Grand Final thread

[jeemak]

It's crazy to look at the smaller to medium forward half attacking options in the Brisbane side versus ours, and then contemplate that a ****wit like Cornes could possibly suggest we have the best list in the game.

Imagine having all of Berry, Bailey, Rayner, Cameron, Ah Che, McCluggage and Lohman at your disposal. Put that against Weightman, VDM, McNeil, Harmes and Gallagher, which are who we essentially fronted up with against Hawthorn.

Chalk and cheese, and indicative of where we're going to continue to struggle.

[JanLorMill]

It's crazy to look at the smaller to medium forward half attacking options in the Brisbane side versus ours, and then contemplate that a ****wit like Cornes could possibly suggest we have the best list in the game.

Imagine having all of Berry, Bailey, Rayner, Cameron, Ah Che, McCluggage and Lohman at your disposal. Put that against Weightman, VDM, McNeil, Harmes and Gallagher, which are who we essentially fronted up with against Hawthorn.

Chalk and cheese, and indicative of where we're going to continue to struggle.

Maybe but we have a better list than Sydney.

[jeemak]

This was never going to be who dominates the ruck wins as Fort actually competes. The danger was Fort not being up to it. Clearly he was and Grundy wasn’t well beaten but is a shadow of what he once was.

Grundy shat on him, Sydney won the clearances. Good on Fort for having a crack and not being completely wiped off the park, but if Tim put that performance in he'd be pilloried win, lose or draw.

And I don't want to make a thing of it, because I was originally just having some fun!

[jeemak]

Maybe but we have a better list than Sydney.

Possibly, but that's not what I'm contending, is it?

[JanLorMill]

Grundy shat on him, Sydney won the clearances. Good on Fort for having a crack and not being completely wiped off the park, but if Tim put that performance in he'd be pilloried win, lose or draw.

Again Grundy was poor in the second qtr when Brisbane got on top
When has English been as good as Fort today in a final?

[jeemak]

Again Grundy was poor in the second qtr when Brisbane got on top
When has English been as good as Fort today in a final?

I'm not saying English has been good in a final. I'm saying if he played like Fort did today he'd have been pilloried.

My view is ruck numbers and influence is almost always largely overstated depending on the outcome of the game. I'm on record as saying that outside of 2022 and this year there have been mitigating issues with Tim's finals performances, and that's on the club, but his past two finals have been ordinary and unacceptable.

I'm was also the first around here or one of who suggested we should have taken on Grundy when we had the chance. I've been clear in how Tim needs to be handled and how he needs to improve. I also don't get caught up in who should or shouldn't be our first ruck or whether Tim should be second ruck. Everyone knows the latter is true, but what's the point in worrying about something that isn't going to happen?

But I can't dress up Fort's performance beyond it being relatively serviceable just to shit on Tim. Again, Tim would have been shat on if he put up what Fort put up today, even if he did walk away with a premiership medal. It's just how it is.

[azabob]

It's crazy to look at the smaller to medium forward half attacking options in the Brisbane side versus ours, and then contemplate that a ****wit like Cornes could possibly suggest we have the best list in the game.

Imagine having all of Berry, Bailey, Rayner, Cameron, Ah Che, McCluggage and Lohman at your disposal. Put that against Weightman, VDM, McNeil, Harmes and Gallagher, which are who we essentially fronted up with against Hawthorn.

Chalk and cheese, and indicative of where we're going to continue to struggle.

Yep. I was thinking the exact same thing.

Cornes cannot go with that narrative purely because he said Brisbane will never win a flag with Daniher and Hipwood as their key targets.

Crazy to think the Lions have more young talent than us coming through.

[bornadog]

This was never going to be who dominates the ruck wins as Fort actually competes. The danger was Fort not being up to it. Clearly he was and Grundy wasn?t well beaten but is a shadow of what he once was.

36 hitouts, 15 HTA, 22 disposals - unfortunately the mids let him down. Fort was less than average with 19 HO, 5 HTA and 12 disposals

[1eyedog]

Again Grundy was poor in the second qtr when Brisbane got on top
When has English been as good as Fort today in a final?

Ouch. Fair though.

[jazzadogs]

36 hitouts, 15 HTA, 22 disposals - unfortunately the mids let him down. Fort was less than average with 19 HO, 5 HTA and 12 disposals

Grundy was fine, certainly didn't dominate but also not even remotely the reason why they lost.

Second quarter stats:

Brisbane 7.4 to Sydney 1.2
Gulden 3 disposals
Warner 3 disposals
Blakey 3 disposals
Heeney 7 disposals at 50%
Grundy 9 disposals, 7 hitouts

Meanwhile
Neale 9 disposals
Ashcroft 9 disposals
Dunkley 6 disposals
Lohmann 7 disposals, 1.0
Ah Chee 4 disposals, 2.0
Lions only had four players with 3 or less disposals in the second quarter. Swans had 3 of their best and most important playmakers offering nothing. Grundy did all he could but the midfield and forward line were dominated from the start.

[jeemak]

The big issue with Grundy in the second was his lapse against Joe. But gun forwards are often pretty good against rucks as the latter tire.

[JanLorMill]

I'm not saying English has been good in a final. I'm saying if he played like Fort did today he'd have been pilloried.

You are totally underselling what Fort did yesterday. He competed a lot better than English has done in 7 finals. If Brisbane had English rucking it would have been very hard to win.

[JanLorMill]

The big issue with Grundy in the second was his lapse against Joe. But gun forwards are often pretty good against rucks as the latter tire.

It was a quarter long thing anyway. Fort probably should have goaled.

[G-Mo77]

You are totally underselling what Fort did yesterday. He competed a lot better than English has done in 7 finals. If Brisbane had English rucking it would have been very hard to win.

Grundy would have had a field day if Tim was there. Tim just has to get better, get stronger, develop a harder edge, unfortunately a lot of that can't be taught. We're stuck with Tim now so have to work with what we have.

[GVGjr]

Grundy would have had a field day if Tim was there. Tim just has to get better, get stronger, develop a harder edge, unfortunately a lot of that can't be taught. We're stuck with Tim now so have to work with what we have.

We should be looking at bringing in a mature ruck option so at the very least Tim has someone to compete against over summer other than just Lachie Smith.