Brisbane lockdown defender Noah Answerth is no certainty to return from an ankle injury as a match-up with Hawthorn superstar Nick Watson looms.
Answerth has shut down the speed and impact of Watson in previous meetings, but his coach Chris Fagan said the Lions won't risk playing the 27-year-old defender if he is not fully fit.
"(Answerth) needs to train really well. Ankle injuries are always a bit of a challenge for footballers taking all the weight on the ankles," Fagan said.
"He did a bit of training on Tuesday; there is some optimism around him, but I'm not 100 per cent sure, and I'm not that keen to take anyone into a final who might not be somewhere near 100 per cent, so I will just have to wait and see. I'm really uncertain at the moment about how that will turn out.
"We don't want to hang him out to dry on someone he is not quite equipped to play on because he is not quite right. So it is a very important decision."
The match-up for Watson is one to watch heading into Saturday's Preliminary Final. The 21-year-old is fresh off his maiden All-Australian blazer and 57 goals in 22 games so far in 2026.
So if Answerth fails to get up, who will Fagan trust with the task of disarming the Wizard?
"Darcy Wilmot has got a lot of pace; he can certainly keep up with him. He is one," he said.
"Fletcher is another one, and even Ryan Lester. Ryan played on (Josh) Rachele last week, who is somewhere near the standard of Watson, and he was able to use his smarts to get the job done."
Brisbane key forward Eric Hipwood has often been maligned by Lions supporters and the wider AFL community. But since coming back from his second ACL injury, Hipwood has been noticeably more physical and impactful for Brisbane.
Fagan said Hipwood has used his time out of the game wisely to improve his on-field performances.
"(Hipwood) has been great, hasn't he? He's actually about eight kilos heavier than he has ever been. He managed to put some weight on that string bean of a body of his while he was out. And I think it has helped him," he said.
"It always helps you to be a little bigger and stronger. If there's a good thing to come out of having two knee reconstructions, that's probably it. He has used that time positively to improve himself."
During last Saturday night's Semi-Final against Adelaide, Hipwood shone in the first half as the Lions ripped the game away from the Crows early.
Fagan said what happened next made him proud of his club and its supporters.
"There was a good moment in the game on Saturday night where the crowd was chanting his name," he said.
"I actually loved that because he has copped a fair bit of flack over the years from our supporters, opposition supporters and I just thought that was a real sign that in the eye of everyone he has turned a corner as a player and they now trust him and respect him.
"It hasn't been easy for him. He has copped a fair bit of stick online. Criticism about the way he plays the game and stuff like that. I've been here for 10 years now and I've never not picked him when he has been available, so I have a lot of time for him.
"He has felt it there's no doubt about that. We have had chats about it. I think a few years ago he got off social media because it wasn't worth reading really, some of the armchair warriors out there. The courageous people who hide in the dark places and make comments."
