Changes v Lions qualifying final

[mrposhman]

It was a home and away match, mate. You think our blokes aren't hungry after last year? September is a different beast. We've seen their best, their hardest, their most committed. They haven't seen ours. But they're about to.

Our boys have been waiting a year for this month. Everything else has just been about getting there. We are about to dial up the ferocity to 11. Trent Cotchin won't play 10 minutes of footy halfway through the third quarter, he will smash whoever is in his way from the first bounce. And the rest will follow suit. Dusty was at 80%, look out Saturday night.

People keep drawing parallels between Brisbane/us - us/Geelong. The difference is that we played terribly in that R21, 2017 match, lost Caddy in the first quarter, and went down by 2 goals at a ground they win literally 90% of games at and is completely foreign to us in shape and size. The Gabba is almost identical to the G. We were a better team than Geelong in 2017, which we proved a few weeks later. Brisbane is not better than us. They're not better than 4 or 5 teams, I reckon.

Their lack of finals experience will count against them. Hodge and Fagan can't make up for that.

We will win, probably by a similar margin. I will be shocked if we don't.

I tend to agree. Brisbane really ratcheted the pressure up after half time, had a blitz and then we stepped it up again. Their last 2 quarters last week their pressure rating was 200 and 201, they can't maintain that for a full game. Ours for those 2 quarters was 190 and 177, well below theres, particularly in the 4th quarter when we were dominant.

People have been worried about our F50 tackles against them, it was generally low because we marked a lot inside F50. Our F50 marks were similar to prior matches, but that was largely because in a lot of games we look for players in better positions and gain secondary marks within the same I50 whereas we got a lot of marks within the corridor against the Lions.

They kicked 8.3 and we rushed 4 for them. They didn't kick badly, where they kicked badly was the final kick inside 50 (a lot of that was our structure). They will be under more pressure up the ground so I suspect they will get a similar inside 50 efficiency again, especially if we defend their better ball users again. Whilst Neale won a lot of possessions at the coalface, he also got a lot of cheapies around half back hence why he only put the ball I50 3 times, Rich only twice. If we defend their better ball users again and either force the forwards up the ground again, or force I50's to come from spuds like Robinson again then we will win relatively comfortably IMO.

 

[mrposhman]

We will beat Brisbane and then either GWS or Bulldogs will beat them the following week.

Said something similar to someone this morning, but said the loser of our QF will be a fairly high chance of a straight sets exit.

 

[tigerlove]

These are all excuses to convince ourselves we’re naturally better than them.

Excuses for winning? Now I've heard it all.

Brisbane matched us for 3 quarters at the MCG, beat us in every key statistical measure (which isn’t necessarily that important for our game plan, but it’ll give them confidence), and they’ll go into this game with a highlight reel of Brisbane players smashing Richmond players while Luke Hodge is in their ears egging them on like Hawthorn of 2008.

In what way did they match us. 55 points for the whole game, their lowest for the season, 20 points less than their lowest in their 8 game winning streak. Our game plan isn't smashing clearances and contested possessions, it hasn't been so for 3 years. Smashing us? Hodge in their ears? They'll be saying geez, Neale 51, McLuggage 28, Zorko 27, 25 more tackles, we can't go any harder than that and we still couldn't beat them.

We also had zero tackles inside our F50 by 3QT off memory.

Think it was 1 but again the reason for that is Brisbane were trying to play the Pies way of keepings off in the backline. As a team we've learn from those Pies drubbings. We've learnt to back off on the pressure inside 50 when that happens and lay a wall a bit further back. That's not going to show up well in inside 50 tackle counts.

I do believe we’re the better team, but the psychological scales are heavily in their favour going into this game.

Making stuff up. How would you possibly know what their psyche is? Much more likely to be psychologically advantaged after pumping the same side just 2 weeks earlier.

It’ll take a lot of character for us to beat them again, so when I see pages of posts full of excuses and dismissive confidence it has me worried.

Dismissive confidence? Please. No-one is saying Brisbane has no chance of winning, of course they do. I am just arguing your call that Brisbane are supremely confident of winning. I disagree. Brisbane if they are to win, need to bring something else to the table. Their game plan last game won't do it. We shall see.

Finals experience will not be a clear advantage to us, as they’ve got Hodge and a coach harping on about finals being no more important than any other game. It’s brilliant coaching and leadership, and that’s before Brown/Matthews pop their head in the door.

Finals experience is ALWAYS an advantage. Why is Hodge some sort of messiah? We have plenty of experienced leaders. If anything you've just highlighted the point, Brisbane only have Hodge and very few other leaders to have experienced finals footy. Brisbane have performed remarkably this year, I predicted they would do well after some very promising games last year. Finals are a new ball game. Brisbane will be apprehensive , they have no reason to feel supremely confident nor should they go into the game that way. One thing for certain Brisbane will put up a great fight and we'll have to play well to beat them. No resting on our laurels.

 

[spook]

Hodge is about to become a liability. Welcome to The Spring of George!

 

[eZyT]

Hodge is about to become a liability. Welcome to The Spring of George!

im waiting for the ball to hit Hodge in the nose, while he's busy pointing all over the place like he's in the Village People

 

[Tigerfan]

In all our finals series since 2001 we’ve kept our team unchanged from the first final so unless we get an injury I’d say our team takes us through the series.

However, trends are just trends.

 

[spook]

Watching Dimma and Cotch's presser, there's no doubt Nank is in if fit. Almost certainly in tandem with Soldo.

Dimma gives a lovely little backhander when asked about Cameron's whingeing: "He should ask Tom and Jack how they cope with it...our boys just get on with it."

WHACK!

 

[caesar]

Watching Dimma and Cotch's presser, there's no doubt Nank is in if fit. Almost certainly in tandem with Soldo.

Dimma gives a lovely little backhander when asked about Cameron's whingeing: "He should ask Tom and Jack how they cope with it...our boys just get on with it."

WHACK!

If Cameron gets an early hold free kick saturday night i'll spew, Dimma is right Lynch and Jack get nothing.

 

[snags]

I tend to agree. Brisbane really ratcheted the pressure up after half time, had a blitz and then we stepped it up again. Their last 2 quarters last week their pressure rating was 200 and 201, they can't maintain that for a full game. Ours for those 2 quarters was 190 and 177, well below theres, particularly in the 4th quarter when we were dominant.

People have been worried about our F50 tackles against them, it was generally low because we marked a lot inside F50. Our F50 marks were similar to prior matches, but that was largely because in a lot of games we look for players in better positions and gain secondary marks within the same I50 whereas we got a lot of marks within the corridor against the Lions.

They kicked 8.3 and we rushed 4 for them. They didn't kick badly, where they kicked badly was the final kick inside 50 (a lot of that was our structure). They will be under more pressure up the ground so I suspect they will get a similar inside 50 efficiency again, especially if we defend their better ball users again. Whilst Neale won a lot of possessions at the coalface, he also got a lot of cheapies around half back hence why he only put the ball I50 3 times, Rich only twice. If we defend their better ball users again and either force the forwards up the ground again, or force I50's to come from spuds like Robinson again then we will win relatively comfortably IMO.

This is not to mention the crazy number of goals from stoppages we let through. No doubt we'd be focusing on closing that gap too so they'd need to find these goals from elsewhere.

 

[Don’t Argue]

This is not to mention the crazy number of goals from stoppages we let through. No doubt we'd be focusing on closing that gap too so they'd need to find these goals from elsewhere.

What do you mean crazy number of goals?
Seems a disproportionate statement for a team that kicked 55 points for the whole game

 

[MD Jazz]

Look at Rayner’s intent. There’s a tribal hunger amongst their group right now that will not die unless we stand up, arch out our chest, and lock horns with more ferocity than them.

Rayner is a fraud of a player at this stage. Nobody could have a bigger opinion of him than himself. He's Petracca like in his ability to not impact games. Intent? Only when fixing his hair does he really try.

 

[MD Jazz]

Hodge is about to become a liability. Welcome to The Spring of George!

He got exposed defensively a couple of times against us, and a lot against the cats the previous week. Will be a remarkable effort if he has any impact this week.

Reckon he might throw a couple in frustration in the 3rd and be suspended for the rest of the finals.

 

[MD Jazz]

If Cameron gets an early hold free kick saturday night i'll spew, Dimma is right Lynch and Jack get nothing.

Tom gets nothing because he is so big. Jack gets nothing because he does play it up a bit now and then and the umps are such blockheads they lack the nuance to know the difference.

 

[Al Bundy]

If Cameron gets an early hold free kick saturday night i'll spew, Dimma is right Lynch and Jack get nothing.

Likewise hopefully we dont see Gillstapo have a SHocking inteference.

 

[AstuteTiger]

Brisbane will be full of confidence after they successfully bullied us on the MCG and kept the scores level for 3 quarters.

On the replay, Brisbane are knocking us over after every mark, gave us corkies, tackled like UFC fighters. It’s as unsociable as Hawthorn 2008 or Bulldogs 2016. They will beat us next week if we aren’t serious about one aspect of the game above all else: Winning the fight within the fight.

Richmond vs Geelong 2017 told a similar story. It’s scarily similar.

However, the difference between us and Geelong is it’s too early in our story to hand over the reigns to another young king of the jungle just yet. That’s what this battle represents though from the outside.

What the? bullied us lol. They did rugby tackle our players but houli and baker just got straight back up. I had a giggle on that. We just went out and played the game they just tried mind games which didn't work.

We toyed with them for 3.5 quartes. Lions played 15 mins in the 3rd but then we just put the foot down in the last and it was goodnight Irene.
We didn't lay one i50 tackle that won't happen again. We also got beaten in clearances and their midfield was on top but we easily accounted for them.

This is finals we are ready, I have no doubt we will up the ante so let's see how they fare against the Richmond pressure because RD 23 a lot of their players were hack kicking without any real pressure. The pressure will intensify 10 fold. Finals experience the majority of our team have it and will know what to do if things are tight.
Wouldnt at all be surprised if some of the lion's players are overawed by the whole occasion...

 

[tigertim]

There’s a tribal hunger amongst their group right now that will not die unless we stand up, arch out our chest, and lock horns with more ferocity than them.

Sheesh, that’s some mighty fine footy cliche-ing, good work.

 

[AstuteTiger]

Alistair Lynch is asking them to employ that attitude. Good luck with that.

Past players talking them up, media, etc they are playing this game already in ther head. I like that we ain't saying boo, just go out and do what we need to do.

 

[spook]

Past players talking them up, media, etc they are playing this game already in ther head. I like that we ain't saying boo, just go out and do what we need to do.

Exactly, AT. When we lost our elimination finals, I reckon we played at least a couple of them before the day. Made worse by being the last game both (all 3?) times. With the extra week now, some of these Lion cubs could well do similar.

 

[TigerForce]

C'mon Tiges, it's time to melt the Paddle Pops.

 

[UKTiger]

Can't help but believe we put 2 gameplans into effect in Rd 23. Q1 we played our game and we quickly put them away. Q2 onward we flipped to playing a game style designed to nullify Brisbane, rather than concentrate on our way. Depending on how the final plays out we now know we can flip back and forth depending on what's needed.

When the Lions came within 7pts in the 3rd, we flipped over to our gameplan for a while and pulled away again.

We didn't have a bad day, our players didn't have bad games. But they were playing a containing style. The fact Lions had the better of the glory stats doesn't matter much. The two that stick out for me is 1% where we smashed them, and marks inside 50, convincingly best them there too.

Come Sunday as long as Dimma gives the it's head, we'll win this in a canter

The most important stat you missed that came out of the round 23 game is the Tigers got the four points