HIPWOOD TO BE THROWN IN DEEP END FOR LIONS
LIONS coach Chris Fagan says the absence of tall forwards Joe Daniher and Dan Mcstay had no bearing on the decision to bring fit-again giant Eric Hipwood straight back into Brisbane’s top 22 rather than via a spell in the VFL.
Ten months after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, Hipwood will make his AFL return on Saturday night when the in-form Lions take on the Crows at Adelaide Oval.
It seems the perfect for Hipwood’s comeback, with his 203cm presence set to prove crucial in Brisbane forward line that has lost Daniher (shoulder) and Mcstay (ankle) in the past two weeks.
However, Fagan (inset) nset) was adamant that it was as always the Lions’ plan for Hipwood to not only return this weekend at AFL level – without a stint in Brisbane’s reserves team – regardless of injuries to other players.
“He’s been ready to two or three weeks but we held him back – he was always going to play this weekend,” the Lions coach said.
“He’s a bona fide AFL player. Whether you get your match practice in the senior or reserves, it doesn’t matter, so we thought we’d put him straight in.
“If people are worried about risk and all those sorts of things, they shouldn’t. He could have played a month ago.
“We’ve been very cautious with Eric. He wanted to play a month ago, so we think that now’s the right time.
“We’ll manage him well over the next few weeks, and I think within a month, he’ll be back to the Eric that we know.”
The Lions adopted a similar easing-in period for Cam Rayner, who returned in round 1 this year after missing all of last season with an ACL injury.
“(H Hipwood) is a professional fess anyway, he knows how ho to play, he knows our systems s and our structure, t so there’s not too
much m need for instruction t – just go out and play p your game,” Fagan said. sai
The Th Lions are this weekend aiming aimi for an eighth victory from nine matches this season.
The Crows have only won three from eight and are staring at a third successive defeat, but Fagan promised complacency would not be an issue for his side.
“They (the Crows) have got their crowd there which certainly helps them,” Fagan said.
“They’re very capable and they’d be confident of their chances I’d imagine, and they’d be looking to bounce back from a few weeks of form they wouldn’t be too happy with.”