By Sam McClure
There are two things that struck Greater Western Sydney players midway through their second-half Anzac Day demolition job of the Brisbane Lions last round.
First, just how dysfunctional and disconnected Lions players seemed on the field compared with a similar group the previous year.
Lions forward Joe Daniher was singled out by former AFL coach Paul Roos for a poor performance.Credit: AFL Photos
And second, just how similar their plight seemed to echo that of GWS four years earlier.
Parallels can be drawn between the sharp demise of the Giants through early 2020 – which, it must be said, with footy impacted by the disastrous COVID-19 ordeal – and the fall of the Lions in 2024.
Both had been near-dominant forces for several seasons; the Giants (2016-17 and 2019) and the Lions (2020, 2022-23) made three out of four preliminary finals and both had grand final appearances, albeit with contrasting margins in their losses. The Lions were agonisingly close to Collingwood last year, while GWS were all but beaten by Richmond by early in the second quarter of the 2019 decider.
Both teams also started the next season (relatively) well. In 2020, GWS defeated Richmond in a pre-season grand final rematch before knocking off Geelong in round one in an ominous display. And while the Lions started 2024 with a loss, they had kicked seven of the first eight goals against Carlton and gave up a near 50-point lead before capitulating to the Blues by a point.
Two Giants players, who would not speak on the record given the sensitivity of publicly discussing opposition players, told The Scoop they were bewildered by the sheer laziness of the Lions last week in their nine-goal loss in Canberra.
Legendary coach Paul Roos, who also played 269 games for Fitzroy, was scathing in his assessment of the Lions in his new podcast, ABC AFL Daily, hosted by Catherine Murphy.
“Had enough, too hard, not interested any more in playing for each other,” Roos said.
“I’ve been through this as a coach. [Chris Fagan] would be really worried. Really, really, worried. Lazy on defence, their two brilliant forwards aren’t buying in any more.
The Giants’ Josh Kelly competes for the ball with Lions forward Charlie Cameron on Anzac Day.Credit: AFL Photos
“This is about what decision these Brisbane Lions players want to make. Do they still want to play for each other? Do they still want to win a premiership? It’s hard work, but what I’m seeing from some of their star players or some of their so-called star players is garbage, it’s absolute garbage.”
Roos was quick to defend Fagan and said it was still possible for the Lions to achieve something this year, comparing the situation to the one he had faced in 2005 when he coached Sydney. The Swans had slumped to a 2-4 record when they were belted by West Coast at Subiaco, but lost only four more games on their way to a historic premiership later that year.
Roos singled out senior Lions Charlie Cameron and Joe Daniher when venting his disappointment.
“Their efforts defensively are terrible,” he said.
“The reason they’re going into the forward line so often and getting so little result is because they don’t tackle in the forward line, they don’t chase. This is a problem that the Giants used to have, they used to have so much talent but no real system and structure. They can turn it around … but some of Joe’s efforts were borderline embarrassing.
“Is Joe a five- or six-goal forward against really poor teams and then one or two against really good teams? If that’s the case, then you have to put structures around him.”
While Roos placed more responsibility at the feet of players, others have been quick to point out the coach’s inability to identify the problem, highlighted in Fagan’s post-match press conference last week when he was unable to explain what went wrong.
Channel Nine’s Footy Classified panellist and The Age columnist Kane Cornes stated it was Fagan’s job to know what the problem was. But triple-premiership Brisbane Lions coach and club director Leigh Matthews scoffed at that.
“I kind of just shake my head,” a frustrated Matthews said on 3AW. “People who are talking about coaching, let alone coaches’ press conferences, who have never actually been the victim of one of those press conferences before.
“Any coach worth his salt will look at the replay before firming his own thinking. Then you decide what to go to your players with.
“The post-game is basically feeding the chooks.
“If any coach is astute enough to know exactly what he’s going to say to his players the next day or two, exactly what he’s going to do in the review process, it’s too early post-game.”
The Lions’ next attempt to revive their season comes on Sunday in a do-or-die match against crosstown rivals Gold Coast, a game that will be Damien Hardwick’s first QClash.
Suns star midfielder Noah Anderson said this week that while “hatred” might be too strong a word, there was “genuine dislike” between the two playing groups.
And if it’s a game the Suns win, then genuine pressure will be growing in the Lions’ den.
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