Zorko can now kickstart season: Fagan
BRISBANE coach Chris Fagan expects Dayne Zorko’s four-goal, 34-possession game against Collingwood to be a turning point in the 2017 All Australian’s season.
The livewire Lions co-captain had a down start to the season with only his performance against Melbourne approaching the standard he set himself in the last campaign..
Zorko reached a low point with back-to-back 10-possession games against the Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney, but Fagan was delighted with the way he pulled himself out of his funk in Sunday’s seven-point defeat. “He’ll have other challenges ahead but that will just give him con- fidence he can work his way through those scenarios and come out the other side a better footballer,” Fagan said.
“Over the two weeks he’s now worked out the attitude you need to have to force your way and impose yourself on games so all credit to him.
“He persisted and he’s been able to work his way through it.”
Although a heavy tag was not laid on Zorko, Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said the Magpies – who previously this season allowed Tom Mitchell his record 54-possession game – had plans for the talisman but did not carry them out.
“Whatever our plans were they didn’t work,” he said.
“I think a large part of that was the way we allowed the game to be played but also the way Brisbane were able to impose their style on the game which makes it a little bit harder to defend the opposition’s better players, of which Zorko was one.” ■ Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett will not offer coach Alastair Clarkson an early contract extension despite the Hawks impressive start to the season. LIONS coach Chris Fagan was at pains to point out last week there was more to Matt Eagles’ selection than the novelty factor of a dreadlocked reality TV show winner.
Eagles will come under great focus when the team to take on the Western Bulldogs is picked this week.
On paper the Bulldogs, with their small forward line, don’t have an obvious matchup for the key defender.
The Dogs are smaller and fleet of foot all over the ground and the Brisbane side that played Collingwood on Sunday is too top heavy.
Oscar McInerney or Eagles, 28, would be the obvious players to make way should the Lions try to get more groundlevel players into the side.
Brisbane officials say they were surprised the biggest roars from the crowd were reserved for the winner of season two of Foxtel’s The Recruit, and realise they have a potential cult figure on their hands.
Fagan said last week his pathway to the AFL through the show and the publicity his debut would generate may have made it harder for him to earn a game, and yesterday Eagles said he always felt he would be marked a little differently.
“I felt there was a lot more pressure on me, a lot of people (were) watching,’’ he said.
“I worked really hard on the show, very grateful for it, but once I got to the club it made me realise how much work I had to do.’’