AFL Finals 2023: All latest Brisbane Lions news ahead of preliminary final against Carlton

Brisbane defender Jack Payne didn’t train at all last week – and it was a similar story on Tuesday, just days out from a looming showdown with Charlie Curnow.

Brisbane Lions co-captain Harris Andrews says the team is well-equipped for life without Jack Payne if his back line partner in crime is unable to get up in time to face Carlton on Saturday.

Payne, 23, was on light duties at Tuesday’s open training session at Brighton Homes Arena as he battled through an ankle injury that kept him off the track entirely during last week’s finals bye.

And if the first session of the week is any indication, Payne looks at long odds to be fit to face the Blues.

The key defender started the session off to the side of the main group and managed a few slow jog-throughs before going up the race, never to return.

His fitness will be the biggest concern for coach Chris Fagan ahead of the preliminary final at the Gabba and a looming match-up against Carlton’s twin towers Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay.

Ryan Lester and Jack Payne after the Lions qualifying final win. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos

The key area of improvement for the Lions this season has been their defensive system and Payne has played a massive role in that, after deputising for, and then succeeding, the now-retired Marcus Adams.

The club handed the Academy product a five-year contract extension in early August after discovering what life without him down back was like.

When Payne missed two games either side of the mid-season bye, the Lions endured their worst period of form and lost to both the Crows and Hawks.

But Andrews declared the Lions’ defensive system was built to minimise the deficit of a missing starter and backed Payne’s would-be replacement to stand tall under the preliminary final spotlight.

If Payne is ruled out, Darcy Gardiner and Darragh Joyce are Fagan’s two options.

Gardiner subbed in for Payne earlier in the season, while Joyce was just handed a one-year extension by the club last week.

Darragh Joyce marks during the VFL preliminary final on Saturday. Picture: Kelly Defina/AFL Photos

“He’s played a really vital part for us this year,” Andrews said of Payne.

“He’s been an integral part of our backline. His development has been unreal for us as a group (but) I feel like this year we’ve shown we’ve got great depth.

“Guys like Darragh Joyce and Darcy Gardiner, those guys can come in and play their role.

“Fages talks about it all the time. Good teams have great depth and that’s something I feel like we’ve had all year.

“We’ve got full trust in Dizz (Gardiner) if he does come in, or Darragh for that matter. These guys have played a lot of AFL football.

“We’ve gone away from having those really tight match-ups to playing in a system. There’s a really clear understanding within our backline group of what needs to be done in each role and we’ve got full trust in anyone who comes into the team to play that role.”

Harris Andrews, left, with Oscar McInerney and Conor McKenna at Brisbane training. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Carlton is expected to welcome back both Jack Martin and McKay for the Gabba blockbuster.

When the two sides last met in round eight, Brisbane was able to keep Curnow and McKay to two goals and 16 touches between them.

Payne’s lockdown job on Coleman Medallist Curnow went a long way to clinching the win for the Lions that day but Andrews said there was more to worry about than just the Blues’ spearhead.

“We would be very remiss if we thought he would be the one to drag them over the line,” Andrews said.

“They have a dangerous forward line, plenty of versatility down there with plenty of guys that can kick goals and dominate games.

“You don’t fluke your way into a prelim. They’ve been a great team, the way they’ve been able to turn their season around and find their way into a prelim is unbelievable.”

Jack Gunston trained with his left knee strapped but looked otherwise unbothered by the medial collateral ligament strain that has kept him out since round 23.

He appears fit to press his case for selection, though whether Fagan will consider his inclusion after almost six weeks on the sideline is the bigger question.