Fagan: Lions’ season ‘hanging well and truly in the balance’ after Hawks hoodoo continues
Lions coach Chris Fagan has admitted his side’s season is on the brink after another loss against the Hawks, with Brisbane now two and a half games adrift of the top eight.
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Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan admits his team’s season is “hanging well and truly in the balance” after their upset 25-point loss to Hawthorn on Sunday.
The result will leave the Lions two-and-a-half games adrift of the top eight nearing the halfway point of the season.
Without Keidean Coleman, Lincoln McCarthy, Tom Doedee and Darcy Gardiner, who are out for the year with ACL injuries, and Brandon Starcevich (calf) and Will Ashcroft (knee) still unavailable for at least the next fortnight, the Lions task is made all the more tougher.
But despite the odds being against them, Fagan remains optimistic about Brisbane’s chances of turning things around and qualifying for the finals like Carlton, GWS and Sydney did from worse positions last year.
“I’ve got a positive outlook towards the second half of the season,” Fagan said.
“I’ve got no reason to doubt their ability to fight back.
“They (GWS and Blues) are a good example and I think, as coaches, we always look for examples, whether it be in our own game or other sports, to talk to our players about.
“This is a bit of a unique situation for us. We haven’t been in it for five years, but here we are. Our season’s hanging well and truly in the balance.
“Whatever happens in the long run, it’ll be good for us as a footy club and as a team to try and fight through it.”
Given how tight the competition has become in recent years, Fagan said his players couldn’t afford to get “downhearted” about the position they currently find themselves in.
The Lions will try and mitigate their raft of season-ending injuries by using three picks at this week’s mid-season draft.
Fagan said their loss to Hawthorn wasn’t “the end of the world”, but he was disappointed with their poor first half which saw Hawthorn skip out to a game-high 35-point lead.
“Our pressure dropped and their ability to win contest and break our tackles went up,” Fagan said.
“That was the patch in the game that made the difference because after halftime I thought we fought pretty well. The third quarter was a really good quarter by us.
“The quality of their clearances was the difference in the game. They were plus 27 points from clearance.”
Fagan also bemoaned his team’s poor goalkicking which prevented them from grabbing the lead in the third term when they had all the momentum.
“The shots on goal were equal. We had our moments at the start of the game to actually convert a few and we had kicked 3.7 in the third quarter which probably hurt us,” he said.
Meanwhile, Fagan became the latest coach, after Michael Voss and Damien Hardwick, to at least voice surprise at the way the holding-the-ball rule is currently being enforced by the umpires.
“I would say it did look like today that it seemed like guys could be in tackles for an eternity and there was no decision paid,” Fagan said.
“I don’t know whether that’s been a change in tack or not. It certainly hasn’t been something that’s been communicated to clubs.
“It just does look a little bit different at the moment.”
SEASON SUNK? LIONS’ HAWK HOODOO CONTINUES
The Brisbane Lions’ finals ambitions have taken a massive hit after they suffered an upset 25-point loss to Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
Just one week after giving up a 41-point lead to Port Adelaide, Hawthorn watched on in horror as a six-goal buffer almost disappeared before their eyes against Brisbane, who fought back to within two points deep into the third quarter.
But Hawthorn managed to steady the ship with the next four goals before running out 15.10 (100) to 10.15 (75) winners.
Brisbane would have moved to within four or six points of the top eight had they won the match many expected them to win.
Instead, nearing the halfway mark of the season, last year’s runners-up could slip two-and-a-half games outside the eight and will probably need to win at least eight of their last 13 games to make the finals.
The Hawks have continued their impressive run of form since they started the year 0-5, and they’ve now won four of their last six matches.
Will Day was outstanding for the Hawks with 26 disposals (11 contested), five clearances and a goal, James Worpel had a big say on proceedings with 28 touches (13) and nine clearances, while Jack Gunston (seven marks) saved his best performance of the year for his old club with a season-high four goals.
Lachie Neale was Brisbane’s best performer with 29 possessions (13) and Kai Lohmann was lively up forward, registering 18 disposals and two goals.
HAWKS OFF TO A FLYER
Brisbane did most of the attacking to start the game with six of the first eight inside 50s and 12 of the first 16 contested possessions.
However, they failed to capitalise, kicking just one goal, and after the Hawks woke from their slumber, they responded ferociously by piling on eight of the next nine goals to lead by 35 points midway through the second period.
Hawthorn got on top around the stoppages and dominated territory with 24 of the next 30 forward entries as Brisbane struggled badly to get the ball out of their backline.
It was one-way traffic. The Hawks had seven of the first eight clearances in the second term and a complete lack of pressure from the Lions allowed the hosts to march it into their attacking zone with impunity.
LIONS HIT BACK HARD
The momentum then shifted dramatically in favour of Brisbane who booted six of the next seven majors to trail by two points deep into the third quarter.
The Lions’ intensity lifted belatedly and they provided their forward line with much better supply on the back of their ability to control the contest in the third quarter by doubling Hawthorn for marks (32-15).
Brisbane’s confidence and belief skyrocketed, while the Hawks went back into their shells.
HAWKS MAKE LIONS PAY
The Lions had multiple chances to take the lead in the third term, but could only manage 3.7 from their 10 shots at goal.
And Hawthorn made them pay by wresting back the ascendancy with the next four goals to stretch their lead back out to 24 points in the final stanza as the Lions seemed to use up all their gas eating into the Hawks’ big early lead.
GINNIVAN GETS A RARE ONE
No player has to work harder to earn a free kick for being tackled too high than Hawthorn goalsneak Jack Ginnivan. And perhaps he only has himself to blame for that.
But late in the first quarter the umpire showed him a rare moment of mercy at the top of the goalsquare when Dayne Zorko caught him high, even though Ginnivan did his trademark double of dropping his knees and lifting his arm to accentuate the contact.
Nevertheless, he was paid the free kick and kicked the goal. Two minutes later, Zorko gifted the Hawks another goal when he gave away a 50m penalty to Day for not getting out of his way after he took a mark.
The subsequent territory bonus brought Day to the goalsquare and he made no mistake from point-blank range.
HAWTHORN 4.3, 9.5, 10.8, 15.10 (100)
BRIS. LIONS 1.3, 5.5, 8.12, 10.15 (75)
RONNY LERNER’S BEST
Hawks: Day, Worpel, Gunston, Sicily, Amon, D’Ambrosio, Ginnivan.
Lions: Neale, Lohmann, McInerney, Dunkley, Answerth.
GOALS
Hawks: Gunston 4, Chol 3, Dear 2, Mackenzie, Ginnivan, Day, Moore, C.Macdonald, Breust.
Lions: Morris 2, Lohmann 2, Bailey 2, Daniher 2, Ryan, Cameron.
UMPIRES Dalgleish, Findlay, Dore, Adair
29,664 at Marvel Stadium
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
RONNY LERNER’S VOTES
3 Will Day (HAW)
2 James Worpel (HAW)
1 Jack Gunston (HAW)
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