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“Against good teams, you’re never going to be able to have momentum all the time, you’re never going to be able to dominate the playoffs and dominate the zone all the time,” said Lions vice-captain Hugh McClough.
“We need to be better at making sure we make it a neutral battle when other teams are outplaying us. It's everybody's responsibility – every line and every player out there, to be able to win this game when the momentum starts to shift against us.”
Lions vice-captain Hugh McCluggage.credit: Getty Images
Realistically, it would take some major upsets for Brisbane's season to end prematurely.
For example, if the Lions suffer an 80-point defeat at the hands of the Bombers, and Fremantle shock Port Adelaide 103-57, Brisbane's percentage will drop below the Dockers while they have the same points.
Carlton, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs will then have to beat St Kilda (13th), North Melbourne (17th) and the Greater Western Sydney Giants (3rd), respectively.
Once again, strange things happened.
Even the Sydney Swans, who had been at the top of the table all year, showed some cracks in their defence, despite securing the second-tier championship.
Until their three-point win over unsettled Collingwood two weeks ago, they had suffered three straight defeats – a nerve-wracking game against Brisbane, a comprehensive loss to the Bulldogs and a 112-point collapse against the Power.
The Lions were often their own worst enemy. Despite leading the competition in shots from 50 yards, Brisbane only managed to shoot from 50 yards, with the rest of the shots coming from distance.
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But despite no team being able to win the title from outside the top four, this statistic is now under threat.
Both the Blues and Giants came within a whisker of making the final last year, and McCluggage believes the Lions could have done better.
“I looked at Carlton and Giants last year, they didn't make the top four, but they found some great form late in the year, and they both made the playoffs,” he said.
“We did that in 2022, where we ended up qualifying for the playoffs from fifth or sixth place. It’s all about momentum, and I think this year, in particular, the competition is so close that any team can really win it.
“It's difficult to win a final, whether you're first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh or eighth. They're always tough battles, that's why we have to work this week and make sure we're good in those moments.
“That’s what finals come down to. I don’t think winning a single match from fifth to eighth would be harder, but obviously winning a match from two, three or four would be tough for any team.
“But we were able to do that over the past period.” [nine weeks] … So we're optimistic that if we do the right things, and get back to basics, we'll be able to do it again, no matter what time of year it is.”
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