Live by the sword
Fagan backs adventurous Lions
AFTER spending his first year coaxing a traumatised young footy side out of their shells, Chris Fagan is not about to risk sending them scurrying back in with too much criticism.
The second-year Brisbane coach was left ruing the one that got away on Saturday night when the Lions fought back from a 37-point deficit to draw level with the Demons only to hand momentum back to them with a series of errors.
Melbourne were good enough to cash in on the momentum swing and a late flurry of goals turned a potential upset into a 26-point victory at the Gabba.
Fagan was less concerned with the late fade-out than a poor approach to contested footy in the opening quarter which gave the Demons the early lead but over the course of the first two games of the year Brisbane’s major problem has been the familiar old turnovers.
Brisbane solved their turnover problems last year not by slowing down and playing it safe, but by pushing a sometimes risky pass into the corridor, because it robbed their opponents of the time to set up defensively the way they had against conservative and nervy Lions sides.
On Saturday night it was missed opportunities in front of goal by the Lions’ two best players, captain Dayne Beams and his deputy Dayne Zorko, that were most costly in the final quarter.
Throughout the game, second-year players Alex Witherden and Cedric Cox gifted the ball back to the Demons on occasion with execution errors but also opened them up with their willingness to take the game on. Both ended up being among Brisbane’s best.
Fagan said afterwards reenforcing the encouragement to take risks was the way to steer the Lions out of their early-season turnover troubles.
“We’re getting better – it is just frustrating at times.” GOALS Brisbane Melbourne Fremantle GOALS Bulldogs GOALS Sydney GOALS Port Adelaide CROWD LEADING GOAL KICKERS 12: