Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan has subtly warned that last year’s grand finalists are gearing up for another strong run, stating that “the stats don’t lie” and the numbers prove his team is a genuine premiership contender.
Despite acknowledging that the Lions were “in a bit of trouble” after winning just two of their first seven games, Fagan pointed to their four consecutive wins and rise into the top eight as evidence that the team’s sustained belief is driving another push towards the finals.
Before their second match of the season against Adelaide, Fagan highlighted the round 10 draw with the Crows as a “turning point” for his squad, which has lost only one of six games since. The team’s morale has also been boosted by continuous player re-signings, with Charlie Cameron and Jarrod Berry being the latest to pledge their futures to the club.
“We looked like we were in a bit of trouble at two and five after we got beaten by the Giants,” Fagan said on Thursday.
“So yeah, it was an important draw because the week before we had beaten the Gold Coast, but we’d lost I think three or four players from that team going into the Adelaide game. So there was a bit of disruption in the team.
“We played a lot of young blokes that night and to come away with at least a couple of points was a little bit of a confidence builder. If you look at our performance, pretty much since the first three games, I think if you do a ladder from round four onwards, you might find that we’re second. Our performance has been pretty good.”
