Eric Hipwood set to miss up to four weeks in a big blow for Brisbane’s premiership defence

Eric Hipwood during the match between Fremantle and Brisbane at Optus Stadium in round 23, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

BRISBANE’S injury woes have deepened, with Eric Hipwood set to miss up to four weeks with a calf injury.

The rangy forward suffered the injury during Friday night’s 57-point win over Fremantle in Perth, playing the entire second half through pain to complete the match.

Hipwood’s setback adds to a lengthy list of problems that threatens to stifle the Lions’ premiership defence.

Jack Payne (knee), Noah Answerth (Achilles), Lincoln McCarthy (knee) and Keidean Coleman (quad) are all out for the season.

Two-time Brownlow Medal winner Lachie Neale (quad) is also unavailable until Brisbane’s first final.

Reliable wingman Jarrod Berry is getting his shoulder scanned on Monday and is a chance to face Hawthorn on Sunday night, with the club hopeful he would at least join Neale for a return in September should the results come back positive.

Brisbane must defeat the Hawks at the Gabba to lock up a top four spot, with a loss likely meaning it would walk the elimination tightrope like last year.

Hipwood’s absence, on the eve of playing his 200th career game, presents a genuine selection headache for coach Chris Fagan and his match committee.

Although his 25 goals from 22 games this season don’t leap off the page, Hipwood is the hardest running of Brisbane’s forwards, presenting up to the wings to allow space behind for his quicker teammates to capitalise.

With Sam Day and boom youngster Logan Morris locked in as the other tall forwards, the Lions could recall Henry Smith, ruckman Oscar McInerney, or give a second game to youngster Ty Gallop.

Alternatively, they could use the ‘two tall’ structure used to reach the 2023 Grand Final, where Cam Rayner played as a pseudo marking option to complement Hipwood and Joe Daniher.

One positive on the injury front is the return of Kai Lohmann from a calf problem, with the dynamic small forward hopeful of putting an injury-ravaged campaign behind him with a big September.