Oscar McInerney’s “deserved rest” could extend by at least another week as the Lions continue to manage the health and fitness of their first-choice ruckman.
McInerney has missed Brisbane’s past four games with niggling injuries that include a back problem.
However, the 30-year-old big man has been deemed fit enough to be named among the emergencies for Brisbane’s past three matches to cover for any late mishaps that might occur with his replacement, premiership-winning ruckman Darcy Fort.
Brisbane star Jarrod Berry said the team did not “miss anything” with having Fort in the line-up, with the Lions seemingly in no hurry to recall McInerney despite losing to Adelaide by five points last Friday night.
Star ruckman Oscar McInerney has missed Brisbane’s past four matches. Picture: Darrian Traynor/AFL Photos/via Getty Images
“‘Big O’ has been a warhorse for us for so long, and he’s one of those guys that won’t say how he’s feeling,” Berry said.
“He’s going pretty good from what I can gather. I’m not fully across it in terms of the exact thing that’s going wrong, but he’s out there on the track, he’s training, he’s looking good, but he needed that deserved rest.
“He’ll be back in that later part of the year. I don’t think we miss anything because ‘Forty’ fills that void really well and has been playing some great footy over the last few weeks.”
However, Berry lauded the “energy” that McInerney provided whether he was playing or sidelined.
“He’s one of those guys that really leads with action, and you walk taller with him around here,” Berry said.
While disappointed to lose to the Crows at Adelaide Oval, particularly with Brisbane having had a host of chances in the final quarter to win, Berry was confident the second-placed Lions would bounce back on Saturday at the Gabba against the GWS Giants.
“We played how we wanted to in that fourth quarter (against Adelaide). We just didn’t take our moments and finish our work,” he said.
“Upon reflection, there’s probably a few guys that felt like they let the team down in that aspect, but that’s football.
“We owned what we wanted to own in that quarter. It was in our forward half a lot. It’s just making the most of those moments and those opportunities.”
Jarrod Berry is confident the Lions can return to winning form this weekend. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images
The Lions and the Giants will renew a rivalry that reached a high point in last year’s finals series when Brisbane fought back from 44 points down in the third quarter at Engie Stadium to win by five points and end GWS’s season.
“It definitely adds a little bit extra to it but … this year’s a new year. We’re both coming off a loss, so we’re both going to want to respond,” Berry said.
“I feel like our brands both match it in those finals-like games, so that’s what we’re going to be expecting on the weekend.”