Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has revealed star ballwinner Lachie Neale was battling harm and sickness in the course of the lean interval earlier than he roared again to his finest kind in opposition to Collingwood.
After subdued performances within the loss to Gold Coast and their final two wins, the co-captain fired with 31 disposals and 10 clearances because the Lions claimed their sixth victory in a row over the Magpies.
Fagan performed down the importance of the prolonged profitable streak as he praised changes the facet had made since its disastrous ultimate quarter in opposition to fellow flag contenders Melbourne in spherical 18.
Neale mentioned his kind had been “common” when chatting with AFL360 earlier within the week, however his coach mentioned the Brownlow medallist was being unfair to himself.
Fagan mentioned he tried to persuade Neale to have a relaxation after final week’s win in opposition to Adelaide, however the skipper had been decided to remain on the sector.
“To be truthful, he didn’t actually say it in the course of the week when he was requested, however he’s had a little bit of flu and he’s been a bit of bit injured as effectively,” Fagan mentioned.
“This week was the primary time he’s been in a position to get out on the monitor and prepare usually, and I feel he acquired a number of confidence from that.
“He’s a reasonably robust form of man, however simply the season had worn him down a bit of bit bodily.”
Fagan mentioned the evaluate of their dealing with of the ultimate moments in opposition to the Demons had helped the Lions ship the five-goal ultimate time period which crushed Collingwood’s hopes.
“That’s the factor about your losses – they really enable you extra typically than your wins, since you do study a bit from them,” Fagan mentioned.
“I’m not taking any credit score away from Melbourne, however we, and I, botched the final 5 or 6 minutes of that recreation. It was a tough lesson to study, however a very good lesson.
“After we’ve discovered ourselves in that state of affairs the final 4 instances since that recreation, funnily sufficient it’s labored out OK for us.”
Fagan mentioned Callum Ah Chee’s again harm was seemingly a “brief time period” difficulty, whereas small ahead Lincoln McCarthy was taken out of the sport as a precaution with calf tightness, though a pressure couldn’t but be dominated out.
He was cautious of the added problem the Magpies would convey if the 2 sides met once more in finals, as he poured chilly water over the notion the Lions are their bogey facet regardless of the six straight wins.
“If we meet once more they’ll have some good gamers again in, so it’ll be a troublesome process, however on the again of two six-day turnarounds, off a Perth journey … fairly particular effort by our gamers,” Fagan mentioned.
“In all probability the speculation that you simply guys will provide you with is we simply haven’t performed them on the MCG.
“That’s most likely the rationale, we’ve performed on the Gabba most of the time – we’re laborious to beat there.”
Fagan was amused by Deven Robertson’s a number of minute stint enjoying and not using a guernsey in the course of the second time period, which he wasn’t positive was authorized.
“I wasn’t positive what the rule is, to be sincere … I suppose if I had the construct that Deven Robertson’s acquired, I’d be fairly glad working round for a few minutes with no prime on,” he mentioned.
Initially revealed as AFL 2023: Lions study from Melbourne loss to dismantle Pies