Latest news with #Chris Fagan
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fagan hails Dunkley after Dogs win
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has hailed Josh Dunkley as the best defensive midfielder in the AFL following a match-winning turn against his former club the Western Bulldogs at the Gabba on Friday. Dunkley was imperious in the middle against the team where he won an AFL premiership in his debut season in 2016. The 28-year-old notched 14 tackles and had 28 disposals to be among the Lions' best as the premiers won a fourth-straight match and improved their hopes of a top four finish. Dunkley joined the Lions ahead of the 2023 season and has played a leading role in the team reaching grand finals in each of his first two years at the club. "If I was picking an All-Australian team, and they wanted to pick a bloke in the midfield who's a really good defensive player, he's the best defensive midfielder in the competition," Fagan said. "And probably the best I've ever seen. "I haven't seen them all, but the way he values that part of the game is just incredible." Another midfield star for the Lions, Hugh McCluggage, also came in for praise after a typically impressive display in his 200th AFL match. "He's getting a little bit of acknowledgement these days about what a good player is," Fagan said of the 27-year-old. "He's never been an All-Australian, but in our eyes he's a star - not just because he's a good footballer. "He's a great team player, and he's an excellent leader, and he's an unbelievable person."
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Brisbane forward Linc McCarthy edging closer towards goal of being available for AFL finals series
As 'crazy' as Linc McCarthy's attempt to fast-track his recovery from a knee reconstruction to be part of Brisbane's finals campaign is, Lions coach Chris Fagan will give the veteran forward every chance to play a role in the club's bid for back-to-back premierships. McCarthy, 31, hasn't played for the Lions since May last year when he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee during a Brisbane win over the Gold Coast Suns at the Gabba. Before he could make his playing return, he suffered the same injury at a training session on March 5 this year. However, rather than undergo the usual surgery and recovery, which would have ruled him out of appearing in a grand final for a second time should Brisbane reach the 2025 decider, McCarthy is understood to have gone the non-traditional route by having the torn ACL replaced with a graft from the patella tendon rather than the hamstring tendon. It gave McCarthy – whose contract expires at the end of the season – the chance to make a quicker comeback, and so far, things have gone to plan. He has rejoined the main group for skills training, has increased his training volume and could be available to play in four weeks, which would be less than six months after suffering the second knee injury. 'He's definitely ramping up his training, and he joined in some skills the other day, and I thought 'that's happened quickly', but he's going along OK at the moment,' Fagan said of McCarthy. 'It's a day-by-day, week-by-week thing, but he's trying to give himself the best chance to get back and be available if we are good enough to make finals. 'He's incredibly desperate. That's why he's doing it. I look at him and thinking 'you're crazy', but he wants to try, and I don't want to stop him, so that's where all that's at.' McCarthy would add further depth to Brisbane's forward line should he become available before the end of the season. Tall forward Sam Day is again available for selection on Friday night when second-placed Brisbane host the Western Bulldogs after missing last week's win over Carlton for personal reasons. Should Day return, it's likely to be at the expense at one of the Lions' two ruckmen – Oscar McInerney or Darcy Fort. The Lions will have to make at least two changes to their 23-player match-day squad, with midfielder-forward Zac Bailey suspended and defender Noah Answerth ruled out for the season after suffering a ruptured achilles tendon in the win over the Blues. However, Fagan said star half-back Keidean Coleman would not be one of the replacements as he continued his return from a quad injury in Brisbane's VFL team. 'Good form and be able to play quarters of football,' Fagan said when asked what he wanted to see from Coleman in the reserves team before recalling him to the senior side. The Lions can put a dent in the Bulldogs' hopes of playing finals football with a win on Friday. 'Generally speaking, they've been good defensively, albeit that's the criticism of them at the moment, but I reckon they would have done a bit of work on that this week, so I'm expecting a good all-round game from the Bulldogs,' Fagan said.
