Queensland Giant looking to upset Lions at Gabba
SAMREID used to love going to the Gabba to watch the great Brisbane sides of the early 2000s.
Tonight, the Queenslander will be back with plans to spoil the Lions’ party as part of the visiting GWS Giants outfit.
“It’s a great ground to watch and also play, with the atmosphere there,” Reid said ahead of the semi-final. “It’s going to buzzing.
“Hopefully they pack it out, everyone turns up ... and we make it deathly silent.
“It’s important to get off to a good start up there on their home turf, silence the crowd.”
The 29-year-old from the Sunshinecoast grew up a Lions fan, idolising Jason Akermanis and Michael Voss.
“Every time we get to play up there in Queensland is pretty special,” Reid said.
“I’ve got all my family and friends who don’t really get to go to many games. Got all them cruising down this week.
“Hopefully we get the win in front of them.”
It will be Reid’s sixth game at the venue, where the Giants hold a 4-2 record against the hosts. They’ve won their past four there but know tonight will be a challenge.
“We usually play pretty well up there,” Reid said.
“But they’ve obviously had a really good year. And they would have learnt a few things over the last two weeks playing against one of the flag favourites in Richmond.”
The Giants were smashed in their last outing against the Lions, in Sydney, the visitors capitalising on injuries to GWS stars Josh Kelly and Stephen Coniglio.
The Giants have got Kelly back and so too their mojo, which was on display in the elimination final win over Western Bulldogs.
“We just love being involved in finals,” Reid said. “For a young club, four years in a row, it’s a massive effort.
“The way we went about it on the weekend with our physicality, going at them, we’ll look to do the same this week.”
It has been a landmark season for Reid who was first drafted by the Bulldogs in 2007. After joining the fledgling GWSIN 2012 injuries forced his premature retirement in 2013.
Getting his body right while playing in the NEAFL, he was re-drafted, and like a fine wine is getting better with age.
After 43 games in 10 years, Reid has added 44 in two, finding a permanent spot in a defence that has “clicked” and is primed to challenge Charlie Cameron and co this week.
“Obviously they’ve got some really dangerous players” Reid said. “If you let them get free rein, they are going to turn it on.
“But we’ll look at what Richmond did a little bit ... see what we can emulate.
“We back our defence to get the job done against any forward line.”
Reid admitted the Giants may try to get into the Lions’ heads when in front of goal after they booted an inaccurate 8.17 in the qualifying final loss to the Tigers.
“Probably. If you can get under their skin somehow,” he said.
“They are such a good team, wewant to find little weak spots wherever they are.” ADELAIDE great Mark Ricciuto says he’s torn on the merits of appointing an experienced AFL mentor or younger coach to replace Don Pyke.
But the Crows’ sole premiership coach, Malcolm Blight, is pushing for a younger coach to succeed Pyke, who quit on Thursday.
Ricciuto, a current board member and the club’s only Brownlow medallist, says he’s likely to be part of a panel to find the next coach. But he’s “not set” on whether to pick an experienced head coach or someone untested for the top job.
“There’s positives of both,” Ricciuto said yesterday.
Sacked Fremantle boss Ross Lyon and Michael Voss, who coached Brisbane for five seasons and has been assistant coach at Port Adelaide since the 2015 season, are among the potential candidates.