The Beatles said it best.
Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan has been asked just about every question imaginable about the football in the time of Covid 19 over the past few weeks and often the answers are the same, he just doesn’t know.
Never before has a competition been played under the existing training and meeting restrictions. The blocks of home games potentially followed by stints on the road is new territory.
How the players cope with the limited contact in the lead up to the resumption in play is another Fagan can’t answer with 100 per cent certainty.
But rather than be concerned by it, he is excited by the challenges that lay ahead.
"It's going to be a 'Magical Mystery Tour' this football season, I reckon. That's a Beatles line, that one, but it will be. I don't know what's going to happen, but it's going to be interesting," he said.
Fagan has instructed his players to always look for positives in every situation and although the disruption to the season and the strict new protocols around social distancing has forced several changes in the way he prepares his side, he suspects not all of them will be abandoned once the tight controls are eased.
“I reckon we might even work out a couple of better ways to do things,’’ he said.
“Not all of them will be better ways but some of them will be better ways.’’
One area he believes is working well under the restrictions is the review process.
Fagan can only meet with his players for 15 minutes twice a week which means he had to find a way to make those meetings more efficient.
Players are now sent vision to study away from the club and Fagan has noted they are entering meetings better prepared.
“The players watch it at home before they come into the meetings and it’s actually interesting that they have a lot more to say when they are in the meetings,’’ he said.
“So there’s a little bit more self-learning there which first in well with our philosophy.
“So that’s probably something we will continue to do a fair bit of when everything is back to normal.’’
Fagan today delivered some good news on star duo Dayne Zorko and Stefan Martin, both who are expeceds to be available for round two.
Captain Zorko had some Achilles soreness last week and was on a lighter load while ruckman Martin is on the comeback from a torn PCL injury in his right knee he suffered in round one.
"You don't muck around with Achilles and if you get on with them quickly, they usually settle down," Fagan said on Monday.
"Our expectation is he'll be fine for round [two]. He just had a quieter week last week, as would've anyone who was a bit sore, just to adapt to the load again.
"(Stef) He's the first bloke ever to do a [PCL] and not miss a game in a season. He's a freak.’’
