How lucky Lion rallied for shot at flag after 2024 pain
Murray Wenzel |
Darcy Gardiner puts a lot of it down to luck.
Luck that he’ll play in Saturday’s grand final for the Brisbane Lions, while others who were in the same boat as him a year ago will not.
And luck that determines just how effective Gardiner and his back line are at quietening the impact of Geelong’s star forward Jeremy Cameron.
Gardiner, who turned 30 this week, Keidean Coleman and Lincoln McCarthy all tore knee ligaments early last season.
The Lions, having lost the 2023 decider, regrouped in 2024 to storm to a breakthrough flag without that trio.
The early-season motivation for the entire group was to get there again, so their injured teammates could taste it too.
But Coleman, injured in the opening round of 2024, managed just one AFL game this season after rehabilitation setbacks and new concerns.
McCarthy didn’t play at all, requiring a second reconstructive surgery after re-injuring his knee in the pre-season. He’s been running laps while the team guns for back-to-back flags.
Gardiner has navigated the maze, the veteran defender initially deployed as a forward before season-ending injuries to defenders Jack Payne, Noah Answerth and Tom Doedee cleared space in the back six.
In 2023, Gardiner played just four games but won his spot in the decider they lost to Collingwood ahead of Payne, who was hobbled by an ankle injury.
“It’s a hard one, because there’s plenty of disappointment for some, but I’m happy to be here,” Gardiner said.
“It’s a lot of luck involved in these things. I saw all the work they (McCarthy and Coleman) did, I did the work with those guys.
“No one’s cutting corners, everyone put in, so I feel very lucky to be in this position.
“It’s always a tough one (to miss a grand final); you put on a brave face because you want to be out there but they do a good job and you get around them.
“They know it’s just part of the journey and will keep going.”
Gardiner’s return, on track for his 200th game later next season, has been crucial for the Lions’ injury-hit defence.
He was solid when swapped onto Cameron after the usually sound Ryan Lester allowed a finals-record six shots on goal in the first quarter of Brisbane’s qualifying final loss to the Cats.
And he had a season-high 17 disposals and nine one-percenters in Saturday’s preliminary final defeat of Collingwood.
But in between he had two first-quarter goals kicked on him by Ben King and was swiftly relieved of those duties before the Lions overcame a fast-starting Gold Coast.
“It’s tricky and again, always a bit of luck involved, with how the ball’s coming in and who’s on him at that particular time,” Gardiner said of the crucial Cameron assignment.
“We were under the pump a fair bit, I don’t think anyone was stopping him and I don’t know what it’ll look like this week.
“It’s just, ‘no ego, just cop it on the chin’.
“And we had a bit of a laugh about it on the field; Froggy (Lester) goes, ‘Oh is it my turn (to help you out) this week?’.
“That’s the way it goes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
“You move on and at the end of the day, whatever we’ve got to change to get the result, that’s all we’re after.”
While still only 30, Gardiner has played 12 seasons after debuting as an 18-year-old as the battling club copped a string of high-profile departures. Â
He jokes that the grey hairs are the result of being “in the wars a few times”.
“The body ages quicker than the mind, unfortunately,” he said.
“But I wouldn’t keep playing if I didn’t have my eyes on this (premiership).Â
“It’s the only thing I want to achieve, playing footy.”
AAP
