There is electricity in the Brisbane air.
The back half of the season saw the Lions finally start to generate some buzz around their future, with a plethora of young stars and the emergence of an exciting gameplan.
With one game to go, the Lions are going to fight for their lives to get off the bottom of the ladder – and I’ll be watching.
So let’s start from the top.
The coach
I like Chris Fagan. He’s a well spoken, intelligent and happy individual. I bet he doesn’t mind handing out hugs here and there.
In a recent SEN morning panel, he was asked what the key to his coaching was. He said he sat down with each player and asked them the three same questions, the third being: what would you do if you were the senior coach?
With this question, he was able to instill buy-in from the playing group and build a collective gameplan in which everyone had input. It’s worked like a treat.
The players want to learn and grow together and build a brand that they help craft.
His teaching background and ability to be open to his entire playing list may well see him become a dynasty coach.
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The captain
I was a bit surprised that Dayne Beams got the job, as I saw him more as a quiet achiever.
The decision, however, was dead on the money. Beams provides a calmness and camaraderie around the group without ruffling any feathers and is now in All Australian form. He leads by example on the field and seems to enjoy the pressure, kicking clutch goals from outside 50 and willing himself into the contest for important clearances.
A-grade player and captain.
The senior players
As a collective, they have taken the burden of the inside game and the hard knocks that come with it off the rest of the young list.
Individually it’s been a bit of a mixed bag. Mitch Robinson, Jack Frost and Allen Christensen have barely been sighted, while Tom Bell and Rohan Bewick have fallen away. Ryan Bastinac and Josh Walker have spent time in the reserves but seem to have reemerged.
But the Leaders have all been top shelf. Dayne Zorko’s a gun, Beams deserves the captaincy, Stefan Martin is a beast and Tom Rockliff has been a true team player even with clouds over his head. Ryan Lester keeps popping up with clutch marks and playing crucial roles and Daniel Rich has finally got better.
All in all a good core group to take the Lions forward.
The Young Guns
Get excited Brisbane fans!
This is where all the potential lies. Eric Hipwood’s left foot from outside 50, Alex Witherden’s pin point accuracy from defence, Hugh McCluggage creating opportunities and Jarrod Berry getting in and under.
Daniel McStay has started to emerge and with Harris Andrews will develop into a formidable defensive combo. Sam Mayes has finally learned how to play football, Lewis Taylor has regained his mojo and Nick Robertson has provided plenty of mongrel.
Rhys Mathieson and Eric Hipwood are two of Brisbane’s shining lights. (AAP Image/Glenn Hunt)
I’m going to put Josh Schache in the lesser lights along with Rhys Mathieson, Ben Keays, Jacob Allison, Jake Barrett and Cedric Cox. These guys still need time to develop but will hopefully begin to rise in the coming years.
I’m indifferent to Michael Close, Darcy Gardiner, Tom Cutler, Jonathan Freeman and co. Hopefully, they can be rotated out for draft picks.
The Game Plan
Move into the corridor at the first chance and go forward with pace.
This team is quick and daring from the back half and still has enough strength around the contest to halve the clearances.
There are some excellent kicks from half back in Rich, Mayes and Witherden, pace to burn from Zorko, Taylor, Cox, Allison and quality delivery inside 50 from Beams, McCluggage and Rocky.
They don’t yet have the legs to run back defensively, seeing them get cut apart on the counter-attack and, while decision making does cause a lot of turnovers, that should align itself in a few years.
The offseason
Two first round picks, Rocky with a decision to make, a list that still wants to play on, a coach with a well-defined strategy and a wealth of experience, Charlie Cameron expressing interest.
There are plenty of decisions to be made and plenty of kilometres needed in young legs. More midfield depth is required and forward 50 defensive pressure is a glaring weakness.
The main questions lie around the second tier of players like Close and Gardiner, do they have trade currency? Are they still required for depth?
Fagan, David Noble and co. will go over this list with a fine tooth comb, a gun midfielder and a couple of tackling forwards should be high on their agenda.
Other than that it’s train, train, train and build belief.
Rating
With a competitive back half of the season, the emergence of its young talent and the high standards of its leaders, the Lions are on an upward curve and have delivered more than the expectations they started the season with.
Most importantly they have given fans excitement and hope.
B from me.
Mick_Lions
Roar Pro
Good comments Sam. Fagan has certainly lifted the games of Rich, Mayes, Taylor, Bastinac and Walker. I watched Mayes play live last year and thought he was a dead set lemon pick. The NEAFL team has been exceptional this year up against both Sydney 2nds. They've dished out some floggings too and that's certainly helped boost confidence. Schache doesn't seem to have a competitive streak like Hipwood but he does have 2 more years to work on his strength and i think he can fill out to 100kg and just crash packs. We paid overs for Bastinac and Beams but Beams was worth it. Though i would have liked to keep Crisp too. Who's Frost???? lol Cutler was talked up last season but he's gone backwards and Freeman seems a bit lost which is a shame. McCluggage on the other hand is going to very good. He hasn't done anything spectacular but he averages 5.7 score involvements a game from 17 disposals. His disposal efficiency is only 64% which tells me he's a bit pressured as i would expect this to get to about 75% as he improves. Haven't really sighted Lyons so cant comment. Don't rate Archie but i do rate Fagan's ability to teach and Martin still has a few years so he ciuld come good. Cheers
Mick_Lions
Roar Pro
Awesome news Cat! Cox has shown some micro glimpses. Got some speed and penetration. Games a bit quick for him still but i wont hold that against him. Now we just need McCluggage to sign and that's everyone from last year.
Mick_Lions
Roar Pro
Unfortunately i understand your point perfectly Doctor. I was a Suns fan when they first entered the comp and tje only games I've watched of tjem this year is in the QClash. Fortunately i am 100% biased in my optimism for the future and completely blind to any pitfalls that may occur.
Cat
Roar Guru
More good news: Cox and Hipwood have extended their deals until 2020
Dr Wildare
Guest
What is baseball you ask Mick well it has far more World following than the AFL. However I wasn't intending to denigrate the AFL. What I was doing was demonstrating that talent and/or potential means nothing. Far to often I have seen teams who have been in the cellar show a dead cat bounce before returning to the cellar again. While I acknowledge that presently are showing far more promise than they have in a number of years that is all it is Promise nothing more. They are still in the bottom 2 of the ladder. In the history of the bears/lions there have been far more losing seasons than winning ones. I have previously witnessed similar promise and endeavour from the lions occur at the end of the season when it is actually irrelevant only for that promise to disappear in the next season. What I am saying is we need to see results carried into the next season or else it's just another dead cat bounce.
aw
Guest
Archie Smith looks ok on the tv but live at games you realise he just has no idea how to football. He's all over the shop with positioning and doesn't know how to harness his athleticism. Could still be a late bloomer but needs to become a student of the game and absorb all he can
melbournesam
Guest
2017 was the first year Post Leppitsch, so it was always going to be a year of baby steps and consolidation. Under Fagan, there is cohesion, better disposal and players who were just going through the motions, think Mayes, Rich and Taylor, have recovered their poise. Brisbane is in a far better state than they were at this time last year. No players have been baled up against a locker by any of the coaches, so that is a definite improvement. The NEAFL team have finished in second position; for the last few years they have been a rabble. Kudos to Mitch Hahn, but it remains a mystery how a team with 12+ AFL players could ever have been swept aside by other NEAFL teams as easily as they were in the period 2014-2016. Alas, cannot see anything in Schache. Not fast enough to be a leading forward, not strong enough to be a close to goal player, does not seem to be a natural footballer or really be all that interested. When he was drafted, people said he never missed. He has learned from somewhere. Brisbane still need a Daniel Merrett replacement. There was interest in Lyndon Dunn, but they went with Frost. Damn. Other amazingly poor recruiting decisions include shelling out a pick 16, received for jack Redden, for Ryan Bastinac. Ryan has exceeded expectations, and this is certainly nothing personal, but he was really a 40s pick. When we recruited Beams, we gave away a first and a second round pick, and Jack Crisp. We should have kept Crisp. Ah, well. Still have hopes for Freeman and Cutler, not entirely convinced by McCluggage, but I see Berry as an future captain. Or perhaps co-captain with Witherden. Keen to get a good look at Corey Lyons. I hope that Archie Smith comes back into favour.
Mick_Lions
Roar Pro
As this was my first ever published article on The Roar i would like to thank everyone for their contributions and enthusiasm for the Lions! @Paul D: may we have many more conversations of excitement over the coming years. Go Lions!
Mick_Lions
Roar Pro
I remember w2atcjng Browny kick 9 vs Carlton on a sunny Saturday arvo from sponsors box in front of 30k fans! I was also in the pocket that Acker kicked those 2 amazing snaps in the rain. Last time i was at the Gabba there was barely 5k and you HAD to sit in the pocket coz the rest of the stadium was locked off. It's already beginning to change, and as a supporter I finally have hope. That's all we can ask for. But we'll always HOPE for another 3 peat!
Nick
Guest
I will be happy to see the seats half full. We used to go to every game when there were very few seats vacant and the crowd noise was amazing. Went to see a game earlier this year and i think we were about the only lions supporters in our section.
Mick_Lions
Roar Pro
What's Baseball?? Didn't Allan Border used to play that? As for living up to potential: If exactly half the young kids in the Luons squad live up to potential then they'll still put bums on seats! O, and theres still 2 first round picks to come (3 if Ballanden gets bid on between 12-18) I for one am simply happy to see a team finally enjoying their footy. C'mon Lions!!!
Paul D
Roar Guru
Oh do shut up, we've been miserable since 2010. No-one is saying we want grand finals again. I'll settle for not finishing bottom 4 for a change.
Dr Wildare
Guest
Football is a fickle sport like most ball games. I do not know how many times it looked lilies the Oakland A's baseball team would win another World Series or even make another World Series from the 2000's to the mid 2010's only to fail in the playoffs or prior to the playoffs. To make the finals is hard enough without winning them even with all the best talent in the world. Also we have seen numerous talented youngsters not to progress with their development and fall away. If I were a Brisbane supporter I would wait a while before getting excited about a future that may never eventuate.
Slane
Guest
Any excitement is good excitement, mate. I was more getting at the fact that we are all super-bouyant about the Lions right this second but we were all massively down on them only a few months ago. It may be wise to temper our exuberance. Still a long way to go.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Bit harsh on Archie Smith – still raw but has a great attitude and seems pretty athletic. Certainly worth persisting with. There’s also rookie of the year Matt Eagles. Can’t see him ever getting a run in the firsts though
Mick_Lions
Roar Pro
The Spine looks fantastic doesn't it! True, there's no up n coming Ruckman but poaching one from a state league when required seems to be acceptable these days. Andrews McStay Stef Martin Hipwood Schache Ballanden as the swingman. Drooooooooolll
Paul D
Roar Guru
Yeah I stopped buying a membership at the end of 2014. Haven't signed up again as yet. After a while I figured it was the AFL's fault we didn't have a level playing field and it wasn't my job to financially support a team set up to fail
Nick
Guest
Thanks Paul. I probably just get annoyed when the commentators carry on about Hipwood being the next buddy. Buddy is a freak. Anyway all the young lads seem to have some ability. Nearing the time to once again buy a season ticket instead of choosing games i thought we could be competitive in. It was always a long way to travel to watch an annihilation and capitulation.
Mick_Lions
Roar Pro
Hey Nick. Hipwood's still 19yo so gets knocked out of the mark a lot. But boy can he run and kick! Speed to burn, agile as a rabbit and can already bomb it from 55m off 3 steps. Give him a few years to fill out and he'll have a highlights real a mile long. He's also hugely competitive unlike Schache and wants to get the crowd involved. Sooner or later he's going to kick a clutch bag of goals to win a game. Paul is correct on training venue vs playing venue. All home games at the Gabba until they tear it down. And Witherden is something special. Smart, surgical and loves responsibility. May well be the pick of the crop
Paul D
Roar Guru
No arguments there! Add McStay and Andrews down back too. Very solid core of KPP's. McStay will be an outstanding loose man, and Andrews has the arms and tank to nullify any forward once he gets some more meat on his frame