Lions skipper to maintain the rage against the Cats

Returning Brisbane Lions captain Dayne Zorko has vowed to continue playing “on the edge” despite it costing him a week on the sidelines.

Zorko missed Brisbane’s 23-point weekend win over North Melbourne after being suspended for one match for striking Melbourne forward Tom McDonald in the Lions’ 22-point loss to the Demons on June 4.

Match review officer Michael Christian ruled Zorko’s offence to be “intentional conduct, with low impact and high contact”

However, Zorko, who will return for Brisbane’s blockbuster with Geelong at the Gabba on Thursday night, said “incidents like that happen in football all the time”.

“It was an accident. There certainly wasn’t any intention behind it,” he said.

“Every player wants to play on the edge, and at times you cross that line and you get found out unfortunately.

“That was the case that happened to me against Melbourne, but I’m really excited to be back.”

Zorko said every AFL team was still trying to find an acceptable balance between playing as close as possible “to that line” without overstepping the mark.

Lions skipper Dayne Zorko returns from suspension on Thursday night. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/AFL Photos/via Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

“I think we’ve answered that at times this year, but we know Geelong is going to bring that,” he said.

“They have for a number of years, and we need to match them in that area.”

Three of the Lions’ four losses this season have come against the three teams currently above them on the table – Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs and Geelong.

Zorko said it was up to his side to prove they could get the better of the competition’s best teams.

“It would certainly be nice to. They’re three very good teams playing some exceptional footy,” he said.

“We’d like to see ourselves up contending with those sort of teams, so we need to beat those teams that are above us, and it’s a great opportunity on Thursday night.”‘

The Cats controversially defeated the Lions by one point at GMHBA Stadium in round 2 when the Lions were robbed of a chance to kick a winning goal in the dying stages after an umpiring error to not rule against Geelong’s Mark Blicavs for a holding the ball infringement.

“We need to match them in the areas we did in round 2,” Zorko said.

“It was certainly a great game. They certainly jumped us early, which is something we need to be wary of again, but I thought our back half of that third quarter and the last quarter showed some really positive signs.

“Overall, I thought it was a pretty good performance last time and we need to bring that again.”

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