Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Milestone man Jarrod Berry is confident the Lions can bounce back from their heavy loss to Carlton to ensure his 200th AFL appearance doesn’t end in disappointment on Friday night.
After a run of seven successive wins, Brisbane suffered an embarrassing 76-point weekend loss to Carlton at Marvel Stadium.
The defeat has added even more importance to Friday’s Lions-Hawthorn battle at the Gabba, where Brisbane can ill afford another loss in the race for a top-four spot.
“Pretty much since we started our seven-game winning streak, it was a must-win for us, so we nearly treat this like a little mini-final series,” Berry said on Tuesday.
“Every game, every moment means a lot.”
Berry’s confidence that the Lions can rediscover their form quickly in the run home to the finals partly stems from the reigning premiers’ ability last season to respond to a heavy late-season loss to the Gold Coast with a 27-point win the following week over Collingwood at the MCG.
“There are always lessons in every game, but you look back to last year and a bad loss against the Gold Coast Suns in a similar round,” he said.
“You have a little dip and get exposed by a good opposition, so we’re not jumping at shadows. We know our truths, and we’ll be looking to respond this week.”
A response in the form of a win would be the ideal way for Berry to celebrate a double century of AFL games, all of which have been with Brisbane after being chosen by the Lions at No.17 in the 2016 national draft.
Having arrived at the club when it was struggling, the now 28-year-old midfielder was delighted to have been part of Brisbane’s resurgence under coach Chris Fagan.
“It’s pretty special,” said Berry, who played in back-to-back grand finals in 2023 and 2024 before injury ruled him out of last year’s decider in which the Lions defeated Geelong to secure back-to-back flags.
“I probably had a fair bit of anxiety coming up to it about playing and not making it back, but … it’s important to have perspective around it.
“That’s something that I’ve always done pretty well around my football. You’re not just a footballer. There’s a lot more to me.”
That includes being a brother, with Berry rating the first time he played in the same Lions team with his younger sibling Tom as his career highlight, ahead of playing in a winning grand final side in 2024.
“The game I was able to play with my younger brother when he first debuted (on June 13. 2020 against Fremantle at the Gabba), that’s always been the highlight of my career,” Jarrod said.
“I’ll always be thankful to the club to have given us that opportunity.
“Back in the day when we were playing as young fellas in the backyard, you would never have dreamt of it, but to be able to fulfil that was pretty special.”
Meanwhile, veteran Lions defender Ryan Lester’s hopes of making his 250th AFL appearance on Friday night have improved after he trained on Tuesday despite injuring his shoulder against Carlton.
