Brisbane coach Chris Fagan expects star midfielder Lachie Neale to be fine to play next weekend's AFL match against Adelaide despite a painful shoulder knock against Geelong.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Brownlow Medallist had to leave the field briefly in the first quarter of the Lions' impressive 44-point win over the Cats at the Gabba on Thursday.
Neale fell awkwardly on his right shoulder under a tackle from Cats' forward Jeremy Cameron, causing immediate concern for Lions fans.
Despite looking in severe pain as he came off, Neale made an almost immediate return to the field and would go on to play out the match.
The 28-year-old finished with 24 disposals, seven marks and six tackles as the Lions moved into third on the ladder with their sixth straight home win.
Fagan confirmed after the match that Neale's shoulder had not dislocated and he was confident there'd be no lasting effects from the incident.
"He just got a bit of a jar really and he was able to come out without any strapping or anything like that," the Lions coach said.
"It'll probably be a bit sore tomorrow I imagine, but we've got a few days to get ready for Adelaide, so he should be fine as far as I know."
The Lions head to South Australia full of confidence on the back of just their second win over the Cats for eight years.
Despite his team edging closer to a potential third-straight top-two finish, Fagan wasn't ready to say they've peaked.
"I feel like every week is a challenge and teams and the game keep evolving, so I don't think you can ever sit back and feel that way," he said.
"There's a long way to go in the season, there's a lot of work to do, so we'll just keep our feet firmly on the ground and plan each week and respect each opposition we play against."
Australian Associated Press
