2025 Round 6: Pies Continue Recent Hoodoo Over the Sleepy Lions
Round 6, 2025: Brisbane Lions 7.11 53 defeated by Collingwood Magpies 16.9 105 at The Gabba, Brisbane
The less said about that game the better – at least from the perspective of a Lions fan.
I was supposed to be at the Gabba for the match, but a particularly nasty virus took hold of our household, leaving me curled up pathetically on the couch. Perhaps, though, it was a blessing in disguise—misery is easier endured from your own lounge room.
But It almost felt inevitable that the Lions would lose to Collingwood, given we'd managed to ride our luck spectacularly (yet worryingly) with five consecutive come-from-behind victories. The universe clearly decided we'd had enough of a good thing.
While some fans might highlight overly harsh umpiring calls at key moments, there’s no hiding that the Lions were genuinely ordinary against Collingwood—who, annoyingly, were outstanding. Nick Daicos was especially brilliant, which didn't exactly improve my mood.
Our accuracy in front of goal was also frustratingly poor, with misses like Logan Morris’ howler particularly agonising. Although, to be fair, the quality of our entries inside 50 were poor, often forcing our forwards into shots that were near impossible from the boundary or absurd distances.
Even more alarming was our performance at clearances, where our midfield was soundly beaten 26-36.
The Big O and Sam Day struggled in the ruck, getting beaten 18-37 in hit-outs. Without first use of the ball, we couldn't get any momentum from stoppages, giving the Pies every opportunity to torment our defenders.
Fatigue might also be creeping into the squad after a disrupted start to the season, as we appeared unusually sluggish.
Turning my attention to the AFL Player Ratings, it sadly reinforced the gloom.
Lachie Neale, who looks uncharacteristically mortal this season, was our top-rated player but managed just 12.4 rating points. Given our top Lion usually hits around 20, Neale’s modest performance was emblematic of our night.
Other sub-par showings weren't hard to find either.
Painful as it is to admit, Sam Day is feeling like a genuine 'jonah' for the Lions right now.
He's clearly struggling, and while I fully acknowledge the unfortunate personal challenges he's faced recently—and he absolutely has my sympathies—the stats and the eye-test suggest he's significantly underperforming compared to both teammates and his own historical average.
Watching last night, Day battled in front of goal and looked poor in the ruck. Honestly, I can’t help but wonder if Darcy Fort wouldn't be a better choice at this stage.
Still, it's early days, and perhaps Day will rediscover his mojo. Mind you, Charlie Cameron isn’t exactly setting the world on fire either—making it all the more miraculous we've won recent games with what feels increasingly like a makeshift forward line. We do miss the energy of Kai Lohmann.
However, credit where it's due, Noah Answerth quietly had an excellent game, achieving 11 player rating points (his fourth-best ever). He genuinely stood out as a rare beacon of hope in defence. Although, having said that, we still desperately miss another lockdown defender like Starcevich.
Anyway, I'll wrap up my analysis here before I depress myself (and you) further. Next up is a tricky away game against the Saints, then a blockbuster QClash the week after. Let's hope we've sorted some of this mess out by then.
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