Senior Coach Chris Fagan has kept his winning formula, with no changes made to his 22-man side ahead of Saturday afternoon’s top of the table clash against Geelong at The Gabba.
The Lions will be aiming for their ninth straight win against a side they have not defeated since 2013’s “Miracle On Grass.”
There will be plenty to celebrate, with the seats officially sold out and three players achieving on field milestones.
Dan McStay will celebrate his 100th AFL match, while Lincoln McCarthy and Alex Witherden will play their 50th.
McStay told media earlier this week that it has not been smooth sailing reaching 100 games for the Lions since being drafted here with Pick No.25 at the 2013 AFL National Draft.
“It’s been a tough journey,” he said.
“Obviously early days the Club wasn’t very strong, but now I feel like it’s really grown, and we’ve shown some really good signs of the footy we can play.
“I’m just excited to play my role for the team.”
Witherden said the team could not afford to be intimated by the occasion, after they lost to Collingwood in the Easter Thursday blockbuster in front of a packed house.
“For us it’s just about playing with composure and sticking to our brand of football. If we do that for four quarters that will hold us in good stead,” he said.
“You can’t be overawed by the situation; you’ve got to embrace it.”
At only 20 years old, Witherden has reached his 50 games quickly, with the likes of himself, Hugh McCluggage, Jarrod Berry and Eric Hipwood thrown in the deep end early in their career.
“That was a big learning curve for us, we were going out against bigger, harder bodies,” he said.
For McCarthy Saturday afternoon is an even bigger occasion, up against his old team Geelong for the first time since he was traded to the Lions. He spent seven seasons with the Cats and played 29 games. In his first season with the Lions he has played all 20 games this year.
In:
Out:
Milestone: Daniel McStay (100th AFL Game), Alex Witherden (50th AFL Game), Lincoln McCarthy (50th AFL Game)
