One player may understandably disagree with vice-captain Jed Adcock’s claim that the Brisbane Lions are enjoying their best pre-season start in years.
As the only member of the Lions’ long-term rehabilitation group, Brent Staker would be forgiven for not appreciating the sun and sand at their week-long camp in Noosa.
Yet Staker is determined to have an on-field impact for the Lions in 2012 – even though he won’t play AFL again until 2013.
A surprisingly upbeat Staker already has his head around recuperating from a full knee reconstruction that has ruled him out of the upcoming season.
Now he has his sights set on a mentoring role for the Lions’ cubs.
Finding a silver lining on the very dark cloud hanging over him, Staker said his off-field hiatus gave him valuable time to work with the club’s budding forward line and key position prospects.
“Hopefully I can work closely with guys like Aaron Cornelius, Josh Green as a small forward, Jordan Lisle and Bryce Retzlaff, and just follow them through the year,” Staker told the Lions’ website.
“Patty Karnezis is my room-mate (at the camp), so he’ll obviously get a bit of extra attention as well.
“And it would be great to be involved with the Lions Reserves full-time most weekends (in 2012), considering I won’t be travelling.
“Hopefully I can help out with some coaching and mentoring.”
Sweating on the long-term injury of Staker is a far cry from what the Lions had to endure ahead of the 2011 season.
In February, the Lions’ countdown to the season was turned on its ear when controversial forward Brendan Fevola was sacked.
The news didn’t get much better for the Lions – they finished third last in 2011 with a 4-18 record.
Barely nine months after the drama of Fevola’s departure, the Lions are in a good place, Adcock says.
“The stuff that happened off-field last year probably brought the guys closer together and we have bounced on from that,” he said on Friday.
“Even though we didn’t win too many games the group is in a far better place than we were a couple of years ago.
“It’s my ninth pre-season now and it’s easily been the best, in terms of how the boys have come back after the off-season, in their fitness and training ability.”
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Following in the lead of competitions like the NRL, NFL and NBA, the Australian Football League is considering introducing a radical plan to present…
Jeremy Finlayson should be a welcome addition to the Port Adelaide forward line after kicking four goals in the SANFL last week.
Brisbane's players will take inspiration from the stoicism of Lincoln McCarthy and Darcy Gardiner as they faced their season-ending knee injuries. The Lions confirmed…
Logan Morris was called into the Lions squad as a sub to replace Brandon Starcevich, who was ruled out with an injury in the…
"Just forget your ACL snap and hobble forward!"
Not often you see an umpire reverse his own decision!
