AFL legend Matthew Lloyd claims that pressure is mounting on Brisbane coach Chris Fagan.
The Lions have started the season poorly, with a 2-5 record after seven games.
The team’s recent 54-point loss to the Giants raised questions about their hunger.
Following the loss, Fagan admitted that he had “no answers” for the blistering GWS forward line and his team’s drop in pressure.
“Our sharpness to defend, which has been one of our strengths this year, wasn’t where it should have been tonight,” Fagan told reporters after the game.
“We simply didn’t work as hard as they did.” I don’t have any excuses.
With Brisbane 13th on the ladder, it appears that the team is performing completely differently than the one that made the 2023 grand final, losing to Collingwood by four points.
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Lloyd is now concerned that Fagan has lost the group just months after nearly winning the premiership.
“The question for them is, do they have the energy to go again?” Lloyd said on Nine’s “Footy Classified” on Monday night.
“At the moment it’s suggesting to me they don’t have the energy.”
Lloyd identified the areas where he has seen a clear drop-off, citing midfielder Cam Rayner’s lack of intensity around the ball, which highlighted his game last season.
“I loved their finals series last year, but I’m just seeing things on why (Cam) Rayner can’t produce one week to the next,” Lloyd went on to say.
“Why can’t Harris Andrews take on an opponent like Sam Taylor (GWS)?
“It’s so clear to see their effort isn’t there.”
Lloyd is also concerned that the Lions will suffer the same fate as other losing grand final teams, such as Adelaide following their 2019 loss to Richmond.
Since that loss, the Crows have not played in a final.
“It’s amazing … how many grand final teams get close (to winning) and you think they’ll go on with it, but they just don’t,” he said.
Brisbane now prepares for a must-win game against the Gold Coast in the hopes of resuming their 2024 season.
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