Brisbane coach Chris Fagan is at a loss to explain his team’s awful night in front of goal in their AFL loss to Richmond.
The Lions kicked a woeful 4.17 in the 41-point loss at Metricon Stadium on Tuesday including a return of 1.12 across the second and third quarters.
It was a repeat of the same wastefulness that occurred in last year’s qualifying final against the premiers where Brisbane kicked 8.17 to 18.4 by the Tigers.
In 10 matches this season the Lions have kicked 97.122 in total.
Fagan admits it’s a concern but also something that hasn’t been addressed.
“It’s sort of embarrassing I have to answer this question because you guys will assess it and go, well there’s something going wrong,” he said.
“We practise and practise and practise and practise and practise, I’m telling you that now.
“At training we kick quite accurately and we try and do it when they’re fatigued and all those sorts of things that you do, we follow all the basics of good girl kicking practise but it didn’t show tonight.
“I think we kicked quite accurately last week, we took our shots but tonight we didn’t.”
The worst of the misses was undeniably Sam Skinner’s shot in the second term when the inexperienced forward took a mark and played on but sprayed wide from the top of the goal square.
Fagan was livid on the bench at the time and said post-match it would be a moment the 23-year-old would love to have over again.
“The fundamental thing is to go back and have the shot,” he said.
“It was a decent moment in the game but he thought he was doing the right thing.
“He’s young … playing his third game. I reckon if he had that again he’d go back and take his shot but for whatever reason he made that decision at that time.”
The Lions will be without forward Cam Rayner for Saturday’s match with the Western Bulldogs at the Gabba after he hurt a hamstring in the second quarter of Tuesday’s match.
But Fagan said Daniel Rich (hamstring), Ryan Lester (hamstring), Grant Birchall (managed) and Dan McStay (suspension) will all be available for selection.
