“We’ve been atrocious, we’ve been a bad football team and there’s no denying that.”
That is Allen Christensen’s blunt and honest assessment of the past few years at the Brisbane Lions, however optimism is high around the Gabba that the club is finally starting to turn the corner.
The 26-year-old will return to the side in 2018 as a virtual new recruit, having not played a game since Round 11, 2016, due to recurring shoulder and collarbone injuries.
He hopes a maturing playing list will allow the Lions to stay in games for longer and rise up the ladder.
“Last year and parts of 2016 we slowly took steps forward, especially last year. Defensively we went from 131 to 114 points a game [conceded],” Christensen told SEN Drive.
“I just think the bodies are starting to mature, starting to get a grip on what AFL is all about.
“Hopefully the contested ball stuff is going through the roof because we’ve been training super, super hard.
“Over the last year there’s been a big turnaround in professionalism…it’s the little one-percenters that keep adding up together that make a big difference.
“I really see some bright signs in front of us.”
Christensen said much of the turnaround of the vibe at the club comes down to the manner in which coach Chris Fagan deals with the playing group.
“He’s a real people person, loves getting around the boys,” he said.
“He earnt our respect straight away, and we had to earn his. By doing that we can have real open and honest conversations with him and he can do the same back to us.
“I think with that, because the lines are so open we feel comfortable with each other. At the end of the day he just cares about us and us as a football team, I think that’s his greatest strength.”
Brisbane begins it’s 2018 season against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on March 24.
To hear Allen Christensen's chat on SEN Drive click on the player below: