Lions keen for another crack at the Tigers after R5 blemishMichael Whiting
womens.afl
31 October 2022BRISBANE is itching for another "crack" at Richmond in Saturday's qualifying final after the Tigers spoiled the minor premier's otherwise perfect home and away season with a round five upset.
On the same day as the AFL Grand Final at the MCG, Richmond sprung one of the surprises of season seven, eking out a four-point win in blustery conditions at Punt Rd.
And it's irked the Lions ever since.
After finishing on top of the ladder by the barest of margins, the 9-1 Lions will host the fourth-place Tigers at Metricon Stadium on Saturday for the right to advance directly to a preliminary final.
Coach Craig Starcevich told womens.afl Brisbane could not wait.
"The players have been talking about it for a while, how it would be good to have a crack at them and fix a few things we didn't do well last time," he said.
"There were a lot of lessons we took out of that game.
"It was around being ready to play every week. We came off a pretty emotional win against Melbourne the week before, but to Richmond's credit, they didn't let us get our game going.
"That loss in round five was a good chance to reset."
Missing the competition's leading goalkicker Jesse Wardlaw to illness, the Lions kicked just one goal when the teams met in late September.
Since then, Brisbane has strung five wins together, playing fantastic football in defeating fellow finalists North Melbourne, Adelaide and Collingwood in the past month.
The Lions had contributors on every line, with Wardlaw, Courtney Hodder and Greta Bodey leading the most prolific attack in the competition, and captain Bre Koenen and ever-reliable Shannon Campbell the bedrock for the second stingiest defence.
Starcevich said he was wary of the Tigers, unbeaten in their past eight matches, saying midfield ace Mon Conti, Ellie McKenzie and Eilish Sheerin would need close attention.
"They play similar style to us in a lot of ways," he said.
"They're quick out of half-back, they like to move the ball quickly, they don't over-possess.
"We'll need to be careful."
https://www.womens.afl/news/113208/lions-keen-for-another-crack-at-the-tigers-after-r5-blemish
