Lions co-captain Harris Andrews’ eagerness to return from suspension has made him an even tougher opponent to deal with at training, but it has given off-season Brisbane recruit Oscar Allen the stern initiation he was chasing.
Andrews has one game of a three-week ban remaining, meaning he will miss another match on Thursday night when the Lions host Collingwood at the Gabba.
However, that hasn’t stopped the All-Australian defender contributing on the training paddock, and he hasn’t shied away from pushing former West Coast forward Allen to his limits.
And that’s just what 27-year-old Allen wants as he slowly but surely gets his mojo back after a couple of injury-riddled seasons.
“Playing on Harris Andrews every week (at training) is bloody tough – he’s the best going around,” Allen said.
“Even the last couple of weeks with him not playing, he’s fresh and firing, so he’s given me a bath … but it has been good fun.
“Working on him, how I want to position my body, controlling the drop zone … (just) the intricacies of footy.
“I’ve been missing a lot of training sessions the last few years. I’ve been really glad to get out there pretty much every main session so far.
“That’s been my goal coming into this year, and it’s worked well in terms of building confidence on-field but also confidence in my body.
“It’s probably the best I’ve felt in my body for five years. I’ve had a lot of interruptions in the past, but one thing the club does really well is individualise players’ programs, and I feel like it’s worked really well for me.”
Allen, who kicked two goals in Brisbane’s 33-point weekend win over St Kilda at Marvel Stadium, was confident his combination with the rest of the Lions forwards would improve with each game but said it remained a work in progress.
“Our whole forward line is adjusting. Our connection was not to the level we would like to be in the first couple of weeks, but I thought on the weekend, particularly in the second half, we showed some better signs,” he said.
“There are times with you think ‘this is really clicking’, and there are also times when you go back to the drawing board.
“Footy’s a complex game. It’s very hard to draw up particular plays. You’ve got to adjust and let the game happen instinctively.
“Continuity is important for me – just getting out there every week and doing my bit for the team.
“There is plenty of work to do going forward for the boys.”
