Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Collingwood coach Craig McRae admits Scott Pendlebury’s availability for the wildcard game is uncertain.
McRae said Pendlebury would have scans for the knee bursa issue that forced him off the ground in the first half, but he also revealed the issue could be hamstring-related.
“We had some precautionary action around some tightness in his knee that could be hamstring-related,” McRae said.
“It’s on the minor side but if there is something there, then a scan will show that.
Lions superstar Lachie Neale has praised his young teammates and declared it is an “exciting time to be Lion”, but still appears set to leave the club at the end of the season.
Neale had 35 disposals tonight, and he spoke glowingly of his side’s performance.
“I’ve been here nine years and I think this is the ninth year in a row we will play finals footy, and I don’t take it for granted and I can’t wait to see what we can do,” Neale told Kayo Sports.
“It’s an exciting time to be a Lion.”
A Logan Morris party night, featuring an eight-goal haul, has gone a long way to ensuring the Lions could create the buffer over Hawthorn to secure what is suddenly the most enviable fixture in the finals – playing Sydney.
The Lions played like a side that needed to bloat their percentage to keep a hold of third place and ensure they play the gutted Swans.
Hawthorn now have the still-achievable target of beating West Coast heavily to make up enough percentage points on the ladder and jump back over the Lions and into the qualifying final against the Swans. To do that they will have to beat the Eagles by about 100 points.
Lions coach Chris Fagan spoke to Kayo Sports post-game.
On Logan Morris kicking eight goals
“He’s a tremendous young man and a brilliant footballer.
“His ability to read it in the air and end up at the right spots at the right time is just incredible.
“He’s been very important to us, but also tonight Eric Hipwood and Oscar Allen popped up around him as well. Our tall forwards had a good night together.”
Can you play all three forwards?
“We will play all of them. I think so, yeah.”
Has Morris done enough to be an All-Australian?
“I hope that [performance] has got him across the line. I think we will all be disappointed if he doesn’t.
“What a great effort for a player so young. He hasn’t got there yet, but you and I have picked him and we are experts, so they should put him in.”
Lions ruckman Sam Draper last played finals for Essendon in a match in Tasmania in 2021. Now he’s poised to play at least two finals with his new club.
Draper played his 100th AFL game tonight.
But Draper admitted he was feeling the pinch after overcoming his injury issues from recent years to play 22 games so far this season.
“I’m really looking forward to a week off,” Draper told Kayo Sports.
“I’ve played 22 games this year after not playing too much in the last few years.
“I’m pretty cooked, to be honest.”
The chase for a third-straight premiership is on in earnest for the Brisbane Lions.
Logan Morris kicked eight goals and Lachie Neale turned back the clock as the Lions dominated Collingwood and secured a top-four finish.
Unless Hawthorn have a 100-point plus win this weekend, the Lions will take third place and head to Sydney for the qualifying final.
The Magpies, who lost Scott Pendlebury to a knee bursa issue (or swelling behind the knee), will hope their veteran superstar will come good in time for next weekend’s wildcard round.
Logan Morris ran into the pocket and snapped a goal from a tight angle to give himself a new career high of eight goals and 63 for the season.
“If he wasn’t in the All-Australian team, then he is now,” Garry Lyon said on Kayo Sports.
Morris has been sensational tonight.
Kai Lohmann showed his generous streak and Logan Morris showed his dancing feet as he took a tough handball from Lohmann and then hot-stepped past Josh Daicos to kick his seventh.
It’s a huge night for Morris, and that’s his equal career-best goal haul.
Jordan De Goey has booted another goal for the Pies.
Lions 141, Pies 96 with four mins to go.
The Magpies have kicked six straight goals as Harvey Harrison and Tim Membrey become the latest Pies to go on the scoresheet.
They have cut the lead to 39 points, and they don’t look like stopping either.
These goals are quite possibly sending the Lions to Perth for the first qualifying final instead of Sydney – that is a huge difference in travel time and opponent.
But Logan Morris has bobbed up to kick his sixth goal and stop the hot-streak from the Pies.
Chris Fagan still looks very unhappy.
Lions 135, Pies 90 with five mins to go.
