The Brisbane Lions have emerged as the Australian Football League’s comeback kings, yet their recent performances raise concerns about sustainability. It’s hard to deny how impressive the Lions’ resilience has been this season. They’ve returned from an average hole of 31 points in four of their five wins. Last Saturday, their latest win was over the Western Bulldogs. In fact, the Bulldogs held a 39-point lead just three minutes into the second half. Brisbane’s been remarkably good at coming from behind this season. Like any smart leader, head coach Chris Fagan understands the dangers built into this approach.
Brisbane has managed to secure dramatic comebacks, snatching victories from the jaws of defeat, including two classic finals against GWS and Geelong last September. The Lions are 12-0 in the last two years when trailing at three-quarter time. This trend didn’t stop in 2022 as it continued early into 2023. Their brilliant second half of the season is what propelled them to become the AFL’s comeback kings.
Concerns Over Sustainability
Despite the thrilling nature of these comeback victories, Coach Fagan has expressed concerns regarding the long-term viability of such a strategy. After seeing his team’s continued poor performance during second quarters, he said something after the game today that needs to apply all the way out to the finish.
“Doing it that way is not sustainable, we know that, so we’ll keep working away at being more consistent throughout a game.” – Chris Fagan
Fagan’s observations highlight a paradox within the Lions’ gameplay. Though their second halves are always pristine, their second quarters have been dog shit. This, as you may have noticed this season, has left Fagan at times scratching his head at the team’s Jekyll-and-Hyde performance.
“It’s a pretty hard thing to do these days because all the teams you play are pretty good, so they’re going to get their momentum at some point as well,” Fagan added, underscoring the challenges faced by his squad.
Upcoming Challenges
As they prepare to host Collingwood on Easter Thursday at the Gabba, the Lions know they must rectify their mid-game inconsistencies. The only game they were really in control of was against Richmond in round four, where they were the only side to stay ahead from go to wo. The upcoming clash against Collingwood presents an opportunity for Brisbane to showcase their abilities while addressing critical areas for improvement.
The Lions have shown the heart of comebackers this season, and they’ll need to keep doing so. At the same time, they need to gain a better early game presence. With the Magpies earning a reputation for their tough and combative nature, this clash could determine just how successful Brisbane’s new approach to the 2022 campaign becomes.
