Test for resurgent Lions
THE Brisbane Lions hype train has gathered serious momentum and coach Chris Fagan seems content to sit back and watch it either continue chugging along or crash off the rails.
Fagan said his players had every right to soak in “their moment” after last week’s potentially era- defining victory over Hawthorn in Tasmania. Long- suffering fans, too, are rejoicing at what appears to be the beginning of the end of Brisbane’s status as a rebuilding AFL side.
The Lions’ third win in a row has prompted an increased media spotlight on Fagan’s young team, particularly from the AFL’s dominant southern states, while Queensland footy has been little more than a footnote for the better part of a decade.
Fagan suspects tonight’s clash against Adelaide at the Gabba will reveal how well they’ve dealt with the hype.
“It’s probably been a foreign concept for this group to win matches in a row. It’s been interesting to see how they’ve coped with it,” Fagan said yesterday.
“Suddenly the media and the attention around the footy club has changed. The best learning comes from mistakes and failures.
“It’s like that even with your own kids – you can give them all the advice in the world but they usually go and try it anyway and work out it doesn’t work and learn through experience.
“Footy’s a little bit like that with young men. Our blokes are aware of all those sorts of things and we’ll find out whether they’ve coped with the week or not.” Brisbane haven’t strung four consecutive wins together since the opening rounds of the 2010 season.
The Crows, though, shape as a formidable assignment.
Skipper Taylor Walker is suspended, but they have regained key position pair Daniel Talia and Mitch McGovern from injury, the latter having been sidelined for 10 weeks. The Lions are unchanged, and entitled to feel somewhat flat- tered that opposition teams have started rushing their stars back to play against them rather than resting them from what used to be an easily winnable fixture. “They’re not yet at their full strength but they’re certainly building,” Fagan said.
“We know we’re facing up against an Adelaide team that’s got a bit more confidence and optimism than they’ve had in the last little while.”
In other AFL news Sydney young gun Will Hayward will tick off a career first in today’s match against Gold Coast, with a far more meaningful milestone looming in September. Hayward has played all 16 games this season and represented the red and white some 17 times in 2017, but he’s never faced the Suns.
It’ll be a similar story in Round 21, when he tackles Melbourne for the first time.
The opening week of September, when the Swans look set to make it 15 finals appearances in 16 consecutive seasons, should also deliver something new.