Cam Rayner and Zac Bailey keen for Lions to return to winning ways to ensure memorable 150-game milestones

News.com.au

15-05-2025

With last weekend's 'wake-up call' fresh in their minds, Brisbane Lions milestone men Cam Rayner and Zac Bailey don't want their 150th AFL appearances spoiled by another lacklustre performance on Sunday at the Gabba against Melbourne.
The first-placed Lions were held to a 71-71 draw by competition battlers North Melbourne in Hobart, with Rayner admitting Brisbane was 'lucky' not to lose.
'I just felt like we were just a little bit of a step off with our reaction time and things that we really pride ourselves on,' the Lions star said.
'We probably could have been playing a lot better, and it's probably a good wake-up call for us just to get back to what we know really works – that's our hunt and that's our mindset, to come out and really attack teams.
'We get a really good chance to do that again on Sunday.'
Bailey said despite Brisbane's lofty position, the Lions still had plenty of improvement in them.
'We haven't really been playing at our best,' the Darwin product said.
'The way we're moving the ball at times is probably suiting the opposition. We kicked back to them (North Melbourne) a lot.
'We didn't really change the angles and test out their defence at all, and that's our game, just being able to change angles with uncontested marks.
'That's something we'll try to change this week.'
It's fitting that Bailey and Rayner, both 25, will reach 150 AFL appearances in the same game, having both been picked up by the Lions in the 2017 national draft and gone through the lows and the highs that culminated with last year's premiership win.
'It's great. We came into the league together, and he's been one of my good mates at the club since then,' Bailey said of his bond with Rayner.
'We started at the bottom and been on the journey together, so to play 150 (games) together against Melbourne is really good.'
Rayner echoed Bailey's sentiments.
'It's something we're always going to remember, especially for both our families as well,' Rayner said.
'Coming up here at the same time, I feel like throughout our careers we both probably had a little bit of a different journey, but to match up on the same day that we get to play 150 (AFL) games, it's pretty cool.'
While Bailey was the 15th selection in the 2017 draft, Rayner had the added pressure of being the first pick.
'It's probably built me into the player that I am,' he said.
'It's something that, at the time, you probably don't understand how much it's going to take a toll on your career as you get older.
'It's always something that someone brings up or speaks about, even though when you're out there, it doesn't really matter what pick you've gone.
'It's just made me focus on it a little bit more and really tap into that side of it because if you don't, it can chew up in you.'