Essendon great Matthew Lloyd says the pressure is on the Brisbane Lions to prove themselves in the finals after successive failures over the last two seasons.
The Lions were the feel-good story of both the 2019 and 2020 home and away seasons, winning a combined 30 out of 39 games over the last two years.
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However, Chris Fagan's men have fallen flat in the finals both times, bundled out in straight-sets in 2019 before being smashed in a home preliminary final last year.
Following the addition of star forward Joe Daniher, Lloyd said Fagan's men needed to prove they could get the job done in September.
"The pressure is just on them as a team," Lloyd told Wide World of Sports.
"I thought in the last final they played, they didn't handle it. Geelong bullied them and beat them up.
"They can do as much as they like in the home and away season, but the pressure comes in the finals. They were knocked out in straight sets two years ago, last year they beat Richmond and then lose.
"They had every opportunity to win a flag in Brisbane so the pressure is on in the finals as a team for Chris Fagan and his senior group.
"I'll be staggered if they're not in the top two with all they've got. If they don't, I think they'll have under-achieved."
Daniher's arrival and subsequent pre-season form has amped up the excitement in Brisbane, and Lloyd admitted that the 26-year-old needed to leave Essendon to thrive again.
"From what we've seen this pre-season, just jumping at the footy and the excitement that he's playing with, I think it's both mentally and physically exactly the change Joey needed," he said.
"Hipwood and Daniher pick themselves, McStay, I think it's on him whether he's a defender or a forward or in the team altogether.
"I think they can all work (together), when you throw Cameron, Rayner and Zorko at their feet and that is as exciting a forward line as there is in the game."
from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/matthew-lloyd-says-pressure-on-brisbane-to-reverse-finals-record-joe-daniher/ca9ebfd2-fdaa-412b-bd25-14ce83972180
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