Dayne Zorko void highlighted as Shaun Mannagh explodes
Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan has admitted there is a gap in his backline that needs filling; Dayne Zorko’s absence against Geelong shined a harsh light on that void.
The veteran made a late scratch following his side’s 17.15 (117) to 11.10 (76) defeat against the Cats on Thursday night and appeared to have completely changed the way his team-mates rallied from the back.
Zorko was only two weeks out from calf concern and withdrew from the grand final rematch to manage his workload. Despite being 37 years old, he has not yet announced his intention to retire and continues to sign one-year contract extensions until 2022.
Fagan hinted that managing Zorko’s business would be a mundane affair.
“He had some soreness from the match last week and he wasn’t feeling 100 per cent in training on Tuesday and he wasn’t any better in the captaincy run either, so we decided not to risk him,” the coach said.
“He is 37 years old, he played 300 matches, we [gone] Last month it was Sunday through Saturday, Friday through Thursday, and sometimes that gets into the older guys’ minds, so we wanted to be careful with that.
“You have to be reasonable.”
The 311-game star’s career has undergone a renaissance since his switch to halfback in 2024. His service and willingness to attack the lane have made the Lions a lethal counter-attacking unit.
Before his injury, Zorko averaged more than 29 touches per game, including four inside 50 seconds and six rebounds. His void was exposed as the Cats cruised to wins without him against Brisbane, Adelaide and Essendon.
Apart from the Lions’ four-goal onslaught in the second quarter (highlighted by two of Charlie Cameron’s three goals on the night and an excellent strike from a busy Levi Ashcroft (28 disposals)) Geelong rarely relinquished momentum.
In the first quarter alone they scored 23 points inside the 50s to Brisbane’s 8, with Jeremy Cameron and Bailey Smith in incredible touch; Both were scoring outrageous body goals to give their side a 22-point cushion. Emerging from trouble, the Lions targeted the flanks to little avail and such moves quickly fizzled out.
Both of the Lions’ only two goals came from rare occasions when they managed to escape from their own half: 2025 draft pick Cody Curtin, signed to extend his contract through the end of 2029, found him unmarked before Cam Rayner struggled to tap in himself on a loose ball.
Their all-star midfield was kept completely quiet; Lachie Neale (six touches in the first quarter) was particularly barely visible as Geelong opponent Oisin Mullin kept him under surveillance.
When Cats forward Shaun Mannagh exploded – scoring five goals along with 30 disposals and assisting three goals – Brisbane never stood a chance of mounting a definitive comeback. Four goals in seven minutes early in the third quarter extinguished most of the Lions’ hopes.
“We lost [Brandon] From Starcevich to the West Coast and [Noah] Reply [to concussion] Players who control defenses well. We tried to improve Lincoln McCarthy on that, so the guys who hired him [Mannagh] “I couldn’t do that tonight,” Fagan said.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t make these guys better. We ask guys like Jaspa.” [Fletcher] and Darcy [Wilmot] to play with him and they are probably more of an offensive halfback winger, so they need to have a good balance of when to attack and when to defend.
“That’s the reality right now; we need to develop someone into that position.”
Without Zorko’s influence in creating breakthroughs, the Lions midfield were starved of striking chances as key men Neale, Will Ashcroft (24 disposals) and Hugh McCluggage (16 disposals) were kept in check.
By contrast, Mannagh and Smith (two goals, 34 disposals) were at their most damaging to declare Geelong as serious flag threats and leave the Lions in a period of self-reflection. Fagan was unwilling to “press the panic button”, lamenting that his side’s 59 per cent strike efficiency was more of a tribute to the Cats’ pressure.
“I thought a lot of our really good players weren’t playing as well as they normally do. Oisin was tagging Lachie Neale, but I don’t think some of our other middle players were tagged very closely,” Fagan said.
“They haven’t had a good night. We’ve won six of our last seven games… we’ve had three or four six-day comebacks, we probably need to get some fresh air, get some rest and get ready to start again.”
Fagan was hopeful Zorko, McCarthy and Jarrod Berry could return for next Sunday’s game against the Giants.
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