Lions co-captain Harris Andrews\u2019 eagerness to return from suspension has made him an even tougher opponent to deal with at training, but it has given off-season Brisbane recruit Oscar Allen the stern initiation he was chasing.<\/p>\n
Andrews has one game of a three-week ban remaining, meaning he will miss another match on Thursday night when the Lions host Collingwood at the Gabba.<\/p>\n
However, that hasn\u2019t stopped the All-Australian defender contributing on the training paddock, and he hasn\u2019t shied away from pushing former West Coast forward Allen to his limits.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s just what 27-year-old Allen wants as he slowly but surely gets his mojo back after a couple of injury-riddled seasons.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying on Harris Andrews every week (at training) is bloody tough \u2013 he\u2019s the best going around,\u201d Allen said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven the last couple of weeks with him not playing, he\u2019s fresh and firing, so he\u2019s given me a bath \u2026 but it has been good fun.<\/p>\n
\u201cWorking on him, how I want to position my body, controlling the drop zone \u2026 (just) the intricacies of footy. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been missing a lot of training sessions the last few years. I\u2019ve been really glad to get out there pretty much every main session so far.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s been my goal coming into this year, and it\u2019s worked well in terms of building confidence on-field but also confidence in my body.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s probably the best I\u2019ve felt in my body for five years. I\u2019ve had a lot of interruptions in the past, but one thing the club does really well is individualise players\u2019 programs, and I feel like it\u2019s worked really well for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Allen, who kicked two goals in Brisbane\u2019s 33-point weekend win over St Kilda at Marvel Stadium, was confident his combination with the rest of the Lions forwards would improve with each game but said it remained a work in progress. <\/p>\n
\u201cOur whole forward line is adjusting. Our connection was not to the level we would like to be in the first couple of weeks, but I thought on the weekend, particularly in the second half, we showed some better signs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are times with you think \u2018this is really clicking\u2019, and there are also times when you go back to the drawing board.<\/p>\n
\u201cFooty\u2019s a complex game. It\u2019s very hard to draw up particular plays. You\u2019ve got to adjust and let the game happen instinctively.<\/p>\n
\u201cContinuity is important for me \u2013 just getting out there every week and doing my bit for the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is plenty of work to do going forward for the boys.\u201d<\/p>\n