- Lions coach made prediction about Cam Rayner six years ago
- Rayner missed a howler in 2018 that would have won the match
- He kicked the winner against Geelong on Saturday night
Footy fans have lauded the insight and leadership of Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan who predicted that Cam Rayner would make up for a shocking miss he made during the 2018 season.
A week after coming from 44 points down to beat GWS, the Lions erased a 25-point third-quarter deficit in their 14.11 (95) to 12.13 (85) preliminary final victory over Geelong at the MCG on Saturday.
Brisbane forward Cam Rayner managed to slot home a clutch goal in the dying minutes of the match to give Brisbane an 11-point lead and win the game for the Lions.
However, back in his first season for the club, Rayner missed a howler in Round 20 against the Kangaroos that many Lions fans can’t forget.
With hardly any time left on the clock, he botched a shot from just 15 metres out on a slight angle which would have won the game.
After the match, Fagan explained that the talented youngster would more than make up for the miss in the future.
Chris Fagan’s side will meet Sydney on September 28 in the first grand final featuring two non-Victorian clubs since 2006.
‘I was pretty glad he had the ball in his hands in the dying stages to win a game of footy and, as a lot of our young players did, they stood up,’ Fagan said at the time.
Chris Fagan predicted that Cam Rayner would make up for a costly miss he made six years ago
Cam Rayner kicked the winner against Geelong on Saturday night
‘They might have made some mistakes during that period but it will stand them in good stead down the track, and I’m sure Cam Rayner in his career at this footy club will make up for that one over and over again.’
Those remarks from Fagan have since been posted on social media, with fans saluting the insight of the Brisbane coach.
‘Fages is not only a brilliant leader, but also a bloody great bloke!’ posted one fan.
‘How good is footy?! Absolute chills watching this,’
A third posted: ‘I vividly remember after that match, Fages went straight to Rayner, putting his arm around him,’ they wrote.
‘The so-called footy experts criticised him, saying he should have given Rayner a spray for losing the game.
Chris Fagan’s side will meet Sydney on September 28 at the MCG in the decider
‘But that’s not Fages. He’s one of the key reasons players like Lachie (Neale), Charlie (Cameron), Dunks (Josh Dunkley), Joe (Daniher), and others who weren’t playing tonight chose to come to the club.’
Chris Fagan’s side will meet Sydney on September 28 in the first grand final featuring two non-Victorian clubs since 2006.
It will be Brisbane’s second successive grand final appearance, following a heartbreaking four-point defeat to Collingwood last year.
The Lions, who finished fifth on the ladder, could become just the second team to win the premiership from outside the top four under the current finals system, introduced in 2000.
It would complete a remarkable turnaround after coach Chris Fagan thought their flag hopes were all but over in May.
‘I’m feeling very proud of our group, not just for the resilience that they showed tonight but for the resilience that they’ve shown throughout the year,’ Fagan said.
‘We were in a pretty dicey situation at the halfway mark of the season with four wins, six losses and a draw.
‘The way those boys have gone about it and just stuck to their guns, they got a reward tonight.
‘If you had’ve said to me at the halfway mark we were going to be playing in a grand final, I probably would’ve said you’re crazy.
‘But here we are and we’ve got an opportunity. It was a fantastic win against a tremendous footy club.’
