3 minute read
While Brisbane went out of the AFL finals in straight sets, they lost no friends after Saturday night's epic semi-final against GWS.
Brisbane's straight-sets AFL finals exit can be summed up in one word - poise.
It was the one critical element missing from the young Lions in their successive September losses to Richmond and GWS.
But after a barnstorming season where they shot up from 15th to second, coach Chris Fagan spoke of his pride in what they had achieved and the optimism at the club about the future.
The Lions also lost no friends after Saturday night's epic three-point semi-final loss to GWS.
Still, they had plenty of chances and they easily won the inside 50s in the frenetic last quarter 19-7.
Asked if a lack of poise was the one critical element for his team, Fagan said: "Over the last two weeks, that's a reasonable thing to say.
"Everyone says you have to play in a few finals to know what they're all about, so we have that experience and hopefully it can help us grow next year."
This was Brisbane's first finals series since 2009 and Fagan said the experience of the last fortnight would stand them in good stead.
"All I do know, with the two last home-and-away games and the two finals that we played, we've had some experience money can't buy for this young group," he said.
"It's been a brilliant season. No-one would have expected this.
"I'm just really proud of our players, I'm proud of our footy club for the way they've gone about it."
He added the key now is for Brisbane to build on this year and become consistently successful.
Their big season has meant crowds of 30,000-plus for the two finals and a rekindling of interest in AFL among Queenslanders.
"What it does give them is belief," Fagan said of his team.
"They'll know they can do it, but ... we don't want to be just a flash in the pan club.
"We want to be a club that can consistently get into finals and press each year to be a chance.
"To be honest, I thought that might have started to happen next year. It's happened a year earlier ... now we have a reputation to live up to and that's a good thing."
