Alastair Lynch urges Lions to adopt famous Leigh Matthews mantra against Richmond
Triple premiership Lion Alastair Lynch says Brisbane should channel one of Leigh Matthews’ most famous lines to snap Richmond’s Gabba winning streak in the qualifying final.
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Brisbane great Alastair Lynch has urged the Lions to channel Leigh Matthews famous “if it bleeds we can kill it” mantra to dethrone Richmond in the first qualifying final.
Matthews famously inspired his Lions to knock off a white-hot Essendon side in Round 10, 2011 by using the line from the movie Predator.
Brisbane didn’t lose again that season, peeling off 16 consecutive wins to claim the 2001 premiership on their way to a famous three-peat.
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Lynch, part of Fox Footy’s finals telecast, told the Herald Sun this current crop of Lions could use the simple message of Matthews’ motivational speech.
The Tigers have won their past eight games at the Gabba and are riding a nine-match win streak, but Lynch says Matthews helped remove the stigma of an unbeatable foe.
“It was an amazing week with what Leigh did because ‘if it bleeds we can kills it’ essentially got us feeling we could beat Essendon,” he said.
“They were absolutely flying and it wasn’t that we couldn’t beat them, but we weren’t overly confident.
“He went to everyone in the room and said, ‘Can you execute your role, can you win your match-up?’.
“You had this doubt about how can we possibly beat this superpower to all I have to do is my job. It refocused on our roles and we won the next 16 games in a row on the back of that.”
Lynch said Chris Fagan wouldn’t be so brash as to declare those tactics publicly — Matthews publicly uttered the Predator line mid-week — but would use the same ethos.
Fagan admitted this weekend his players had been a little overawed early against Richmond in front of 76,995 MCG fans but believed they settled well after half time.
“Brisbane should go in confident,” Lynch said.
“There was a period last week where they did get blown away but then they hung in there. They have seen where the bar is and although it was above where they played, they can achieve it this time.”
Lynch has no doubt the umpires will place greater scrutiny on All-Australian defender Dylan Grimes after his tight-checking on Lions forward Charlie Cameron.
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A fortnight of publicity and complaints on behalf of Cameron will have the umpires on red alert, but Grimes gave away only 16 free kicks in 21 games this home-and-away season.
“Charlie will be looking for a big one. Grimes did a great job with what was very, very close checking.
“The umpires will be aware there was some disappointment from the Lions about the holding. It wasn’t paid so they will checking again and this time if they are there will be paid, I am sure.”
Cameron has won 23 free kicks for the year and given away 23, with Fagan urging him mid-game to get on the move to break the Grimes sleeper hold.
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