Brisbane Lions coach delivers cheeky swipe at Katy Perry and AFL

Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan has delivered a not-so-subtle shot at the AFL and popstar Katy Perry ahead of the Grand Final.

Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan has delivered a not-so-subtle jab at the AFL and popstar Katy Perry.

Fagan and the club touched down in Melbourne on Wednesday and had hoped to have a run on the MCG a few days out from the big game.

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Those hopes were shut down with the club falling behind the Grand Final entertainment on the pecking order.

Instead of holding a training session on Thursday at the home of footy, the ground will instead be used by Perry for the last of her rehearsals before Saturday.

While Fagan can see the funny side of it all, the Lions coach couldn’t help himself by taking a pot shot at the league over the move.

“It’s good to see that the AFL’s got their priorities right. Don’t let the team on that’s going to play the game, just get the artist on,” Fagan said on Channel 7’s Talking Footy.

“We understand that. Fortunately, we’ve played two games on the MCG in the last five weeks, so we’ve had reasonable preparation in that regard.

“Having played there last week was a bonus. And we’ll get a captain’s run there on Friday, so that should be fine.”

Fagan and the Lions were relegated down the road. pic: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

Perry was given priority at the MCG. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The Lions held training on Thursday just down the road at Punt Road Oval, Richmond’s home base as they ramped up for the Grand Final showdown against the Sydney Swans.

Fagan said coming off the back of last year’s Grand Final loss has the team primed and feeling more comfortable in Melbourne.

“I think the experience of last year, particularly for our players — most of the guys that are playing now, played last year; I think 17 or 18 of them — they seem much calmer this year,” he said on Wednesday night.

“I think they know what to expect. Last year, it was a little bit of the unknown, and that makes a fair difference.

“We had a team dinner tonight, just up the road from where we were staying, so that was good.

“And tomorrow (Thursday) we’ll do what we would have done in Brisbane. Last year, we trained and then jumped on a plane and came down — the plane ran late, we got here late.

“Whereas we’re here now, and a lot of the players are talking about that tonight, how they already feel like it’s a better routine.”

The Lions are ready to roar at the MCG. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

The Lions will go into battle without number one ruckman Oscar McInerney who suffered a shoulder injury in the club’s preliminary final clash against Geelong.

Despite the heartbreaking injury, the 30-year-old told NewsWire that he was “really content” even though he’d miss the biggest game of the season.

“I was ecstatic to be honest (after the preliminary final). We do all this hard work to get into the Grand Final, especially after last year, getting that taste, we just wanted to be back there,” McInerney said.

“To see the emotion in the rooms after it was incredible. Everyone thinks it’s this emotional period for myself, but to go down knowing that I gave it my best and went down swinging, I’m really content with that.

“I get to be really part of a group that’s striving to be able to do some special things over the next 48 to 72 hours.”

The Lions and Swans contest will take place on Saturday, September 28 with the Grand Final getting underway from 2:30pm (AEST).

Originally published as Brisbane Lions coach delivers cheeky swipe at Katy Perry and AFL