Earlier in the week HB allowed me to select which game to preview and review this week and, as I am the new kid on the block, I immediately selected the most lacklustre game of the round. As such, it was also the most challenging game to review.
Under normal circumstances, with the two games on offer this Saturday afternoon, I would probably have a good afternoon snooze and be ready for the night games, the Ashes, and the Tour de France later in the night, but I am presently doing my own ‘tour of duty’ of reviewing the lesser games of the round each week. I seriously hope I don’t end up like Conrad’s Kurtz – stark raving mad.
Is anyone other than a diehard Lions fans excited or even slightly enthused about this game?
There is not much to get excited about with this game, however each team can be critiqued at a macro level in the case of the Lions and at a micro level with the Eagles.
My approach is to p/review where Brisbane is at presently and how important the next eight weeks of footy are, including the Eagles game, before they enter the furnace of the September heat. The Lions must work to the maxim, ‘the sum of the whole is more important than the parts’.
On the other hand, with the poor old Eagles, I am going down the path that ‘all clubs are equal just some clubs are more equal than others’. I am going to find the positives for the Eagles without laying the boots into them, as this club that has had the proverbial shit kicked out of it this year. Not even the most ardent Eagles supporter could truly envisage them getting even close to the Lions, so I will look for the little things which are positive and not the sum of the whole.
The Lion Kings Mark II?
If Brisbane are to win the flag, then the training, preparation and intensity starts from this round. The Lions are now all but certain to finish in the top 4, especially as the chasing pack are all cutting each other up. This allows the boys from the Gabba the luxury to start a training regime that will have them finals hard and ready come September.
Make no mistake, 2023 is the best chance the Lions have of winning the big one.
The Lions are flying under the media radar, especially given the sycophantic commentary surrounding the Pies, Daicos, Daicos, Pendles, Moore, De Goey, Fly, the Yank, in fact anything black and white, and, to a lesser extent the Power and somehow or another Geelong, who are just on the edge of the eight. Jonathan Brown aside, nobody in the mainstream media is taking them seriously and I reckon that suits Fagan well.
While talking about Fagan, I am enjoying his ‘Angry Dad’ approach to coaching this year. The players are responding to Fagan’s snarling stares, his awkward but poignant body language, and his occasional outbursts. In an age of touchy, feel good about everything, it is refreshing to see a leader demanding the best through respect and discipline.
It will be interesting to see come September whether the McRae’s style of ‘chaos and fun’, succeeds, whether the ‘respect your father’ approach of Fagan holds the cup aloft, or whether Hinkley’s style of ‘a schizophrenic scramble, just win’ trumps both. With the right build up to September and with the right training loads I believe Fagan’s style will be more than sustainable come September.
In previous years, certain players wearing the wearing the maroon, blue and gold may have put their personal highlight reel ahead of team ethics and what’s best for the club, however, this season there is a cohesive unity about the Lions and the realisation that their destiny is in this own hands.
I was impressed by Joe Daniher earlier this season after he played a blinder of a game, but he refused to talk to the Channel Seven ground reporter. It may not seem like much, but I think it says a lot about Joe this year and about the Lions as a club. Personal achievements have been put aside for the greater good of the club.
An injury depleted, sub-standard Eagles are not a challenge to the Lions, however, their four-quarter mental application is the challenge and how well their on-field leaders maintain the high standards they have set so far this year. I will be watching this game closely to see if some of the players ‘show-off’ to the detriment of the team, and if they do, how their on-field leaders dress them down.
Apart from the MCG hoo-doo, which I personally think is a load crap created by the media, the biggest hurdle standing in the Lions way of a true tilt at ultimate success is the Lions.
A West Coast Story
Into the Eagles team this week comes Jeremy McGovern and Tim Kelly, however, out are Shannon Hurn and Luke Shuey. That best sums up the Eagles season, two (or five) soldiers down and two soldiers in.
I’m not sure who put the curse on the boys from the West but they cannot catch a break this season and give themselves even a puncher’s chance of snatching a win.
Rumour has it that things are that bad in the wild west that 30 a day smoker, 115 kilo, 5’ 8”, 76 year-old boot studder assistant, Scratcher McKnackers, is taking his kit to Brisbane just in case a player slips on the steps walking into the Gabba and they need a body (possibly Weekend at Bernies style) to sit in as the sub.
In all seriousness, given the Eagles are on their longest road trip of the year, I would be impressed if they can get within 80 points of the Lions, and that would only occur if the Lions start skylarking.
Ps: As I am writing this, Wonky Warner has fallen again to bloody Broad for a solitary run. I reckon Scratcher McKnackers could do a better job than little Davie boy against Broad.
The Game Review
I am using the old Sporting Globe style of reporting on this game and take you the readers back to time when a review of a match was written about each quarter.
Quarter Time Brisbane 7 3 45 to West Coast 2 0 12
How Good is McGovern?
I forgot how good Jeremy McGovern actual is, especially in conjunction with Tom Barrass, and it was just great to see him being the general in the backline again for the Eagles. For all but ten minutes where the Lions run amok, McGovern continually rebounded the ball from defence and tried to set up his teammates up field. Good to see ya back playing Jeremy.
Elijah Hewett and Reuben Ginbey
Hewett and Ginbey have real class and must put a smile on the faces of Eagles supporters when they see them both displaying their skills. I have been a bit harsh on Campbell Chesser previously, but he had a good first quarter and he looks like a player.
The Ten Minutes of Pure Class
Brisbane were sloppy at the beginning of the quarter and at the end of the quarter, but there was a mid-quarter period of 10 minutes where they put the game to rest. It was all business as they booted seven straight goals and just got on with it with no fuss. It was that business-like even the normally vocal Gabba ground just politely golf-clapped each time they scored.
Junk Time Fade Out
Letting teams get a couple of easy goals at the end of a quarter after totally dominating is unforgivable for a team chasing September glory. Yes, it is nice Jack Darling got his 499th goal, but in reality if the Lions had maintained the pressure then the Eagles would have been held goalless.
As the song says, ‘Everybody needs some time away’, and in the case of Jack Gunston that certainly rings true as he played his best footy since being at the Lions in the first quarter. His run, dash and foot skills could be invaluable to the Brissy later in the year.
Half-Time Brisbane 10 8 68 to West Coast 2 2 14
I have never watched a quarter of football before whereby nobody at all seems interested, including the commentators, the crowd, my dogs and even the players. As my eyes drooped midway through the second quarter, I had to literally slap myself several times to stay awake. It took me back to my childhood days when I was dragged to church and slapped behind the ear every time I fell asleep during the sermon.
Here are the almost highlights of the second quarter. Jack Darling almost kicked his 500th goal, Liam Duggan laid a bruising tackle on Charlie Cameron, the Eagles can’t afford to lose Tom Barrass, Eric Hipwood kicked an easy goal-square sausage, the Lions missed four easy set shots at goal, Dom Sheed is a good player and Hugh McCluggage is probably best on ground.
Let’s hope for a more entertaining second half.
Three Quarter Time Brisbane 13 14 92 to West Coast 3 3 21
Spinal Tap – Back to Stone Henge
After Brisbane’s explosive ten-minute burst in the first quarter, this game has degenerated into a game of the Lions forwards versus basically eighteen West Coast defenders, and, to some extent it has worked.
The Eagles have set up a Stone Henge style defence and this game is now barely watchable. I understand the need for the Eagles not to get beaten by 25-plus goals again, but I not sure what the young Eagles are learning from this total defensive mindset.
(Mental note to self, must watch Spinal Tap again.)
Having said that, Brisbane were their own worst enemies in the quarter kicking three goals and six behinds.
The highlight of the quarter was the two Oscars, McInerney and Allen, both kicking a goal during the quarter. I will use the jargon of the commentators here, is that a World Record of Oscars kicking goals in one quarter? Why do the commentators carry on with this world record shite? I find it frustrating – feckers.
Watch Your Egos, Lions
Eric Hipwood took another mark on the goal line which was going through and kicked a goal. The reason I am mentioning this moment is because it did create come disharmony within the playing group that a certain goal was marked for another’s personal glory. I’m glad the players reacted as this club should be striving for the collective good of all.
The Final Score Brisbane 16 20 116 defeated West Coast 5 5 35
The excitement in the final quarter was generated by a bandaged Jack Gunston who turned the clock back and bagged three sausage-rolls in the final quarter to take his total to six big-ones for the day.
To the Eagles credit they never gave up all day, and, even when their defensive wall finally collapsed, they fought the match out.
Tim Kelly is completely wasted in a bottom team. His reading of the ball and skills are sublime and players like him belong on the biggest stages of all. I don’t think he would have envisaged when he left Geelong that he would be the backbone of a bottom of the table team.
The Final Analysis
I remember back in my days of playing tennis for Rowville, I hated playing against players who might not have had the talent, but they knew how to lob the ball back over the net. Such matches would become long tedious slogs and so it was with the Lions and the Eagles today.
Brisbane was progressively the better team all day but their 81 point win was like watching paint dry, such was the defensive overkill by the Eagles. In the 10 minutes in which the Lions played their natural game they were impressive, but the rest of the game was death by a thousand cuts.
Jack Gunston and Charlie Cameron
The coaching staff at Brisbane were proven correct in the way they handled Jack Gunston with a few weeks off. Twenty possessions and six goals was a fair return for a player who some were saying had played his last game. This was his best game for the Lions by a long way and the first where he displayed the same level of excellence he had at Hawthorn. The form of Gunston must be the biggest positive Fagan takes out of this game.
I admire players like Charlie Cameron. He is a bit out of form and frustrated at himself, however, he doesn’t give up the chase and he does do the little things like running through a pack or tapping the ball forward to a player in a better position. At times today the ball just didn’t bounce Charlie’s way, but his endeavour cannot be questioned. His form will return.
The Brisbane Engine Room
Neale, McCluggage, Ashcroft, Bailey, Lyon may not have the same stature of the original Brisbame Fab 4, but they may be on the way to stardom of their own if they continue their current form. To use an old-fashioned footy term, they all ‘roved’ well to the Big O and they do feed the ball on quickly to the forward line. I think it is a September essential to have a midfield brigade that generates three or four quick goals from the centre-bounce.
Brisbane – Is the Sum of the Whole Now More Important than the Parts?
It was expected Brisbane would win this game by 80 plus points and they did, so as a club they have met the criteria set for the day.
Harris Andrews, along with Payne and Coleman were outstanding up back and restricted the Eagles to five goals for the day. There was good run through the middle and when the mid-fielders were given freedom, they delivered the ball well to the forwards, who, for most the day, played without ego, and there was a cohesive unity amongst the team.
The only knock I will give the Lions today is set-shot kicking. Hipwood, Gunston, and Cameron, all missed very easy set shots and it is something that may cost them dearly of they don’t start to address it.
Do I Give the Eagles a Pass Mark?
I expected the Eagles to lose this match by 80 and I was only out by a point, so do the Eagles get a pass mark for this game?
Of course not.
Any AFL team that loses a game by 80 points can never be given a pass mark. However, I concede their endeavour and effort could not be questioned all day.
Dom Sheed, Tim Kelly, Tom Barass, Jeremy McGovern, Brady Hough, Elijah Hewett, Reuben Ginbey, Liam Duggan and Jayden Hunt battled hard all day and led from the front. A bit like Jack Gunston, this may have been the best game Jayden Hunt has played for the Eagles since crossing from the Dees.
Personally, I didn’t like the Stone Henge style of defence, but it did stop the soul crushing onslaught they were facing, so ‘the means justifies the end’.
The Eagles brains trust must do more to bring Oscar Allen into games. He is wasted spending over 80 percent of all matches in a vacant forward line. I have seen this kid turn it on and he is good, damn good.
I am not going to say anything negative about the Eagles, but Andrew Gaff, tsk, tsk, the rest of the senior group of players are trying to lead from the front and maybe you should follow their lead.
Next Week
The Lions travel to the MCG to face an out of sorts Melbourne (I’m sure where the Dees are at), while the Eagles host a rejuvenated Tigers out west.
