With finals simply round the nook, the Brisbane Lions’ focus continues to be in direction of clinching one other double chance as they try to put an finish to a near-two decade premiership drought.
But there are additionally a number of urgent issues that they may want to give attention to – their dismal document at the MCG, in finals matches of current, and against Richmond relationship again to 2005.
Sunday afternoon’s conflict against the Tigers will give Chris Fagan’s facet one ultimate hitout at the house of soccer earlier than the finals get underway in September.
Already the Lions have performed at the ‘G once this season and on that occasion they left with their tails between their legs following a humiliating 64-point loss to Melbourne, after which Fagan pulled no punches following his side’s efficiency.
The truth it was their first sport at the house of soccer since spherical 1, 2020, when it misplaced to Hawthorn by 28 factors with no-one in attendance was, put merely, inexcusable.
They nonetheless have to play the Dees for a second time in the season, at the Gabba in the ultimate spherical, however earlier than that their rapid focus will flip in direction of dealing with Richmond this Sunday afternoon.
Though they’ve crushed the Tigers in two of their previous three conferences, each of these had been on house soil, whereas the final assembly happened at Metricon Stadium in spherical 18 final 12 months due to a COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria.
Overall, the Lions have solely crushed Richmond thrice since 2004, and solely as soon as in Melbourne in that interval – in spherical seven, 2009.
The Tigers’ dominance over the Lions could be traced again to spherical 9, 2005, when Nathan Brown booted 4 objectives as they brought on a significant upset by 4 factors at the Gabba, the week earlier than he suffered a sickening leg harm against Melbourne at Docklands.
After their previous 5 conferences happened in Queensland, Sunday’s match marks the first time they face one another in Victoria since spherical 23, 2019, and as with all matches that the Lions play in the state they may put on a particular guernsey honouring their Fitzroy heritage.
Fagan’s facet go into the match on the again of consecutive victories over the GWS Giants and Gold Coast Suns, this following an upset 10-point loss to Essendon at the Gabba through which the facet was ravaged by COVID-19 protocols.
The win over the Suns continued their domination in the QClash, this being their eighth straight victory over their M1 neighbours relationship again to late in the 2018 season. Despite this, the best-on-ground honours truly went to Suns co-captain Touk Miller.
The Lions will fancy their probabilities against a Richmond facet which have stumbled in current weeks, first blowing a 40-point lead against the Gold Coast Suns to lose by two, adopted by being upset by North Melbourne after which being held to a 7.10 (52) draw against Fremantle final Friday night time.
Noah Cumberland had the chance to be the hero for the Tigers, however performed on not understanding that the ultimate siren was about to sound, thus denying him the chance to win the match for his facet outright proper at the dying.
This adopted Jake Aarts enjoying on after which lacking a working shot at objective in the ultimate minute of their conflict against the Kangaroos, earlier than which Jason Castagna additionally bumped into an open objective solely to hit the put up against the Suns on the Gold Coast.
Coach Damien Hardwick has described the Tigers’ current misfortunes as “Richmond beating Richmond”; this got here 5 years after the time period “Richmondy” was coined in the wake of last-gasp losses to Fremantle and the GWS Giants early in the 2017 season.
The draw against the Dockers did his facet no favours so far as their finals hopes are involved, with the Tigers now sitting in tenth place on the ladder and needing to win each single match from right here on in if they’re to drive their manner again into the eight.
What isn’t serving to their trigger is the continued absence of former Brownlow Medallist Dustin Martin due to a hamstring harm, in addition to the retirements of Kane Lambert and Matthew Parker, the latter deciding to return house to Western Australia together with his household.
They do, nonetheless, have a comfortable draw after this weekend as they play no sides above them on the ladder in the run house, although they do have to face Port Adelaide at the Oval subsequent Saturday night time.
First, although, they want to deal with a Lions facet that’s aiming to safe a double chance for the fourth straight 12 months, and a win for the Tigers will go a good distance in direction of maintaining their finals probabilities alive.
As for the Lions, nicely, that is their final chance to show that they’ll carry out at the MCG, the place they’re presently on a ten-match shedding streak relationship again to 2015.
A win for Fagan’s males would show useful with September simply round the nook, as a result of in the event that they end third or fourth there may be the good chance they may have to play a qualifying ultimate at the floor come finals time.
