A “frustrated” Daniel Rich will miss Brisbane’s MCG showdown with Richmond on Sunday due to the AFL’s concussion protocols.
Rich copped an accidental knee to the head from the Gold Coast’s Levi Casboult in the final quarter of the Lions’ 17-point weekend QClash win at the Gabba.
Under AFL guidelines, the veteran defender must stay on the sidelines for 12 days.
Rich, who had only just returned to Brisbane’s side following a hamstring injury, is expected to be available for the Lions’ August 7 match against Carlton at the Gabba.
Rich’s teammate Hugh McCluggage sympathised with the wounded Lion after the “sickening incident”.
“He (Rich) is just frustrated that he can’t get a good run at it,” McCluggage told the SENQ Mornings program on Monday.
“He was out the week before with a little niggle. Obviously for ‘Richie’ it’s disappointing, but hopefully he’ll be right to go in two weeks’ time.”
The win over the Suns kept the Lions in the top four ahead of this weekend’s date with the 10th-placed Tigers, who are two points outside top eight.
“We’ve been a little but on and off. We seem to have one good game and one poor one,” McCluggage said.
“Hopefully we can string a few (wins) together now and start to build our form.”
Midfielder McCluggage has found consistency with his form, and looms as a key element in Brisbane’s finals assault.
“I’m just trying to be consistent with my game and put together a solid patch of form,” he said.
“You can bob up and have a game here and there but the toughest part of the AFL is doing it week in, week out/
“I’m just happy that I’m able to contribute to the team in different ways and each week.”
The Lions on Sunday face the challenge of winning at the MCG for the first time since a 67-point victory over Collingwood in 2014.
“The grand final is played at the ‘G’ so it’s important that we can get some confidence there and play some good footy there this weekend,” McCluggage said.
“We don’t get a whole lot of opportunities to play there and unfortunately, when we have, we haven’t delivered.
“It (the MCG) is not too dissimilar to the Gabba in terms of the ground. We’ve just got to get out there and play well because we haven’t done that in our last few games there.”
Originally published as Daniel Rich to miss Brisbane’s bid to win at the MCG for the first time since 2014
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