The Brisbane Lions have promised to keep away from turning into distracted by the battle for a top-two spot on the AFL ladder, fearing it can derail them from sustaining their dominance of the Gold Coast Suns at Heritage Bank Stadium on Saturday.
With 5 rounds of the common season remaining, the Lions are 4 factors adrift of second-placed Port Adelaide, who’ve misplaced their previous two matches.
If Port loses once more in Saturday night time’s Showdown in opposition to Adelaide, the Lions will end the weekend in second spot – because of a superior proportion – in the event that they win a tenth successive QClash.
Finishing the season within the prime two would safe the Lions the benefit of two finals collection matches on the Gabba, the place they haven’t misplaced this yr.
“The ladder fell our way a little bit (last) weekend with Collingwood coming over the top of Port, so it does, I guess, open the (top-two) opportunity up a little bit, but one thing we’ve been just trying to focus on is getting the job done every weekend rather than look too far ahead,” Lions ahead Linc McCarthy stated.
“As soon as we look too far ahead, we seem to come unstuck, so it’s going to be a big game this weekend.”
McCarthy promised the Lions wouldn’t underestimate the 14th-placed Suns, whose below-par season just lately value Stuart Dew his teaching job.
“We really rate them, so we’re going to have to be at our best,” the 29-year-old ahead stated of Brisbane’s Queensland rivals.
“We just think they’ve really improved year-on-year, and this year, I feel like in particular they’ve become a consistently competitive side.
“That’s giving them chances to win, but their losses haven’t been too bad either.
“They’ve tested some really good sides this year and beaten some good sides as well, so this weekend, it’s going to be a good contest. Hopefully, all our boys are up for the fight.”
The Lions will probably be with out younger star Will Ashcroft, whose debut AFL season is over after he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his proper knee in Brisbane’s house win over Geelong final Saturday.
“Obviously, it’s pretty devastating,” McCarthy stated.
“He’s had a cracking start to his career, not many better, to be honest, but this is a little speed bump for him.
“It’s pretty hard to cop for him right now, given the way he was going, but we’ll get around him.
“It’s a tough period, but you learn so much from these sorts of things, and he’ll come out of it better.”
Originally revealed as Brisbane Lions solely centered on securing tenth successive QClash win
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
