Same old Suns? Fagan dismisses Lions' QClash dominance
The Lions have beaten the Suns in 12 of their past 13 games, wiping them aside once already this season on their way to second place on the ladder.
Damien Hardwick's side was thrashed by Adelaide last week and will likely drop out of the top eight with another QClash loss.
But, chasing the club's maiden finals appearance, they boast wins over top-placed Collingwood, Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs and the Crows this season.
Hardwick this week declared his side was "not the same old Suns, it's the brand new Suns and we've got a big step (to take) this week".
Brisbane's midfield has dominated the Suns' star on-ballers in recent times, with Josh Dunkley expertly limiting the damage of Suns wrecking ball Matt Rowell.
Fagan is taking nothing for granted, though.
"I'm sort of not interested in history because the only thing that matters is tomorrow, and the truth is they've beaten some pretty good teams," he said.
"They're a much better version of themselves than we've played in a long time.
"It's a big game."
The Suns will be without star pair Touk Miller and Daniel Rioli, but will welcome back vice-captain Sam Collins and Lachie Weller from injuries.
Alex Davies, Jy Farrar and Nick Holman also return, with Rioli and Sam Clohesy out injured, and David Swallow, Jed Walter and Ben Jepson dropped.
Brisbane, ahead of a tough finish to the regular season, are within two competition points of the Magpies and have regained in-form forward Zac Bailey after a one-match suspension.
Kai Lohmann (calf) pulled up sore after Thursday's session, Fagan bringing Conor McKenna into the mix and persisting with his dual-ruck "experiment" of Darcy Fort and Oscar McInerney.
Lohmann, a star of last season's premiership run, was rediscovering his best form after an injury-hit opening to 2025.
"He'll be out for a week or two I'd imagine," Fagan said.
"I don't think it was a major thing, but calves are tricky.
"We've coped well, and we'll continue to do so.
"We've got a bit of flexibility there ... it's good because you never know what's going to happen down the track, so you've always got to be able to cope."
The coach said Keidean Coleman will play VFL for the Lions this week and would not be rushed back after hiccups following a long-term knee injury.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
4 hours ago
- West Australian
Fremantle Dockers forward Murphy Reid rated equal best on ground by coaches during western derby
Exciting Fremantle youngster Murphy Reid would have tied for the Glendinning-Allan Medal if Justin Longmuir and Andrew McQualter were voting for the award after the western derby on Saturday. In another boost for his AFL Rising Star hopes, Reid polled eight votes for his 23 disposals, 15 score involvements and one goal. The half-forward finished third in Glendinning-Allan Medal voting behind Hayden Young and Andrew Brayshaw, but the AFL Coaches Association votes told a different story. Longmuir and McQualter were required to submit votes on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis and Reid was locked with Young on eight votes. While individual voting remains confidential, one coach gave Reid five votes and the other handed him three. Brayshaw and Michael Frederick both received six votes, while Caleb Serong and Shai Bolton had one vote each. Reid has had a wonderful first season in the AFL and is one of the favourites to win the Rising Star award. He is competing with Adelaide's Daniel Curtin and Brisbane's Levi Ashcroft for that prize. Longmuir said Reid's consistency had set him apart from the other contenders this season when speaking after the win and defender Jordan Clark said his teammate reminded him of Collingwood superstar Scott Pendlebury. 'It sounds like a bit unrealistic comparing him to Scotty Pendlebury but he is a player like that who is not blessed with super speed but he sees the game and is very sharp in his mind,' Clark told The West Australian. 'He sees the game very well and he's very clean. I think he did watch a lot of Scotty Pendlebury growing up, so he's a very classy little player. I think he's got a lovely mix that works for him. 'I don't want to use it loosely and it's probably disrespecting Scotty Pendlebury in a way because he's one of the greatest players in the game. 'But you watch him and he's in positions where you think someone shouldn't get out of that, but he does. He's not a fast bloke, he's not massively built, he's just clever and classy. I think he thinks and sees the game ahead before people see what is going to happen.' Collingwood's Nick Daicos extended his lead for the AFLCA award with a best on ground performance against Richmond. Noah Anderson is now four votes behind him after picking up eight votes in Gold Coast's win over Brisbane, Serong has dropped from third to fourth after Geelong's Bailey Smith overtook him and is now 14 votes behind Daicos with four games remaining.
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
More to Lions loss than referee call, say Wallabies
Wallabies lock Nick Frost won't waste time pondering countless "what if?" scenarios, saying the last-gasp loss to the British and Irish Lions shouldn't have come down to a controversial refereeing decision. The Wallabies were in a position to level the series after taking an 18-point lead in the second Test at the MCG on Saturday. But the home side were unable to seal the deal, allowing the Lions back into the game before fullback Hugo Keenan scored the match-winning try with 45 seconds left on the clock. Wallabies flanker Carlo Tizzano appeared to have been cleaned out illegally with a shoulder to the neck in the build-up, but Keenan's try stood after a review. It meant Australia suffered a 29-26 loss, with the Lions taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series ahead of the final Test in Sydney on Saturday night. Whether the last-minute try should or should not have been awarded, Frost said there was a bigger picture surrounding their defeat. "There were so many moments up until that where we could have capitalised," Frost said on Monday. "We had a pretty decent lead in that first half, and we gave away a few tries. "It doesn't always come down to the refs ... At the end of the day, you can't really rely right at the end for a decision there. "If you're relying on that, you probably haven't done enough work throughout the game." Tizzano has been accused by UK media and ex-players of staging, to try to win the penalty, but Frost defended his tough teammate and said the Wallabies didn't listen to the "outside noise". The Wallabies will have pride, and unwanted history, to play for at Accor Stadium. If they lose on Saturday, the tourists will have claimed their first three-Test series whitewash on Australian soil since 1904. While starting prop James Slipper has become just the second Wallabies player to appear in two Lions series, Frost said the third Test presented another rare opportunity for all, with the tours held only every 12 years. "There is something to lose. It's a Test match," Frost said. "There's a bit of fire in the belly from the last couple of games ... And again, like it's a Lions series, it's our last time - unless you're James Slipper - to play against them." Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt will be forced into changes after Harry Potter suffered a hamstring injury in front of his home crowd at the MCG. Dylan Pietsch or Andrew Kellaway loom as options to fill that spot, joining Max Jorgensen in the starting wing positions. "I've been there before and really feel for him," Jorgensen said of Potter. "It's really tough to see him head out of camp and stay down in Melbourne. Jorgensen agreed there was plenty of motivation for the Wallabies to fire up for the third Test. "All the boys are pretty gutted after that result. We put in such a big effort - we were leading for 79 minutes of the game," the 20-year-old said. "It's a tough pill to swallow. Everyone knows that, but obviously there's a big focus on this weekend now and winning this game this Saturday."
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Reid deserved BOG medal, according to one derby coach
Exciting Fremantle youngster Murphy Reid would have tied for the Glendinning-Allan Medal if Justin Longmuir and Andrew McQualter were voting for the award after the western derby on Saturday. In another boost for his AFL Rising Star hopes, Reid polled eight votes for his 23 disposals, 15 score involvements and one goal. The half-forward finished third in Glendinning-Allan Medal voting behind Hayden Young and Andrew Brayshaw, but the AFL Coaches Association votes told a different story. Longmuir and McQualter were required to submit votes on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis and Reid was locked with Young on eight votes. While individual voting remains confidential, one coach gave Reid five votes and the other handed him three. Brayshaw and Michael Frederick both received six votes, while Caleb Serong and Shai Bolton had one vote each. Reid has had a wonderful first season in the AFL and is one of the favourites to win the Rising Star award. He is competing with Adelaide's Daniel Curtin and Brisbane's Levi Ashcroft for that prize. Murphy Reid celebrates. Credit: Janelle St Pierre/AFL Photos / Getty Images Longmuir said Reid's consistency had set him apart from the other contenders this season when speaking after the win and defender Jordan Clark said his teammate reminded him of Collingwood superstar Scott Pendlebury. 'It sounds like a bit unrealistic comparing him to Scotty Pendlebury but he is a player like that who is not blessed with super speed but he sees the game and is very sharp in his mind,' Clark told The West Australian. 'He sees the game very well and he's very clean. I think he did watch a lot of Scotty Pendlebury growing up, so he's a very classy little player. I think he's got a lovely mix that works for him. 'I don't want to use it loosely and it's probably disrespecting Scotty Pendlebury in a way because he's one of the greatest players in the game. 'But you watch him and he's in positions where you think someone shouldn't get out of that, but he does. He's not a fast bloke, he's not massively built, he's just clever and classy. I think he thinks and sees the game ahead before people see what is going to happen.' Fremantle won the western derby. Credit: Ian Munro / The West Australian Collingwood's Nick Daicos extended his lead for the AFLCA award with a best on ground performance against Richmond. Noah Anderson is now four votes behind him after picking up eight votes in Gold Coast's win over Brisbane, Serong has dropped from third to fourth after Geelong's Bailey Smith overtook him and is now 14 votes behind Daicos with four games remaining.
