Fagan’s gamble to free 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 to rue 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 has led to Brisbane’s ongoing problem, 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 the opponents of the time to set up defensively they had previously enjoyed against conservative and nervy Lions sides.
On Saturday night it was missed opportunities in front of goal to 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 just going to keep going for it because it’s the only way we are going to get better,’’ he said.
“I can’t tell them off for mucking a pass up or saying you shouldn’t have done this or you shouldn’t have done that because they will go right back into their shells.
“We’ve got to keep going for it, just like we did last year, and the team got better with their disposal as the year went on.”
For the second week in a row the Lions could not find another gear when the opposition lifted in the final quarter but Fagan said it was not physical fatigue.
“It’s not fitness, it’s young teams being able to finish out games,’’ he said.
“We’re getting better, just frustrating at times.’’ it is