Questions Answered & Asked Round 1

Hey guys, here's something one of our members (Frizzo) is doing every Sunday evening, just for fun. He will address the big questions from the round, both those that have been asked, and those that have been answered.

Depending on the response of course...if you all think he is full of rubbish then let him know, but otherwise, he hopes it'll stir up a few issues and get people talking.

Questions Answered

Is The Brisbane Dynasty Over?

Yes. Well and truly yes. The 2006 Brisbane Lions are a far cry from the premiership winning teams. All those wondering if that slide to end last year was only temporary, it's not. Their performance against Geelong showed a couple of things:

1.) Brisbane's superstars (excluding Brown) no longer have the match-winning ability they once did. I would be very surprised if we see Akermanis and Voss, particularly Voss, turn a game on it's head this year.

2.) Their youngsters are not yet developed enough to perform well at the AFL level. "Potential" can be a very ugly word in footy, and we've all been hearing it a lot lately about Brisbane's youth. Two names spring to mind as players that have to take that next step within the next year or two. Merrett and Brennan. Both have shown "potential" but are yet to deliver. Hopefully, for Lions fans atleast, that potential soon turns into consistent ability to perform at the top level.

Is The Brisbane Dynasty Over? - Click Here For Discussion

Can Matthew Lloyd Perform As Captain?

If anyone saw Saturday night's game they know the answer to this is 'yes'. Best on ground by a mile, not only kicking 8 goals, but racking up over 25 posessions in total, Matthew Lloyd has seemingly added a new dimension to his game. Whether or not he can impact games week in and week out remains to be seen, but his performance alone against Sydney has made the Bombers one of the teams to watch with interest for season 2006.

People seem to forget that Matthew Lloyd is a three-time Coleman Medallist. His drop in form early last year was largely due to his injury, and from rounds 15-21 he averaged 5 goals a game. Starting with 8 goals in the first round this year...may it just be possible that we are yet to see the very best of Matty Lloyd?

Can Matthew Lloyd Perform As Captain? - Click Here For Discussion

Will The Pre-Season Turmoil Take It's Toll On West Coast?

Looks like no. Cousins and Sampi both performed admirably against the Saints, while the rest of the star-studded midfield seems to be going from strength to strength. Chris Judd broke a handful of PBs in pre-season training, while Daniel Kerr fresh off his astonishing Brownlow run is continuing that form on into the new season. Add to this the fact that Dean Cox is looking more and more superhuman in the ruck, and you have the makings of a team that look every bit as capable as last years.

Will The Pre-Season Turmoil Take It's Toll On West Coast? - Click Here For Discussion

Questions Asked

Do Freo Have What It Takes To Give The 2006 Finals a Shake?

On Sundays performance no, but Fremantle have struggled a lot in Tasmania, and it's possible that the match against the Hawks was simply an anomoly. What's more worrying was Chris Connoly's post-match press conference. Connoly answered none of the big questions raised from the game, such as why they were so thoroughly smashed in the middle in the third quarter, and seems content to lose most of his interstate games and win the home games.

Considering 5 of their 12 games at Subiaco are against Adelaide, West Coast (twice), Geelong, and St Kilda - all seemingly difficult games - the Dockers will need a handful of W's coming from the eastern side of the country if they're even to [i]make[/i] the finals this season. They have the ability to do it, but can they finally put it all together and make this their year? I asked my magic 8-ball and it said..."Cannot Tell You Now".

Do Freo Have What It Takes To Give The 2006 Finals a Shake? - Click Here For Discussion

Can Port Adelaide Cover The Loss Of Tredrea?

Not looking good off the back of the season-opener, but the Power have a number of unproven talls, and only time will tell if any of them can step in to (partially) fill the void left by Tredrea.

Can Port Adelaide Cover The Loss Of Tredrea? - Click Here For Discussion

Could The Dogs Really Be As Good As People Have Predicted?

Looks very, very likely. Will have to wait and see if they can consistently perform as they did on Friday night, but so far so good for the Doggies.

Could The Dogs Really Be As Good As People Have Predicted? - Click Here For Discussion