Fox Footy pundits have put the acid on the Brisbane Lions after the club’s 14-point loss to the Western Bulldogs on Thursday night, calling the team’s forward line its “No. 1 concern.”
The Lions have underwhelmed through the first three rounds following the lofty pre-season expectations put on them, falling to 1-2 despite some tipping them as the flag favourites after recruiting Josh Dunkley, Jack Gunston and Will Ashcroft.
But the midfield, which was seen as a key strength with the additions of Dunkley and Ashcroft, was well beaten in Brisbane’s Round 1 loss to Port Adelaide and against the Dogs despite a big win over Melbourne wedged between.
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Brisbane Lions Press Conference | 06:07
Speaking on Fox Footy post-match, dual premiership Kangaroo David King thinks the Lions’ current vulnerabilities through the centre is a genuine worry after their scrappy showing against the Dogs.
“Brisbane is a serious clearance team. That’s their profile. They set up to win clearance and dominate territory. If you can take that off them, they’re in trouble,” King told Fox Footy post-match.
“They’re in a bit of strife now, Brisbane. I think they’re getting worked out a little bit by the competition.
“It rings alarm bells for the Brisbane Lions in terms of without Daniel Rich down back, they didn’t look like they could move the ball at all. There was no one prepared to take a big risk and when they did, it looked like they weren’t on the same page.”
Dunkley (24 disposals, nine marks and six tackles) played arguably his best game yet for Brisbane against his former side the Bulldogs – to the sound of boos from his old fan base whenever he got the ball – while the likes of Lachie Neale (game-high 31 touches), Harris Andrews (21 possessions, 16 marks) and Gunston (three goals) were also prolific.
But the job was left to too few Lions on the night including Gunston being the only multiple goalkicker and the rest of Chris Fagan’s talented midfield struggling to have an impact.
“They’ve got some work to do. Who are the real Brisbane Lions? We’re still not sure,” Saints great Leigh Montagna told Fox Footy.
“Too many passengers for the Brisbane Lions tonight – and that has been an issue when they have got beaten and sometimes why they get beaten pretty badly. They have guys that just don’t find a way to get involved when it’s not their night.
“It was a tough night for a lot of those Brisbane Lions, who need to have a good hard look at themselves.
“There have been fluctuations and it’s hard to put a finger on right now. They were a team last year that could move the ball, it was one of their strengths – and it’s fallen away this year.”
Brisbane’s forward line, which, on paper, at least, is among the most potent in the competition, struggled to fire and converted just 7.11 including 0.4 from Joe Daniher, with the ex-Bomber, Eric Hipwood, Charlie Cameron, Lincoln McCarthy and Zac Bailey combining for only two goals.
Fagan post-match lamented his team’s “frustrating” inaccuracy in front of goal and lack of connection in attack in areas he said really let it down.
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Meanwhile three-time Coleman medallist Jason Dunstall suggested Hipwood is “relying on athleticism” and still has a ways to go to improve his forward craft to fulfil his potential.
“They’ve got some problems up forward and if they don’t fix those problems, they’re not going to enjoy any success this season. Eric Hipwood strikes me as a young man that’s come up and relied on his athletic ability … now you’re playing against hardened athletes all over the ground,” Dunstall noted.
“I just get the feeling he doesn’t have natural forward craft, he’s relying on that athleticism. But there’s great athletes all over the ground and you can’t just run past them. He needs to learn a bit more about where to position himself, how to get involved in more contests because he had no impact, Joe had no impact. You play too many games like that, it’s too much pressure on the other players.
“The ball came out of their defensive 50 at 100 miles an hour under no pressure, which puts their defence under a heap of pressure and eventually it’s got to crack – and it did. If they can’t get a greater defensive presence from their small and medium sized forwards … you’re going to have some problems.”
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For King, there’s overall too much inconsistency in Brisbane’s “box of chocolates” forward 50 group.
“You’ve got no idea what you’re going to get out of Daniher. You’ve got no idea what Eric is going to do week to week,” the Roos legend said.
“They throw the ruckman forward as an act of desperation. The smalls that are meant to do the work are hit and miss – Charlie (Cameron) was well beaten tonight, we waited for (Zac) Bailey to get himself into the game and didn’t really happen.
“So if you’ve got no security of surety with what you’re going to get with your key posts, how can you build an offence?
“It’s probably Chris Fagan’s No.1 concern.”
