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AAP
AAP
Sport
Steve Larkin

Lions coach ponders Hipwood's replacement

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has some decisions to make on who will replace the injured Eric Hipwood. (AAP)

Brisbane will turn to a novice to replace Eric Hipwood as coach Chris Fagan dismisses another AFL staging controversy surrounding Joe Daniher.

Key forward Hipwood will soon have knee reconstruction surgery and will miss the next 12 months.

Fagan says he's likely to summon three-gamer Connor Ballenden or six-gamer Tom Fullarton to replace Hipwood for Friday night's crunch clash against Richmond.

While both the 199cm-tall Ballenden and 200cm-tall Fullarton are ruckmen, Fagan says they have been trained in Hipwood's attacking post.

"We will probably replace him with another 200cm-bloke who does similar things," Fagan told reporters on Tuesday.

"It's a role. And whilst it's not Eric and we're all familiar with him, it will be somebody else who has been a teammate for a while and that person will step up.

"Guys like Tommy Fullarton and Connor Ballenden have been waiting in the wings for quite some time.

"They have been practising that role for a long time and waiting for the opportunity so here it is.

"And it's amazing sometimes when opportunities pop up, how you discover that you have got another good player on your list."

Key forward Daniher was fined by the AFL for staging for a free kick during Brisbane's win against Geelong on June 24.

And the former Essendon spearhead was again in the spotlight when appearing to stage for a free kick in the Lions' shock loss to St Kilda last Saturday - he avoided any match review panel charge.

Fagan said he had discussed Daniher's actions from the Geelong game with the forward.

"We have had a chat about that, he's aware of it," Fagan said.

"It's a little habit that he has got and he's trying to change it.

"He was disappointed with himself the other week but it's not a big issue that I want to make. People want to talk about it but it's not a big issue for us."

Fagan hoped umpires weren't taking any preconceived notion against Daniher.

"Hopefully the umpires umpire the game fairly and don't hold that against him," he said. "If it's a free kick it's a free kick. And if he stages, then that's no good either."

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