Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has backed his side to run with Collingwood's Dayne Beams-bolstered midfield in their likely sell-out clash at the Gabba.
Limited tickets remain for Thursday night's game in what would be the club's first packed house since 2010, to watch Magpies star Beams play against the club he captained last year.
Dayne Beams will return to the Gabba to face his old side on Thursday night.Credit:AAP
Beams played four seasons in Brisbane and declared in a speech at the Lions' best and fairest last year that he would be remaining in 2019, only to be traded back to Collingwood weeks later.
Acknowledging Collingwood's midfield was at the top of the AFL list, Fagan said his improving Lions would embrace the occasion and treat their former skipper no differently to any other opponent.
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"Dayne's one of 22; they've got a lot of great players, including him and we don't spend any more time on him than we spend on anyone else," Fagan said.
"We'll shake his hand before, shake hands at the end and what happens in between, we've got no control over that, have we?"
Beams will return for the Magpies after a migraine forced him out of last week's defeat of the Western Bulldogs, joining a midfield featuring Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, Adam Treloar and Taylor Adams.
The Lions' 3-1 season start has been powered by Lachie Neale's prolific ball winning and Fagan says there's no reason that can't continue this week.
"If you look at the Champion Data statistics they'll tell you Collingwood are the No.1 midfield in the AFL," Fagan said.
"West Coast's midfield were ranked pretty highly as well, so were Port Adelaide.
"We've been ablRead More – Source
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has backed his side to run with Collingwood's Dayne Beams-bolstered midfield in their likely sell-out clash at the Gabba.
Limited tickets remain for Thursday night's game in what would be the club's first packed house since 2010, to watch Magpies star Beams play against the club he captained last year.
Dayne Beams will return to the Gabba to face his old side on Thursday night.Credit:AAP
Beams played four seasons in Brisbane and declared in a speech at the Lions' best and fairest last year that he would be remaining in 2019, only to be traded back to Collingwood weeks later.
Acknowledging Collingwood's midfield was at the top of the AFL list, Fagan said his improving Lions would embrace the occasion and treat their former skipper no differently to any other opponent.
Advertisement
"Dayne's one of 22; they've got a lot of great players, including him and we don't spend any more time on him than we spend on anyone else," Fagan said.
"We'll shake his hand before, shake hands at the end and what happens in between, we've got no control over that, have we?"
Beams will return for the Magpies after a migraine forced him out of last week's defeat of the Western Bulldogs, joining a midfield featuring Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, Adam Treloar and Taylor Adams.
The Lions' 3-1 season start has been powered by Lachie Neale's prolific ball winning and Fagan says there's no reason that can't continue this week.
"If you look at the Champion Data statistics they'll tell you Collingwood are the No.1 midfield in the AFL," Fagan said.
"West Coast's midfield were ranked pretty highly as well, so were Port Adelaide.
"We've been ablRead More – Source
