Brisbane Lions confident addition of Stuart Dew to coaching staff will help the club’s younger players

The Lions are in a “precarious position” ahead of their clash with the Western Bulldogs and they hope a new addition can help turn things around.

Former Suns coach Stuart Dew has been welcomed into the Lions’ den. Picture: Chris Hyde/AFL Photos/via Getty Images

Lions coach Chris Fagan is happy to welcome former Gold Coast Suns mentor Stuart Dew back into the AFL fold as he searches for answers to Brisbane’s disappointing form.

While insisting Friday night’s clash with the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium isn’t a “must-win” affair for the Lions, Fagan admits Brisbane is in a “precarious position”, having won only four from 11 matches this season.

“If you focus on the result, you play with too much fear inside you,” Fagan said.

“You’ve got to focus on the process, think the process is fearless, think about what you’ve got to do in every second of the game – that’s the best way to go.

“Yes, we are in a precarious position. We know that, but thinking about that’s not going to help. It’s just focusing in on what we need to do.”

Fagan hopes Dew, who won premierships as a player with Port Adelaide and Hawthorn, can help with that.

Sacked by the Suns last season, 44-year-old Dew will work with the Lions once a week to assist with “skill acquisition”.

“He reached out a few weeks ago. He’s keen to get back into the coaching thing, and we think he can help our younger players with their skill development and game knowledge,” Fagan said.

“We had a good chat. I know ‘Dewy’ from the Hawthorn days. I’ve known him for a long time.

“He’s a highly credentialed coach, he was an assistant coach at the (Sydney) Swans through a really successful period, he did a good job at the Suns, and it’s good to have a person like him back, albeit a little bit, in football.”

Lions coach Chris Fagan admits his side is in a ‘precarious position’. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Fagan said the Lions would need to recapture their “very best” form to beat a Bulldogs side backing up from an 18-point win over reigning premiers Collingwood.

“The `Dogs are in great form … and they’re a very talented team on their ground,” he said

“For as long as Luke Beveridge has been coaching the Bulldogs they’ve been brilliantly strong in the (midfield), so our midfielders are going to have to be on their toes, but we know that we at our best in our midfield are very, very good.”

Fagan also wants Brisbane to improve its goalkicking accuracy.

“(A lack of) accuracy has really hurt us at different times and probably cost us the opportunity to win games, maybe three or four times in the early part of the year,” he said.

“We’ve always faced up to our issues, and hopefully we can be a little bit more accurate in the second half of the year.”

Defender Brandon Starcevich is set to return on Friday night after missing Brisbane’s past four matches with a calf injury.

“He looks good. He’s an experienced defender and knows our system really well,” Fagan said.

The Lions’ three mid-season draft acquisitions – forwards Will McLachlan and Darcy Craven, and rebound defender Luke Beecken – are expected to play for Brisbane’s VFL team on Friday afternoon against Footscray at Whitten Oval.

Originally published as Brisbane Lions confident addition of Stuart Dew to coaching staff will help the club’s younger players