Western Bulldogs legend Bob Murphy believes the Brisbane Lions will be a genuine finals contender in 2019, with their young list showing great signs of improvement this season.
Murphy believes the key to the rise of the young Lions has been their confidence and ability to back themselves in and take risks on the field.
โWe talk so much about resilience in footy and I think resilience is often aligned to the dour, stoic style of thing,โ the former Bulldogs captain told SEN.
โThe physicality of the sport and the attrition.
โThe resilience of that young group to keep playing on through the middle of the ground, despite having won only a few games, I think thatโs the Chris Fagan plan.
โYou watch them play, every time they get the ball, they immediately look for the corridor.
โA guy like Cam Rayner, who is in his first year, he turns and just goes up the middle of the ground.
โThe resilience of that group, having not won many games this year but to stick to that plan, theyโre fully invested and have a really unique little team spirit going on.โ
Brisbane have won their last three games in a row and have defeated top eight contender Hawthorn twice this year.
This week they face a struggling Adelaide side at their home ground, the Gabba on Saturday night.
