What Hodge would tell Brisbane before the Grand Final if he were Lions skippers Andrews and Neale

Four-time premiership Hawk and three-time flag-winning captain Luke Hodge has offered an insight on what he’d tell the Lions if he were Harris Andrews and Lachie Neale ahead of Saturday’s Grand Final against Collingwood.

Andrews and Neale, who are in their first year as co-leaders after taking over from Dayne Zorko, will lead the side out at the MCG on Saturday.

After beating Collingwood in all of their last six attempts, Hodge believes the duo should reinforce to their teammates that they have the game to beat the Magpies.

As well as their recent form, Hodge thinks the Lions should reference Collingwood’s scoring woes.

“This is a different, this is a group who has had really good experience against Collingwood,” Hodge said on SEN Whateley.

“They’ve won the last six (against Collingwood), so I’d be flagging that, ‘We match up really well against them’.

“‘This is a team who they’ve kicked 60 or 70 points and won games. In the two games we’ve played against Collingwood this year we’ve kicked over 100 points and we did it with ease with our ball movement’.

‘The blokes we got on the half-back line, Hugh McCluggage, all these blokes that are smooth with great skills’.”

While Brisbane have a poor recent record at the MCG, Hodge thinks it’s important that Neale and Andrews remind their teammates that they won a final at the venue just last season.

“‘They can’t contain us and especially on the width of the MCG. People reckon we don’t like it, but with our ball use, we’ve got some energetic halfbacks which suit the MCG’,” Hodge said.

“‘Look at what we did last year against Melbourne in the final. We can play this game. Look what we did in Round 18, we had Melbourne this year five goals down … yes, we went down, but it wasn’t the MCG why we lost the game’.

“‘It was because we went into a safe mode and that’s not how we play’.

“‘We don’t have any fears. We have no fears at the MCG because of what we’ve done in the last 12 months. Don’t worry about the previous five or six years’.”

Another aspect Hodge would bring up is the resilience the team has built in the lead-in to finals where they were made to win gritty against tough opponents.

After going through those battles, Hodge thinks the Lions will feel they’re mature enough to absorb Collingwood’s best punch.

“Also, I’d speak about, ‘What have we learnt going into finals? We’ve built resilience’,” Hodge said.

“‘Look at the Freo game, we went across over there, it was a hard-fought game playing for their season’.

“‘Look at the Adelaide game and the St Kilda game. They were both teams that were playing for their season’.

“‘Look at the Carlton game last week. They jumped us. Did we panic? No, we responded’.

“‘We’ve learned how, in finals, in close games, it’s not going to be a one-punch knockout’.

“‘We need to beat teams a number of times. But what we’ve learned over the last few years is the fact that if we do get hit, we can respond’.

“‘We’re mature enough now, we can change the tempo of the game and we’ve got enough experienced blokes who have had finals experience to compose that and can take control of the game’.”

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Hodge would be bringing up that the Lions appear to be playing their best football right now while the Magpies seemingly peaked in July.

“Finally, it is, ‘Who’s playing the best football at the moment?’,” Hodge said.

“‘Yes, Collingwood finished on top. But do you want to be playing your best football at Round 15 like they are, or do you want to be coming in?’.

“‘Look at our last two finals. We were under the pump against Port Adelaide’.

“‘We responded. We handled the pressure. We’re in fine form. Look at Collingwood in the last seven weeks, they’re four and seven and three of those wins have been by eight points or under’.

“‘They’re not cruising at the moment. They’re not flying. They’re getting through because of where they finished on the ladder’.

“‘In that same time, we’re eight from nine. We’re battle-hardened. We’re eight from nine. We’re in great form’.

“‘We’re ready to attack them, a team that we’ve had the mickey over for the last six games’.

“‘Let’s go get them!’.”

Hodge also revealed what he’d say to the Magpies pre-game if he were Collingwood captain Darcy Moore.