Brisbane Lions AFL news: Draftee Harry Sharp named for a surprise Round 1 debut
The Lions wrote Harry Sharp’s school a note in order for the draftee to train on Friday. And there was a very good reason to skip school. Here’s the remarkable story.
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An 18-year-old schoolboy, who required a school permission slip to attend the Lions captain’s run on Friday, will make his highly anticipated debut for Brisbane in Saturday’s season opener at the Gabba.
Former junior steeplechase champion Harry Sharp has got the nod from Lions coach Chris Fagan to help around the midfield in place of injured star Cam Rayner in their Round 1 clash against the Swans.
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His debut is made even more remarkable considering he is still at school, as part of the Year 12 cohort at St Laurence’s College in Brisbane’s south.
Lions general manager of football Danny Daly even had to send a note to Sharp’s school principal, Chris Leadbetter, on Friday asking whether the schoolboy sensation could attend the team’s captain’s run during school hours.
“Please excuse Harry Sharp’s absence from school this morning,” Daly wrote to Leadbetter.
“Harry has been selected to make his AFL debut against the Sydney Swans and is required at the Gabba this morning to take part in captain’s run training session.
“He’ll be back in time for science.”
With wet weather forecast for Saturday’s match, Sharp has beaten the likes of Rhys Mathieson and Ely Smith for the final spot in the Lions line-up.
The youngster was pick No. 43 overall in the 2020 AFL Draft and has thoroughly impressed the coaching staff over the pre-season.
He ran a sub-nine minute 3km time trial in January and played “better than expected” against the Suns in the pre-season practice match, kicking a goal and notching up 10 disposals.
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Fagan said he had been blown away by the youngster’s skill and ability on the field.
“I think he did well (over the pre-season),” Fagan said.
“He got the opportunity when Cam Rayner went off in the Gold Coast game and he probably did better than we expected to be quite truthful.
“We gave him that opportunity thinking he might get 15 minutes and give him a taste of AFL football, which would be good for his development, but as it turns out he got two and a half quarters and had quite an impact.
“He certainly came from a long way back before that game and has put himself in the frame along with five or six others.”
Saturday’s match will also see new recruit Joe Daniher line up for the first time in Lions colours with the rest of the squad predominantly similar to the side which played in last year’s finals series.
Fellow youngsters Keidean Coleman and Jack Payne have been given another crack having both impressed in their five games last year.
The match will also see the Lions AFLW side play at the Gabba for the first time ever when they host North Melbourne in Round 8 of the competition.
Zorko primed for big year after nagging injury
Lions skipper Dayne Zorko says a nagging Achilles problem won’t affect his trademark explosiveness and agility as the club prepares for their season opener against the Swans on Saturday night.
Zorko has been hampered by an Achilles tendon issue for the past year and was on restricted training duties over the pre-season to manage the issue.
The 32-year-old admitted he was not playing at his physical best during the 2020 season and was often left feeling “sore” after most matches.
However, ahead of Saturday’s blockbuster double-header at the Gabba, Zorko said his pre-season injury management and training schedule had him primed for an explosive year.
“I certainly feel like I haven’t lost any of that (explosiveness and agility) which is really important,” Zorko said.
“It’s probably the area where I lost last year.
“It’s great to get the confidence back in that area and not have any pain in those movements.
“That’s comforting for my headspace and I just have to get through now.
“I feel really, really good and really confident I can get through the year hindrance-free.”
After missing Tuesday’s training session to manage his Achilles, Zorko was back at training on Thursday afternoon when the Lions had a run at the Gabba.
It was the first time since last year’s finals series the Lions had trained on the Gabba surface, which was being used for the summer cricket season up until last week.
Zorko said it allowed some of the club’s new recruits to familiarise themselves with the Brisbane ground.
“Big Joe (Daniher) hadn’t seen it, nor had Nakia (Cockatoo) and our draftees so it was good for them to get out there,” he said.
“The markings have gone out and it looks really good.”
Brisbane come up against a Swans side brimming with young talent, with debutants Logan McDonald, Braeden Campbell and Errol Gulden all expected to be named for the Sydney club.
The Lions captain said his teammates had to be wary of both young and old come Saturday night.
“They’re debuting potentially three players, which is fantastic for those guys, but you know what you’re going to get from (the Swans),” Zorko said.
“They’ve got a lot of players there who have played a lot of games who can teach those (younger) guys through the moments and we need to be wary of that.”
GABBA PRIMED FOR FOOTY BEFORE DOUBLE-HEADER
Gabba general manager Mark Zundans has dismissed concerns over the stadium’s playing surface for this weekend’s historic double-header clash, which is on track for a bumper first round crowd.
The Sheffield Shield cricket wrapped up at the Gabba a week out from the start of the AFL season, prompting concerns around the state of the field.
However, Zundans said the ground staff had been able to prepare a “first-class” surface when the Lions play a double header at the Gabba on Saturday evening.
“It demonstrates our agility and our ability to bend and flex depending on what’s going on,” Zundans said during the AFL season launch at the Gabba on Wednesday.
“With the cricket being moved to only a week out from the AFL season, it has put the ground’s team under pressure but it’s something they’ve handled extraordinarily well.
“People can see another first-class Gabba pitch this year.
“We’re really looking forward to it.”
Ticket sales to Saturday’s double header have almost reached the 30,000 mark — a figure which has pleased Gabba organisers.
Saturday’s clash will see the Lions AFLW squad played on the hallowed Gabba turf for the first time in their five-year history, ahead of the men’s season opener later that night.
Zundans called on Queensland fans to pack out the 42,000-seat venue for the historic game.
“We’re looking somewhere around 30,000 this weekend, which is pretty solid for an opening round,” he said.
“We’re just really happy that we’re in a spot to welcome a 100 per cent capacity.
“We encourage everyone to get down and support their home team.”
The Lions enjoyed a huge home ground advantage during the 2020 season, playing 11 games at the Gabba, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced all teams to play in Queensland.
However with interstate travel set to return, Brisbane will be forced back on the road every second week for the opening rounds of the competition.
Brisbane forward Eric Hipwood was confident the return to travel would not affect the Lions growing momentum as premiership contenders.
“It won’t affect us at all,” Hipwood said.
“I love playing at the Gabba and playing in front of our home fans.
“It’s a hostile environment when we’re winning so I certainly enjoy it but then again, I’m looking forward to being able to play at the MCG and other venues like that.
“It’s going to be good to travel again and they’re opportunities to build closer bonds with your teammates when you travel away.
“It’s an edge we had on oppositions in previous years.”
HOW DANIHER, HIPWOOD WILL FORM LETHAL PARTNERSHIP
Lions forward Eric Hipwood made it an objective of his to work on his goalkicking over the pre-season but it’s been the addition of star recruit Joe Daniher which has sparked a renewed sense of confidence.
Questions have been raised over the combination of both Hipwood and Daniher and how they will work together in the Lions forward line.
Both stand at more than 200cm, both are left-footers and both are handy goal kickers but according to their teammates, that’s where the similarities end.
“They’re somewhat different players,” Lions All-Australian defender Harris Andrews said.
“Hippy roams around the ground and uses his athleticism and then his role is to probably kick the ball inside 50 to Joe.
“Joe is just such an imposing figure up forward.
“If we can get those two guys working together, then there aren’t many defences that can deal with two, even three with Dan McStay, big boys.
“They’re not the 200cm forwards where if the ball is in the air and hits the deck they’re useless.
“These boys actually go hard and get the ball and put the pressure on.”
The Lions practice matches against the Suns – as well as their intra-club matches – have highlighted the dangerous threat both these talls pose up front.
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan’s game plan is set to release Hipwood further up the ground while Daniher will play a role closer to goal.
During their practice match against the Gold Coast earlier this month, Daniher kicked 4.3 from eight shots at goal while Hipwood booted four majors as well.
It comes after a season where Hipwood kicked 24 goals in 19 games – below his 2019 rate of 35 goals in 23 matches.
And it’s why the 23-year-old made goal kicking practice his number one priority over the off-season.
“I’ve gotten fitter and a little bit stronger and I’ve worked really, really hard on my goalkicking,” Hipwood said.
“That’s been my objective over the pre-season, just improving on that.
“At the moment, I’m going really well with it all.
“I’ve changed my routine a little bit but you can’t replicate match day pressure so until the real stuff happens, it doesn’t mean much at the moment.”
He may be fitter and stronger but Hipwood also revealed how Daniher’s arrival had instilled plenty of belief in the young Lions pack.
Both players have trained alongside each other in every single pre-season session and Hipwood said the former Essendon tall had given his new teammates a confidence boost leading into this season.
“He just gives us a lot of confidence,” he said.
“He’s done everything in terms of individual accolades – things like an All-Australian, a club champion.
“But it’s also the little things he does, I’ve taken them and put them into my own game.
“I’ve learnt a lot from him and it gives me a lot of confidence that I’m doing all the right things.
“He instils some belief into the group.”
As a small forward, Lincoln McCarthy said the Hipwood-Daniher alliance up front was a force to be reckoned with.
“Whilst they’re both really tall, left-footers, they are still quite different in the way they play the game,” McCarthy said.
“They’ve complemented each other and complemented our group really well.
“They’ve both shown they can hit the scoreboard in the last couple of weeks.
“As a small forward, it’s great.”
Meanwhile, Lions skipper Dayne Zorko said Daniher’s influence on the team was as much off the field as it was on it.
“He’s the sort of person that when he talks, everyone listens,” Zorko said.
“He doesn’t say a lot but when he does it has so much meaning and power behind it.
“He’s getting more comfortable talking out more which has been great.
“He’s really starting to take ownership of that forward line and that’s probably an area where we haven’t had a lot of leadership in previous years.
“I have a lot of belief and confidence that what I have seen from Joe so far is certainly going to help the growth of the leadership department in the forward line.”
LIONS PACT: WE WANT TEAMS TO FEAR US
The Brisbane Lions pack have hit back at suggestions they lack the ruthlessness to go to the next level, revealing how they’ve adopted a more aggressive mindset leading into the 2021 season.
A sentiment shared among former AFL hardmen Paul Chapman and Jordan Lewis, as well as Fox Footy’s David King, found the Brisbane squad lacked a “nastiness” to become true premiership contenders.
Comparisons were made between the Lions of today and the Richmond, Hawthorn and Geelong sides at their prime in recent years.
However, Brisbane’s All-Australian defender Harris Andrews hit back at those claims, revealing the squad was working on becoming more aggressive footballers.
“You look at (former AFL and Brisbane great) Luke Hodge, one of the most respected players in the league, but there weren’t many fan bases outside of the Hawks who liked him,” Andrews said.
“He was just so ruthless out on the field and we’re certainly looking to bring a more aggressive mindset this year with the way we play and things we do during a game.
“We worked on that a little bit over the summer and we want to put that into play.”
Brisbane forward Lincoln McCarthy said they wanted to become a team which opposition players feared.
“If we were thinking of anything, that could be a nice mindset shift for us,” McCarthy said.
“Without being arrogant footballers, we want to have a presence and almost be feared a little bit.
“It’s just part of the sport psychology.
“We want to put ourselves in the best position and we’ll be doing everything we can so that teams don’t want to verse us.”
Brisbane’s historic qualifying final win over Richmond last year was evident a hard-style mentality worked in the Lions favour and could be used as a “remember that night” moment.
However, Andrews admitted it was the heartbreak of their subsequent match – their preliminary final loss to Geelong – which fuelled the fire for 2021.
“You look at Geelong, and we talked about it before the game, they had been in four or five preliminary finals and had never made it through to the grand final,” Andrews said.
“So clearly they had a lot of heartbreak.
“We’re going to try and do a similar thing, by using our own heartbreak as motivation.
“The way they performed that night, they had a lot of experienced bodies who had played a lot of footy together and we feel like we’re building towards that.
“We need to continually improve that ruthlessness like the really good teams have.”
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