Lions out to protect streak against ‘confident’ Magpies
Oliver Caffrey |
The Brisbane Lions’ best winning streak since their premiership three-peat in the early 2000s goes on the line against Collingwood in a Gabba blockbuster.
Chris Fagan’s team has put together 10 wins in a row dating back to round 24 last year when they knocked off Essendon.
Included in the tally is last year’s grand-final thumping of Sydney that secured Brisbane’s first flag since 2003.
Not since Leigh Matthews’ golden era team won 20-straight games from 2001 to early 2002 have the Lions managed 10 in a row until now.
The last team to defeat Brisbane was Collingwood, when the Magpies pinched a one-point classic at the MCG last August after trailing until the dying stages.
Collingwood coach Craig McRae believes his team enters the Easter Thursday clash with confidence after putting a poor opening-round defeat to GWS behind them.
“This is a hard game to play up here at the Gabba against the reigning premier,” McRae said.
“We come up here in reasonably good form, but understanding what’s coming.
“They haven’t lost the game for this year and we were the last team to beat them, funnily enough.
“It’s early form, but there’s a lot to like about what they’re doing.”
After winning six-straight matches against Collingwood, the Lions have gone down in their last three encounters with the Magpies.
Collingwood missed finals last year, but still managed to beat Brisbane home and away.
The Magpies’ previous win was in the 2023 grand final when they came out on top by four points in one of the greatest deciders of all-time.
“Two quality teams going at it in recent times,” McRae said.
“We’ve had some cracking games.
‘They’re such a good team to watch and admire with a lot of skill with the ball, their midfield’s stacked, so lots of threats, and then when we get our game going it becomes an exciting game to watch.
“We come up here with great confidence.”
Not even Sydney tagger James Jordon, who kept Lachie Neale quiet in round one, could tame Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos last Friday night.
“Nick’s proving he’s hard to tag, but most teams are trying,” McRae said.
“I’d be surprised if (Josh) Dunkley went to him, maybe he does at stoppage.”
Collingwood regain midfielder-forward ace Jordan De Goey after he sat out last week’s win against Sydney with achilles soreness.
Forward Tim Membrey has been listed as “managed”.
The Lions will debut academy product Sam Marshall, who comes in to the team along with midfielder James Tunstill.
The pair come in for young small forward Will McLachlan and cult hero Bruce Reville.
AAP
