Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan careful not to give Magpies any extra incentive

“A lot of water has passed under the bridge” since last year’s AFL grand final, and Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan has been careful not to dig up old wounds.

Cautious Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has made sure to avoid fanning the flames ahead of the Lions’ MCG showdown with Collingwood, refusing to comment on suggestions the Magpies had the better of the umpiring calls in last year’s grand final between the two teams.

Swans coach John Longmire was astounded this week after Collingwood coach Craig McRae said his side would have been awarded a crucial 50m penalty in the Magpies’ three-point loss to Sydney last Friday night had the game been played at the MCG, not the SCG.

“It was an extraordinary admission from the coach of a team that has the biggest home-ground advantage in the AFL,” Longmire said.

“This year they play 14 games at the MCG (and) they play three at Marvel (Stadium). That’s 17 games essentially in front of their home crowd, and they play finals and obviously the grand final on their home deck.

“I wonder what Chris Fagan thought of those comments.”

Longmire was seemingly alluding to last year’s grand final – won by four points by Collingwood at the MCG – particularly an incident in the dying stages when advantage was called on Lions forward Zac Bailey, who hadn’t heard the whistle after a free kick was paid to Brisbane co-captain Lachie Neale

Bailey, who was under pressure, rushed a kick that was cleared by the Magpies, who then held on to win.

A shattered Charlie Cameron and his Brisbane teammates leave the ground after losing last year’s AFL grand final. Picture Lachie Millard

When Fagan was asked on Thursday what he thought of the comments from McRae and Longmire, he decided against further inflaming matters.

“I think I’ll leave that one alone given we’re playing Collingwood this weekend,” the Lions coach said.

“John said what he said for his own reasons and I don’t want to buy into any debate about it.”

If the Lions are still seething about the decision that could have changed the outcome of the grand final, they have the perfect chance for retribution on Saturday by winning and ending any hope Collingwood has of a successful premiership defence.

“A lot of water has passed under the bridge and they’re in a different place and we’re in a different place,” Fagan said.

“You can build it up if you want to, but for us, it’s just another team we have to play and we have to beat to finish as high up the ladder as we can.

“If that means it finishes their finals opportunity, then that’s OK too.”

Having won nine successive matches to move to second spot on the ladder after a poor start to the season, the Lions have slipped to fifth after their 18-point home loss to the GWS Giants last Saturday.

“We haven’t made the finals yet,” Fagan said.

“It’s still mathematically possible that we could miss out, so we’ve just got to focus on this weekend.

“The main thing has always been for us, particularly since we (had a record of) two wins and five losses, was just to try to make the finals. That’s still our aim.”

Fagan said defender Jack Payne – who has missed Brisbane’s past five matches with a foot injury – would be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season, but was hopeful he would prove his fitness for the Lions’ likely finals campaign by playing a match for the club’s VFL team on the bye weekend before the start next month’s AFL top-eight series.

“We’d like to get a few of our backline stocks together so that we could put our strongest line-up out come finals time,” he said.

Originally published as Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan careful not to give Magpies any extra incentive