Hurt Lion flying at long last

FORGOTTEN Brisbane Lions forward Allen Christensen is ready “to rock and roll” after 18 months on the sidelines and four collarbone operations.

Christensen, 26, will put his hand up to play AFLX, a highoctane version of the sport, in February and pre-season matches.

“I don’t think it will be a bad thing for me just to play as much footy as I can,” he said during the Lions’ pre-season training camp in Launceston.

“We’ll start discussing what my program looks like but at the moment I’m rocking up to training like it’s a game.

“I’m just enjoying being back as a full-time footballer.”

Christensen has not played since Round 11, 2016 when his right collarbone shattered after a collision with Carlton star Andrew Walker.

The livewire required more surgery at the start of the year after he re-injured the collarbone on the eve of the season.

Christensen returned in April, playing one game in the NEAFL before scans revealed a plate that was strengthening the collarbone had cracked.

But the ex-Cat is confident the nagging collarbone prob- lems are finally in the past, training strongly as the Lions ramped up preparations for 2018 at the University of Tas- mania campus in Launceston.

“Our training has definitely gone up another level in terms of body contact and con- sistency,” Christensen said.

“It’s a completely different ball game. It’s exciting. I just watch some of these players getting fitter and stronger.

“I look at Hugh McCluggage and he’s just a lot thicker than he was and a lot more confident in contests.” Despite claiming the wooden spoon lalast season, the Lions showed positive signs across ththe field, especially in the secondond half of the yearyear. But Christen warned tthe Lions must keep working hard to reap the rrewards. “We ’re under no illusions that we finished last last year and we have to improve,” he said. “It’s nnot going to happen overnight, we know that, but if we keep training at the intintensity we are, and keep asking questions of each other, and driving higher standards, the improvement will get there.” Christensen expects to play mostly in the forward line next season but hopes to create a formidable midfield rotation with All-Australian Lion Dayne Zorko. “The more people we can have going through that midfield I think the better off we’re going to be,” he said.