Brisbane Lions seek to make amends for shocking early-season loss to the GWS Giants

As good as the Brisbane Lions have been on their nine-game winning streak, the pain of a poor display more than three months ago still lingers.

The Lions will seek “redemption” on Saturday despite having won nine successive matches ahead of their Gabba showdown against the GWS Giants.

Depending on the result of Friday night’s clash between Sydney and Collingwood, Brisbane could jump to first spot on the AFL ladder with a win over the Giants.

However, pride is also at stake for the Lions, who haven’t forgotten their embarrassing 54-point loss to GWS on April 25.

It was not only Brisbane’s fifth loss in seven matches, it was also the “low point” of the team’s season, according to Lions coach Chris Fagan.

“We’re playing against an opposition team who gave us our worst beating for the year,” Fagan said on Thursday.

“That was probably our low point for the year, so hopefully we can get some redemption.”

If Brisbane needed a wake-up call, it came in the thrashing at Manuka Oval.

Since then, the Lions have only tasted defeat once in 13 matches to storm into premiership favouritism.

Dejected Lions pair Charlie Cameron (left) and Kai Lohmann reflect on Brisbane’s 54-point loss to the GWS Giants in April. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

“We obviously looked at that game and how that beat us and try to prevent that from happening again, but outside of that, we’ve come a long way as a footy team from that point in time,” Fagan said.

However, such is the tight nature of this year’s competition, the Lions still have plenty of work ahead of them to gain their ultimate “redemption”, a premiership, after losing last season’s grand final by just four points.

“I can’t recall a season like this. I can’t recall a season where there’s probably still a dozen teams that can make the finals,” Fagan said.

“It’s exciting for the fans, and I think it’s what the AFL have been hoping and aiming for all along with all the equalisation policies they’ve had.

“It can put you under a lot of pressure sometimes, but pretty much, there’s three rounds of footy to go and every week leading into the finals is going to be a final of some description.

“It’s good that we’re participants in that and not out of out of the action. We’re well and truly in it. Our destiny’s in our own hands.

“The players are embracing it. We’ve just been taking it one game at a time because that’s all we could afford to do. We couldn’t afford to think too far ahead.”

The fourth-placed Giants are also in good form, having won their past five matches.

“They’re a terrific team. They’ve had some great results this year. They’re hard to beat,” Fagan said of GWS.

“(Giants star) Toby Greene’s a big-game performer. He’ll be trying to do his best to get his team over the line on Saturday, so we need to play well.”