Lions coach Chris Fagan has leapt to the defence of key Brisbane ahead Joe Daniher, asking critics to “reserve judgment” on the previous Essendon star reasonably than “choose on” him.
Daniher has been within the firing line forward of the Lions’ Gabba showdown with Collingwood on Thursday evening following his poor show in Brisbane’s 14-point loss to the Western Bulldogs final week.
Whereas Fagan was amongst these disillusioned with Daniher’s effort, which included 4 behinds and no targets, he known as for larger stability when commenting on the performances of the 2017 All-Australian.
“The week earlier than he kicks 4 targets (towards Melbourne) and no one’s speaking about him then,” the Lions coach mentioned.
“Then final week he kicks zero targets (and) 4 (behinds) and instantly it’s ‘let’s choose on Joey Daniher week’.
“He’s not the one one up right here. We want all of our different tall forwards to be enjoying just a little bit higher; our ahead line typically wasn’t at its greatest final week.
“Simply reserve judgment. We have a tendency to leap on his again fairly rapidly; we’re a lot slower patting him on the again when he performs effectively.”
Fagan mentioned he had addressed Daniher and fellow ahead Eric Hipwood about their failure to compete towards the Bulldogs.
“We’ve talked about that with our preparation for the sport this week.” he mentioned.
Fagan recommended defender Daniel Wealthy was an unlikely starter; the Lions are set to err on the facet of warning with the veteran by giving him one other week to recuperate from the quad pressure which dominated him out of the conflict with the Bulldogs.
“He’d be in some doubt,” Fagan mentioned.
“With an older man, you’re unsure. He’s in all probability proper to play, however do you do the smart factor and wait for one more week? That’s presumably the way in which that we’ll go,” Fagan mentioned.
Regardless of Brisbane’s detached kind to begin the season, Fagan mentioned a match towards the unbeaten and “scintillating” Magpies had come at a “good time”.
“Their skill to show up in numbers for contests, that’s been the best power this yr,” he mentioned of the workforce coached by Lions triple premiership-winning participant Craig McRae.
“They only outnumber the opposition after which win the ball away, and so they maintain it in movement and provide their forwards fairly effectively; all of them appear to be on the one web page with that.
“We’re wanting ahead to it. They’re in scintillating kind. They’re flying excessive in the intervening time, so it’s problem for us at time.”
