Madden in race for vacancy
THERE’S a race on and you don’t bet against James Madden in a race.
The Irishman, who holds the AFL combine speed and agility records, is one of a handful of Lions jostling to put their name at the top of the list to fill vacancy in defence Luke Hodge will leave when he calls it a day.
When Alex Witherden handed Hodge a beer at last year’s Christmas Party it came with the cheeky sledge that he was trying to get in his good books early because the day was approaching when he pulls off the jumper for the last time and replaces it with a coach’s polo shirt. In Witherden and Daniel Rich, the Lions have two superb users of the footy in their back half.
The club’s second pick in the 2017 draft, Zac Bailey, impressed there when he got his chance late last season and will receive more opportunities this year.
Madden says although he is giving his opponents a head start on the skills and some of the more intricate tactical knowledge, the one great advantage is Brisbane have told him from the start what they want from him.
“I would like to be able to do what Zac does but not exactly the same, bring a bit of Irishness to it I suppose,’’ he said.