Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan not yet ready to risk Oscar McInerney at AFL level

While two players won’t be required to return for the Brisbane Lions via the reserves following lengthy lay-offs, Oscar McInerney will play in the club’s VFL team.

Lions coach Chris Fagan wants Oscar McInerney to play a game in the reserves before deciding if Brisbane’s first-choice ruckman’s recovering body is up to the rigours of AFL football

McInerney, who has been nursing back and other niggling injuries, is set to miss a fifth straight top-flight match on Saturday after again being named among the emergencies for Brisbane’s clash with the GWS Giants at the Gabba.

However, the 30-year-old big man will play for the Lions’ VFL team on Sunday against the GWS reserves at Springfield.

But Fagan has taken a different approach with two other fit-again players in defender Brandon Starcevich and forward Sam Day, who have both been brought straight back into the Lions’ AFL team after longer periods on the sidelines than McInerney with respective concussion and hamstring problems.

Brisbane ruckman Oscar McInerney must prove his body is up to the rigours of the AFL. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty Images

“Oscar is an emergency for the AFL team, so if we needed him (on Saturday), he could play, but if we don’t need him, he’ll have a run in the reserves on Sunday just to see how he pulls up from all his various things,” Fagan said on Friday.

“If he gets through that, then he’s back in line for proper consideration for the (AFL) team.

“We just want to see how his body pulls up after a game. The last time he played (against North Melbourne on May 11), his body couldn’t get through the game for various reasons, so he and we want to make sure that’s the case.

“He’d be frustrated, but he’s grateful for the time off, and I know his body feels as good as it’s felt in a long time … but you don’t really know until you get into a game.

“We’re just hopeful that once he gets into a game, that he can pull up well, and then we can keep moving forward.”

While not yet certain about McInerney, Fagan was confident that both Starcevich and Day were ready for an AFL return.

Starcevich’s only match this season was Brisbane’s four-point win over Sydney on March 15 when he suffered a third concussion in the space of eight months.

“He’s been pretty close to being right for a few weeks,” Fagan said. “He’s done a great training block and I’ve never seen him look so fit.
“He’s had plenty of time for his brain to get better. He’s gone through all the protocols and tests that he could.

“I basically let him do what he needed to do for him to put his own hand up when he was ready.

“It’s been a little bit elongated because he had about a month where he couldn’t train, and he needed to recondition again so that he could be ready to play AFL footy. “That’s been what the slow part of the process has been.”

Brandon Starcevich will return on Saturday for the Brisbane Lions. Picture: Albert Perez/Getty Images

Day hasn’t played since injuring his hamstring in Brisbane’s 17-point QClash win over his former club Gold Coast on May 4.

“It’s good to have him back. I felt like our forward line was functioning really well when he was part of the team,” Fagan said of the ex-Sun who came to Brisbane in the off-season following the retirement of premiership-winning forward Joe Daniher.

“He doesn’t kick many goals, but he does a lot of work that helps others kick goals, so we think his experience will help us in this game.”

The Lions are aiming to bounce back from their five-point loss to Adelaide last Friday, while the Giants are searching for consistency, having been up and down this season with a record of seven wins and six losses.

The Giants are also chasing revenge after the Lions fought back from 44 points down in the third quarter to end GWS’ finals campaign last season with a five-point win at Engie Stadium.

“They’re a very, very good team, and we’re more than aware of that,” Fagan said.

“We had some tough battles with them last year. We were lucky to win that final. It was a miraculous comeback. We wouldn’t want to be doing that (on Saturday).

“They’ve got an exceptionally talented team, and they can beat any team in the competition on their day, but so can we, so it’ll make for a good clash.”

Fagan said the Lions were preparing for Giants star Toby Greene to play, with GWS expected to make a decision on his availability just hours before the game after he suffered a corked left hip/glute injury in his team’s 16-point loss to Port Adelaide last Saturday.

“We’ll just have to wait and see what happens when the team sheets come out, but we’re planning for Toby to be in,” the Lions coach said.

“He’s a very good player, so that’s the best thing to do, and we’ll just adjust if need be.”

Originally published as Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan not yet ready to risk Oscar McInerney at AFL level