Alastair Lynch: Brisbane Lions tanking talk is laughable

ALASTAIR LYNCH: Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan is too experienced to remotely consider tempting the cultural problems you are inviting into your club with tanking.

Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan. Picture: AAP

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TANKING has once again been in the news in the last week, with Brisbane’s Round 23 match against North Melbourne, in particular, generating much discussion.

That match may see the loser receive the No.1 pick in the draft.

However, I find it laughable that anyone would suggest Brisbane would not do everything they possibly could to win that game.

I believe by pulling young stars Eric Hipwood, Hugh McCluggage and Jarrod Berry out of the longest and toughest road trip in footy to Perth on Sunday to take on West Coast, the Lions are trying to freshen them up to give the side the best chance of finishing the season strongly with wins over the Kangaroos and Suns.

Hipwood has played every game, Berry has played 17 and McCluggage 15 and they are not just role players, like most teenagers, but prime movers in a Brisbane side with only a small core of experienced players, many of whom have been injured.

Hugh McCluggage and Jarrod Berry. Picture: Getty Images

It is critical that periodically the workload on young bodies and minds is managed.

Chris Fagan is too experienced to remotely consider tempting the cultural problems you are inviting into your club with tanking, especially when year after year we see examples that the draft isn’t an exact science.

There are too many cases where pick one doesn’t prove to be the best player.

The most important factor for any draft pick is to slot into an elite, high-performance culture. Brisbane are still rebuilding that environment and are showing some encouraging signs.

Since the mid-season bye, Brisbane have achieved three wins, with losses to premiership aspirants Geelong, Port, Richmond and GWS and wins over Essendon, Fremantle and Carlton.

With four wins, already one more than last season, we can see the Fagan game plan being implemented and last year’s top-four draft picks impressing.

The Lions are clearly the youngest team playing at the moment, with only five players over the age of 25.

Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan. Picture: Chris Kidd

Each week we see more similarities with Hawthorn. While they have a long way to go, it is most obvious with their style of ball movement but you can also see a dark side to the Lions emerging.

They have had players rubbed out in their past two games and Fagan hasn’t minded a bit because this year is all about setting the tone for the future.

Brisbane base their game on controlled ball movement and kicking to players who have worked into space.

The uncontested marking was a feature of their win over Carlton.

Turnovers from poor execution or decision making is their big problem but they are sticking to their guns because Fagan knows that when that pattern of ball movement becomes second nature to the players, it will be effective.

Originally published as Alastair Lynch: Brisbane Lions tanking talk is laughable