Presenting all you need to know about the Lions ahead of Saturday night's big game at Etihad Stadium:
Form
The Lions started the season with eight straight losses, but only one of the margins (their 96-point defeat at the hands of Richmond in round four) was greater than six goals. Indeed, two of the losses were by five points, while the loss to Collingwood in round seven was by just seven points.
Chris Fagan's side turned heads by thrashing Hawthorn at the Gabba in round nine, and the Lions later won three games in row in rounds 15, 16 and 17. That run of wins included another victory over the Hawks, this one coming in Launceston. They lost to North Melbourne at the Gabba by just three points last weekend.
So, although the Lions find themselves 16th on the ladder with a 4-15 record, they have had an encouraging season.
What they're saying
Lions coach Chris Fagan held his weekly press conference on Tuesday and had this to say about taking on the Pies:
"We're looking forward to it. It's a Saturday night game ... so it's an opportunity for our blokes to play in a finals-like environment. We're very much looking forward to that challenge. We had a terrific game against them up here in round seven, when they were in really good form ... so we'll go down there and we'll be trying our hardest to put in a great performance and give ourselves a chance to win the game."
Cameron Rayner celebrates the Lions' win over Hawthorn in Launceston in round seven (AFL Photos)
Players to watch
The No. 1 selection in last year's national draft, Cameron Rayner, has enjoyed a very impressive debut season. He has found himself in the spotlight this week after missing a late shot at goal last weekend that would have handed his team a win over North Melbourne. Rayner showed his maturity by leading a discussion on his miss during Monday's team meeting.
"He did a terrific job yesterday," coach Chris Fagan said on Tuesday morning. "He mostly ran that session with the players and talked about what he learned from the situation so that if he or anyone else finds themselves in that place again, they know what to do.
"We talked about that scenario, and it was not so much about the kick he did, it was about running the clock down a bit more so that if he did kick the goal there wasn't long left in the game."
Last time: Round 7, 2018 at the MCG
Match report excerpt: Collingwood has survived a huge scare, outlasting a gallant Brisbane by seven points at the Gabba on Sunday night.
In a pulsating match, Lions skipper and former Magpie Dayne Beams levelled the scores with a clutch set shot from 50m with two minutes remaining.
But Chris Mayne scrapped a behind to put the Magpies in front and Jaidyn Stephenson iced the win with a goal in the dying seconds when he ran into an empty goalsquare.
Collingwood won 19.7 (121) to 18.6 (114) to move to a 4-3 record – narrowly outside the top eight on percentage - ahead of a huge match at the MCG next Sunday against Geelong.
The Magpies' win was even more meritorious considering they played the final quarter-and-a-half without skipper Scott Pendlebury who was taken off with an ankle injury in the third term and did not return.
BRISBANE 3.0 10.0 14.2 18.6 (114)
COLLINGWOOD 4.2 10.3 15.4 19.7 (121)
GOALS
Brisbane: Zorko 4, Taylor 4, McStay 2, D.Beams 2, Robinson, McInerney, McLuggage, Berry, Cameron, Bailey
Collingwood: De Goey 5, Thomas 3, Stephenson 2, Pendlebury, Mayne, Howe, Treloar, Moore, Phillips, Cox, Varcoe, Hoskin-Elliott
BEST
Brisbane: Zorko, Taylor, Rayner, Beams, Martin, Bailey
Collingwood: De Goey, Thomas, Sidebottom, Phillips, Howe
INJURIES
Brisbane: Nil
Collingwood: Pendlebury (ankle)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Rosebury, Whetton, Williamson
Official crowd: 21,850 at the Gabba
Brodie Grundy and Stefan Martin had an entertaining duel in the ruck at the Gabba in round seven (AFL Photos)
