always looked to create and took the game on. Despite not having much luck, he kept doing it. Not an easy thing to do. Kind of reminds me of Hanley early in his career, took it on and when it didnt work out, he wouldnt be put off by it.

Overall he had a bit of a dirty night, but he tried to fight his way through it. Didnt ever seem to throw in the towel.

 

[lions27]

Paps and Robbo are 2 blokes that can help lift this side to the next level. Loved both of their games today, a few mistakes but you get that.
Pretty good team effort today.
Bring on the honourable losses, we need a good draft pick

 

[Tairy Greene]

The last three weeks hasn't been an example of us playing well. It's been an example of far better teams coming up against us knowing that we the competition's easybeats (as Mitch Robinson revealed to us in the preseason) and doing the bare minimum to get across the line easily. It is remarkable how easily the swans, crows and dockers put us to the sword when they needed to. The bare minimum was all it took.

I'd say the biggest difference between us & our last three opponents is the quality of the forward lines, came up against 3 quality ones & ours haven't been able to capitalise on our early inside 50 dominance.