Brisbane Lions trial match notes: Lachie Neale among big name absentees as pre-season heats up

Lachie Neale was among the big names missing as Brisbane’s pre-season went up a notch with a trial match on Friday — but the club insists the Brownlow medallist is in no doubt for opening round.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 09: Callum Ah Chee of the Lions in action during a Brisbane Lions AFL intra-club match at Brighton Homes Arena on February 09, 2024 in Ipswich, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Brisbane kept some of its big guns on ice for Friday’s wet weather intraclub match at Springfield but it was all according to plan for the grand finalists as they inch toward their Opening Round clash against Carlton next month.

Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale was held out for another week as a precautionary measure as he recovers from minor groin surgery but is expected to suit up against Gold Coast in next Thursday’s practice match, while fellow midfielder Hugh McCluggage also sat out with a corked quad.

Neale ran laps early in the afternoon before kicking the feet up to watch his teammates go hammer and tongs over four 25-minute quarters in soggy conditions at Springfield.

“We tossed up about whether to give him a run today but we feel another week of intense rehab training and another session on Tuesday on the track (and) he’ll be pretty much right to go next week against Gold Coast,” Lions footy boss Danny Daly said.

“Lachie is a seasoned campaigner now. He doesn’t need too many games to get going so we figured if we got him through the Gold Coast game – and obviously the Sydney game (the following week) it would be enough preparation for him, so we just felt it wasn’t worth the risk of getting him out there today.”

Kalin Lane rises high to mark. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

callum Ah Chee on the burst. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Charlie Cameron dishes off a handball. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Jarrod Berry (shoulder) and Deven Robertson (wrist) also joined Neale in the rehab group on Friday.

Daly said Berry would be fit to face the Suns next week, however Robertson was a wait and see at this stage.

“Whether he’ll be right next week or not is unknown at this stage but more likely the Sydney game he will be right to play.”

Defender Conor McKenna also ran laps after straining his hamstring in last week’s intraclub clash and is in a race to be fit for Opening Round.

The Lions have circled Rounds 3-5 as a target return for off-season recruit Tom Doedee, who is at the tail end of his ACL rehab.

“If he gets through everything he needs to in the next 4-5 weeks that’s probably the aim, to get him back around that time,” Daly said.

“He’s missed a lot of football. We haven’t spoken to him about what that looks like, whether we give him a couple of games through the VFL … we’ll sit down with Tom at some point in the next few weeks and work through what that looks like.”

All-Australian Charlie Cameron had a date with the dentist to rectify the damage from his heavy knock last season against Richmond that dislodged some of his front teeth. He is expected to feature against the Suns next week.

Josh Dunkley kicks under pressure. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

RAMPAGING RAIN-ER

The footy was far from pretty on Friday as the rain tumbled down at Springfield, but a handful of players still managed to stand out.

With a host of big-name midfielders absent, Cam Rayner started through the middle before moving forward and was close to best afield with two goals.

He threw his body around at stoppage and got the blue side up and running early, finding plenty of footy before playing out of the goalsquare where he kicked a classy goal off the left in the second term and another late.

Whether Rayner can expect more midfield minutes this season remains to be seen, though the former No. 1 pick proved he is more than capable of longer stints in the engine room.

Zac Bailey and Josh Dunkley found plenty of the footy between the arcs, while Brandon Starcevich had leather poisoning to halftime before swapping teams.

Noah Answerth is tackled by Darcy Wilmot. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

GARDINER SWAP FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY

Eyebrows were raised last week when key defender Darcy Gardiner booted three goals playing out of the goalsquare.

The veteran again started forward on Friday but Daly declared the move was a break glass type of precautionary switch, in case the Lions found themselves with a glut of forward line injuries during the season.

Joe Daniher was the pick of the forwards with three goals to his name, while off-season recruit Brandon Ryan bagged two.

Lincoln McCarthy looked sharp inside 50 and put his name on the scoresheet, while Kai Lohmann again put his hand up for an early season start with a classy display forward of centre.

Lohmann, who could be in line to fill Deven Robertson’s boots should the midfielder not be fit in time for Opening Round, kicked a goal and was seconds away from another, with the third-quarter siren barely beating him to the punch.

Originally published as Brisbane Lions trial match notes: Lachie Neale among big name absentees as pre-season heats up