Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan can’t recall a worse start to a season when it comes to his club losing three players to season-ending knee injuries.
Along with the ACL injuries to Tom Doedee and Keidean Coleman, young gun midfielder Will Ashcroft is also recovering from an ACL tear and won’t return for the Lions until later in the season.
Harris Andrews of the Lions leads the team from Optus Stadium after a loss to Fremantle. Credit: Getty Images
“He (Doedee) has been in full training for six or seven weeks,” Fagan told reporters in Brisbane on Wednesday.
“We were looking forward to having him as part of our team, but unfortunately that’s not going to be the case this year.
“The last 10 rounds of footy we’ve played, we’ve lost three blokes (Doedee, Coleman and Ashcroft) with ACLs.
“I’ve never seen a strike rate like that. I hope it stops. This is the game, you’ve got to deal with it.”
Doedee on Monday said his knee had given him no trouble during Saturday’s VFL return.
“This time I feel stronger. I feel a lot more mature and a better athlete … and have a better sense of the game after having a year out,” he said.
“The knee felt good, back out with the boys, and it was just overall a good feeling after a pretty long and arduous 10 months.”
The Lions copped a brutal opening-round blow when they coughed up a big lead to lose by one point to Carlton, Coleman’s own season-ending ACL tear compounding the pain.
They were then outplayed in Perth by Fremantle and, after a bye, face premiers Collingwood (0-3) on Thursday, with both sides seeking their first win of the season.
Fagan admitted he would be “amazed” if the Lions weren’t back to their best to confront the team they lost to by four points in last September’s decider.
“It’s probably human nature when you lose a grand final by not much, that all you can think about is getting back there and trying to make up for it,” he said.
“Our players aren’t ill-disciplined or poor human beings for thinking that way, it’s natural.
“Whether that’s good enough to win, who knows, because it’s two good teams playing each other in the same position.”
AAP
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