How ‘hard-nosed’ Fagan attacked Lions’ big semi dilemma
Murray Wenzel |
Any emotional lift Oscar McInerney’s AFL return gives the Brisbane Lions will be a “double bonus” after coach Chris Fagan said the club favourite had earned his semi-final recall.
The ruckman was the hard-luck story of the Lions’ 2024 premiership, missing the grand final after dislocating his shoulder a week earlier.
McInerney has battled with his body, particularly his back, in mustering 11 AFL appearances this season.
But three straight VFL outings, including a 21-disposal, one-goal effort in last weekend’s losing semi-final, has prompted Fagan to reunite the fan favourite with Darcy Fort for Saturday’s Gabba clash with Gold Coast.
Foundation Sun Sam Day, recruited by the Lions for the 2025 season after being delisted by Gold Coast, played in his first final last week but has been dropped for the high-stakes date with his former team.
“When you get to finals you’re hard-nosed about those decisions,” Fagan said.
“Whether it’s the right one or not, I don’t know. Hopefully it is.
“It was hard to tell Sam yesterday. It was disappointing for him.”
McInerney and Fort, who will play a career-high 19th game this season on Saturday, will trade time in the ruck and in the forward line against Suns linchpin Jarrod Witts.
The pair’s embrace after full-time at the MCG last year was one of the enduring moments of the Lions’ grand-final victory, with McInerney’s selflessness lauded.
“He’s played three full games the last three weeks in the VFL and he’s played really well,” Fagan said of McInerney.
“He might be (an emotional booster, but) it wasn’t what was behind the decision to play him.
“It was being matter-of-fact about what we need.
“If he gives us an emotional lift, that’s a double bonus.”
Brisbane’s forwards had little impact in a flattening loss to Geelong last weekend and will have a tough task against an in-form Suns defence led by Sam Collins.
Veteran small forward Charlie Cameron was held to a career-low two disposals despite kicking the game’s first goal.
“He definitely had a quiet game last week,” Fagan said of a man who boasts 43 goals in 19 QClash fixtures.
“He’s disappointed (but) we’re not going to go out of our way to give him the ball.”
Not since 2016 has the 251-gamer kicked fewer than his 27 goals in a full season, while he hasn’t made more than two tackles in his past five games.
“The week before he kicked 2.3 and had plenty of tackles and the week before that he kicked 3.1 and had plenty of tackles,” the coach said of the 31-year-old’s efforts in wins over Hawthorn and Fremantle.
“We always raise his name when he has not such a good game, but we never really talk about him much when he’s playing well.
“That’s been the pattern all year.
“There’s no doubt when he’s hitting the scoreboard, he gets the crowd going and that gives the place a buzz.”
The Suns will arrive on a buzz of their own after a last-gasp defeat of Fremantle in the club’s first finals game.
“(In a semi-final) one team feels good about themselves and the other team doesn’t,” Fagan said.
“I’m hopeful that with our backs to the wall – we were a bit disappointed with what we produced last week – that we’ll respond.
“That ball’s in our court, we can’t control how the Suns turn up.
“It’s our seventh finals series, 18th final in seven years.
“It’s a good record, we’re accustomed to it and know what’s required.”
AAP
