Pies won’t take Lions lightly

COLLINGWOOD will not be underestimating Brisbane Lions in Sunday’s AFL clash at the Gabba despite the Lions’ winless start to the season.

The Magpies played two games in five days last week, including Sunday’s loss to defending premier Richmond, but coach Nathan Buckley said they could not afford to take Brisbane lightly.

“They’ve played a lot of really solid footy,” Buckley said yesterday.

“They are yet to win a game but have lost a couple by less that a kick and have been in games for a long time, bar the Richmond game, and we’re not underestimating the capacity they bring.”

He has named AllAustralian midfielder Dayne Zorko, who has been tagged, ex-Magpie Dayne Beams, Charlie Cameron and ruckman Stefan Martin as players on the Pies’ radar.

Despite a long injury tally, star ruckman Brodie Grundy is a certain starter after recovering from shin soreness.

Grundy had a scan after the Tigers match with fears of a bone stress injury but Buckley said it was only a soft-tissue problem they would continue to monitor.

“Brodes probably thought it was a little bit more than that, but we’ll continue to manage him,” he said.

“He’s an important part of our best footy and has been a more-than-solid contributor for us for the first six weeks, so that’s a good result from the scan for us.”

Buckley said Darcy Moore and Taylor Adams would also suit up after overcoming hamstring complaints, while Travis Varcoe and Ben Crocker were set to come in after being rested for the Tigers.

The Magpies have defeated the Lions in six of their past seven clashes, including the four most recent Gabba matches, but Buckley said when he was a Collingwood player, he felt Brisbane was always on top.

“My kids were actually asking me, ‘Do we go well against Brisbane’. When I was a player, Brisbane were really hard to beat and at the top of the table,” he said.

“In the end, that has some influence but I would’ve thought the competition is far more even than it’s ever been and there are no easy games.

“Regardless of the opponent, you really are looking to attend to your part of the equation first and that’s where our focus will be.”