Brisbane coach Chris Fagan says the Lions will continue to detail opposing players\u2019 strengths and weaknesses on a whiteboard, describing it as an \u201ceducational tool\u201d for the less experienced members of his squad.<\/p>\n
However, Fagan said Brisbane\u2019s naming of ex-Lion Jaxon Prior\u2019s partner Bronte as his \u201cstrength\u201d was \u201cnot OK\u201d and \u201cwasn\u2019t good enough\u201d from the reigning premiers.<\/p>\n
The whiteboard controversy that arose from a leaked photo of the whiteboard erupted before Brisbane\u2019s win over the Bombers last Saturday has been an unwanted talking point for the Lions in the build-up to their clash on Friday night against Carlton at the Gabba.<\/p>\n
However, Fagan said some \u201cgood learnings\u201d had come out of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was unfortunate, what happened with the whiteboard, (but) the good thing was that early in the week I was able to sit down with the leadership group and chat about what happened and as a result, we put a few things in place at the club,\u201d the Lions mentor said.<\/p>\n
He said some windows at Brisbane\u2019s Springfield training facility would be frosted to prevent the public seeing inside.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf that had been the case, we wouldn\u2019t even talk about this stuff, so we were a little bit unlucky there,\u201d Fagan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also talked about what\u2019s OK to write on that board and what\u2019s not, and certainly writing a partner\u2019s name on the board isn\u2019t, so we\u2019ve made that clear to the playing group. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s probably the first time a player\u2019s partner\u2019s name has ever been written on the board.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn investigating, it was clearly just a bit of a joke and having a bit of fun, which unfortunately can be taken the wrong way, and I understand that.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t good enough on our behalf, (but) we\u2019ll continue doing our whiteboard.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m unapologetic about that. We\u2019re in a pretty tough business where every little thing matters. It\u2019s been a really good educational tool that we\u2019ve used over the years. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I first got here (ahead of the 2017 season), I didn\u2019t think our players knew enough about their opposition, so we put that whiteboard up to use, and now all the older guys are pretty good at that. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe just use it for our one-to-four-year players as part of their education.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite a member of the public having taken the photo and leaking it, Fagan said the Lions would continue to \u201cwelcome the community\u201d to their Springfield base.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople say the security should have been better, (but) that clinic wasn\u2019t scheduled for that indoor area,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened was the weather was a bit wet, so they asked if they could come inside and use that area, which we did, so we\u2019re a pretty good footy club in that regard, in terms of looking after our community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe did the right thing, unfortunately, somebody else didn\u2019t do the right thing, and now we find ourselves talking about this ridiculously small issue all week. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe welcome the community, and we always have. We always will. It\u2019s part of our mantra. We see it as a really important part of what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Lions will start as red-hot favourites on Friday night against a Carlton team that has lost seven of its eight games this season.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a poor record that has heaped pressure on Blues coach Michael Voss, who captained the Lions to a hat-trick of premierships from 2001 to 2003.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have real empathy for him.\u201d Fagan said of Voss.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve gone through patches where I\u2019ve been under pressure. It\u2019s a tough place, and it\u2019s a lonely place when you\u2019re a senior coach. There are not many people that you can talk to other than your close friends about it, and you just have to be really resilient. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve watched him over the last few weeks, how he\u2019s gone about it. I reckon he\u2019s done a fantastic job of that under really difficult circumstances.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would love to see Carlton get going so that the pressure can get off him. I just don\u2019t want it to be (on Friday night). <\/p>\n
\u201cIt sounds terrible, but that\u2019s just the way it is in this game. It\u2019s ruthless in that regard.\u201d<\/p>\n