Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Having come to Brisbane to be part of “big games in September”, Lions forward Oscar Allen is thankful to have the chance to play in a preliminary final at the MCG in a year that threatened to be derailed by injury and the tough task of cementing a berth in an all-star side.
Before arriving at the Lions ahead of the 2026 season, Allen had played in just one finals game across eight years at West Coast Eagles.
He has already played in two finals matches for the Lions, and will again line up in Brisbane’s forward line on Saturday night against Hawthorn at the home of football, where a place in the following weekend’s grand final will be up for grabs.
“I’m super excited,” Allen said.
“You want to play finals games and the big games in September, so I’m just really grateful to be a part of it now.”
However, it could have been different for Allen, who was sidelined for almost three months mid-season after breaking his foot in Brisbane’s 52-point win over Adelaide on April 26.
He then had to play two games for the Lions’ VFL team to prove to Brisbane coach Chris Fagan that he was ready for a return to top-flight football.
“I started off the year pretty smoothly and then I had the interruption with my foot, but I’m really grateful that I’ve been able to find my way back into the side and get my body right,” Allen said.
“I was just trying to get myself ready as soon as I could so I could get some form and really push for a case in the team. I’ve glad I’ve been able to do that, and now I’m just looking forward to playing some more finals footy.”
The squeeze for spots in Brisbane’s best 23 also had some calling for Allen to be dropped to make way for returning co-captain Hugh McCluggage earlier this month.
However, Fagan continued to keep faith in the 27-year-old Perth product.
“Through injury or form, he (Fagan) really backs his players in and gives you a lot of confidence to be able to express yourself,” Allen said.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in my ability. I’ve shown my best footy is well and truly good enough, so just to be able to replicate that, and get a clean run without injuries is one of the keys for me.
“People in the media are paid to give their opinions and they’re just doing their job. There’s nothing untoward with that.”
Allen and his teammates flew to Melbourne on Thursday on a Lions fan flight with Virgin Australia, the AFL’s official airline partner that will monitor demand and add more flights where operationally possible to get fans to games during the finals series.
Also on the flight was “megafan” Elliot Melville and his father Michael, who live in the Whitsundays.
Elliot, 8, will undergo major surgery next month, with Michael saying his son couldn’t contain his excitement about the trip and the chance to meet Allen and other Brisbane players.
“When we told him this week, he couldn’t stop talking about it for about three hours afterwards.” Michael said.
