The Lions are flying under the radar late in the 2023 season, but one factor of their game has caught the eye of David King.
It reared its ugly head again in Round 22, as Brisbane squandered a four-goal lead in the fourth term to only prevail by six points.
A similar outcome happened against Geelong a fortnight prior, while Brisbane threw the game away in Round 18 as Melbourne pulled off a comeback for the ages.
It’s not only cost them percentage but premiership points as well and King believes it could decide a final.
“This is not a curiosity, this is serious,” King stated on SEN’s Whateley.
“Prelim final night, if they’re less than a goal up with five minutes to go, they’re gone because they just can’t close out a game. They just don’t know how to close out a game properly.
“They could get an uncontested mark for the first 110 minutes, no problem. Last six minutes (of a game), they can’t find one, and they go blind. All of a sudden, they go long down the line, or try and invent things, they just have to defend for long periods.
“They put a number behind the ball every time; it never works. As soon as they roll one back they concede the next six inside 50s every time.
“So this is a massive concern, it’s not one to laugh about.”
Against, the Crows, Cats and Demons, Chris Fagan’s men have kicked a combined four goals in the final term.
King suggested it was in part due to the coach’s call to shut games down too early.
“Chris Fagan needs to find the solution here and find it quickly. 240 minutes of footy to go before the real stuff starts and they’re going to be tight finals, we all know that,” he added.
“Six points up with six minutes to go won’t be enough (in finals).
“They try and shut the game down with eight minutes to go on the clock, which in reality is 13 minutes if footy, so maybe leave it a little bit later.
“But gee, that’s going to be a watch for us in the big games this year.”
2023 shapes as Fagan’s most successful season – outside of the pandemic year played in Brisbane – with the Lions entering the finals as their biggest chance of a premiership in his tenure.
But his finals record is nothing to be remarked at. Brisbane has lost six of nine finals under Fagan, including two straight sets departures from the finals.
If the Lions lost to Collingwood on Friday night, that matchup shapes as the first Qualifying Final.
But should Brisbane win, they’ll likely host a Qualifying Final at the Gabba.