Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has rejected suggestions the Lions have a discipline problem despite having three players unavailable through suspension for Saturday night’s clash with the Sydney Swans.
Co-captain Harris Andrews (three games), Zac Bailey (one game) and Darcy Gardiner (one game) were all banned following incidents in Brisbane’s five-point loss to the Western Bulldogs last weekend.
Throw in the injuries suffered by co-captain Hugh McCluggage (calf) and Logan Morris (hand) in the same game, and it will be a depleted Brisbane outfit trying to get the better of the Swans at the SCG.
“It’s a big challenge,” Fagan said on Friday.
“We’re probably facing adversity reasonably early in the season, but the thing about it is we’ve been a club, particularly over the last couple of years, that’s been able to cope with that really well.
“It’s going to be tested (on Saturday) night, though, because Sydney are in really good form.”
Fagan felt Andrews was “unlucky” for a stray and swinging arm that caught Bulldogs forward Arthur Jones across the face and left him concussed.
“I don’t think he intended to do what happened, but I understand the suspension, but I don’t think his intent was there. It wasn’t an undisciplined act,” the Lions coach said.
Fagan said the incidents involving Bailey and Gardiner, who were suspended for elbowing Michael Sellwood and a high arm on Aaron Naughton respectively, “didn’t really need to happen”.
“You’re a little bit disappointed with those, but it’s not a common problem we’ve had,” he said.
“It’s probably a little premature to say we’ve got a discipline issue.
“I don’t think historically we’ve had a team that’s had problems with that sort of stuff. I see this a bit of an outlier.”
Replacing the unavailable quintet are off-season recruit Sam Draper, Daniel Annable, Linc McCarthy, Noah Answerth and James Tunstill.
Forward McCarthy has undergone two knee reconstructions since his most recent AFL appearance in May 2024.
Defender Answerth missed the chance to play in Brisbane’s grand-final win last season after rupturing his achilles in July last year.
Ex-Essendon ruckman Draper has recovered from a foot problem, while 18-year-old midfielder Annable will make his AFL debut.
Zane Zakostelsky, who debuted last weekend, will revert to a defensive role against Sydney after being used as a ruckman against the Bulldogs.
“Zane has been training all summer long as a defender. He played in the ruck more (last week) out of necessity than anything else last week and did a very good job, (but) he’ll go back in the defence this week,” Fagan said.
