Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Brisbane AFL leaders warned against automatically assuming they will produce one of their trademark bounce backs, as they face the prospect of another long campaign in their quest to win a premiership hat-trick.
The Lions will host Adelaide in an elimination final at the Gabba next Saturday, after a shocking 53-point qualifying final loss to an understrength Sydney at the SCG on Saturday.
Prior to that defeat Brisbane had won 10 of their last 11 games.
But that streak followed three straight losses, which included conceding 86 points in one quarter against GWS.
Over the last three seasons, Brisbane have invariably successfully rebounded from a form slump or a bad one-off performance.
“It gives us confidence definitely, but we’ve got to get to work,” Brisbane midfielder and co-captain Josh Dunkley told AAP.
“You can’t just expect things to happen because we’ve been so good at bouncing back this year and in the past.”
Lions coach Chris Fagan echoed Dunkley’s sentiments, while pointing out Brisbane rebounded from a 38-point qualifying final loss to Geelong last year to win the flag.
“It gives you confidence but it doesn’t mean its going to happen,” Fagan said.
“Thats what we have to make sure of next week, that we leave nothing to chance, that our attitude and mindset is spot on, because it clearly wasn’t tonight.”
For the third straight season, Brisbane will need to play four finals to earn a flag from a 27-match campaign.
Asked if another gruelling schedule could take a physical toll of his players, Fagan said: “It’s hard to say, I’m hoping not. I’m just looking forward to a really positive response next week.
“The only way we can do it now is the hard way. We have no other choice, the ball is in our players’ court.
“How badly do they want it? We’ll see next week.”
Fagan said Brisbane got cleaned up by Sydney in their bread-and-butter areas of centre bounce, rebounding from defence and stoppage.
Noah Answerth spent time off the ground in the first quarter with an ankle issue, with Fagan unsure of how bad the problem was.
Star midfielder Lachie Neale was held to just 18 touches and two clearances, both well below his season and career averages.
Brisbane will also need more output from their smaller forwards against Adelaide, with Charlie Cameron and Kai Lohmann both held goalless and the former getting only four disposals.
In their only previous meeting this season, Adelaide conceded their highest score of the season and suffered their biggest losing margin of the campaign, in a 127-75 thumping at the Gabba.
“It was one of our worst (performances) for the year, but we’ve got so much confidence in what were doing at the moment,” Crows coach Matthew Nicks told Fox Footy.
