Until the start of the 2010 season this coming Thursday night, we have previewed in depth every 16 clubs. We started off with Fremantle, then the Bulldogs, the Kangaroos and Collingwood. Then we have looked at Richmond, Sydney, the West Coast Eagles, Essendon and Melbourne. Last week we start off with Geelong, we then previewed St Kilda, Adelaide, Hawthorn and yesterday Port Adelaide. Today we preview Brisbane and tomorrow Carlton.

On Tuesday, we will give a full season 2010 prediction/ preview like we did last year. If you would like to write or help out with Kick2Kick, please contact us.

What happened last year

With 13½ wins in 2009, and one of the best come from behind wins in a final (as they beat Carlton it was even better) you could say that Michael Voss’s first year as a senior coach was a unqualified success. It seems he inspired his troops to make up for some lost time after the glory years. With a fairly young group, the Lions basically won the games they should have and picked up a couple of big wins against the Cats and the Hawks. The rest were games they should have won.

What will happen in 2010

Most of the interest surrounds the revamped forward line. Star recruit Brendan Fevola will pay back the faith shown by the Lions in trading for him; he will demand the ball and can kick them from anywhere. Johnathan Brown will keep Fev in line off the field and will also rule the team with an iron fist, just what the coach wants. 2009 Rising star Daniel Rich will find it harder this year as shown in a couple of games late last year as he faces heavy tags, it will be interesting to see how he handles it.

The recruiting of so many seasoned players can only be for one reason; Voss is impatient and wants to strike while he has some relatively strong talent still at the club. His better players are aging and he needs to prove himself NOW! At the end of the day, will it be enough to get them through to the last Saturday in September, maybe not.

Justin Sherman was one of the shinning lights & will look to be apart of the new midfield as Black & Power age.

Likely finish: 5^th to 8^th

Players to watch

Jack Redden – is ready to make his move into the Lions midfield. A hard working type, he debuted against the Cats (a winning start) and then played in the last 10 games of the season.  He’s considered a chance for a rising star nomination.

Justin Sherman – had a great 2009 and will look to match it in 2010. His drive through the midfield and accurate kicking will provide the leading target with plenty of supply.

Johnathan Brown – will once again be the dominant forward up forward for the Lions, likely to take refuge a little further up field and look to feed the new full forward. Look for brown to dominate but to lay off many more goals.

Bench Warmers

Xavier Clarke – Unfortunately he’s not going to be the man to help this club. He’s already injured and with an “indefinite” next to his name on the injury list.

Travis Johnstone – has reached the end of his road; he’s had a couple of extra years in the sun after leaving the Dees but will soon be overtaken by more talented and hungry kids like Redden and Austin and Hawksley.

Need to Improve

Jared Brennan - is one of the most frustrating players to watch. He does some of the most spectacular things one game and then will take a vacation for a couple more. The difference between is best and worst is vast, he needs to level it out if he’s to be a part of Vossey’s plans.

Michael Rischitelli – has had a couple of solid years but needs to step it up if he’s to keep his spot with so many good youngsters desperate for his spot. He’s a contributor but apart from that…

Your thoughts

Can the two bulls play in the same paddock?

Has Voss sacrificed the future of the club in order to push for a premiership on 2010?

How many of the recycled players (other than Fevola) will make it into the team?

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