Retired Allen Christensen (2014-2020)

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Five talking points: Richmond v Brisbane

Another positive for the Lions was the form of Allen Christensen, who after an injury-decimated few years looks to be hitting his straps across half-back.

 

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Awesome return to form by Bundy today after a not so great start to the season. Hopefully today is the catalyst to bigger and better things.

 

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Lions proud of link to Nicholls

BRISBANE forward Allen Christensen says it is a source of great pride that Sir Doug Nicholls was a Lion.

Christensen said while the Indigenous Round had always held a special place in his heart, from his early days as a Bombers fan watching the Dreamtime at the ’G game, to have it now named after former Fitzroy winger, renowned pastor and activist Sir Doug Nicholls had given the club’s indigenous players an extra spring in their step this week.

“I think it is a massive honour for the boys who will pull on the jumper this weekend that Sir Doug wore the Fitzroy colours,’’ he said. “His impact was profound throughout many places so to play for the club he also played for is something I and the other boys certainly don’t take lightly. “I was a big Essendon supporter growing up and to see that first Dreamtime at the G and to be able to go to those games and then to see what this round has actually turned into, it is not only a great spectacle but it also shows a lot of respect and celebrates the indigenous culture. ‘‘It means a lot.’’

Christensen said he had noticed over the past two years the Lions had increased their efforts in trying to engage with the whole community, and was particularly thrilled with the work they did with indigenous groups. The Lions board is hosting arguably the club’s greatest Aboriginal player in history, Chris Johnson, at a function at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The club has formed a partnership indigenous health program Deadly Choices where Christensen serves as a mentor. He is also on the committee of the Lions’ Reconciliation Action Plan. “The Brisbane Lions care about us, they want to help us succeed,’’ he said. “Behind the scenes there is so much going on. I am really proud to be at a club that cares so much about the Aboriginal people in the Brisbane area and also all around Australia.’’

 

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Injury Update

Allen Christensen did not return to the field after he was concussed following a high hit by North’s Jy Simpkin. Simpkin has been hit with a two-match ban for the hit which he will challenge tonight at the AFL tribunal. Christensen will be tested later this week to judge whether he is fit to play against Essendon on Sunday.

 

[dlanod]

https://www.couriermail.com.au/spor...k=2d27eb311a86344955b3fa934901dfa3-1529325670

 

[Dalions]

https://www.couriermail.com.au/spor...k=2d27eb311a86344955b3fa934901dfa3-1529325670

I wonder if the 1 yr was at his request or the clubs?

 

[dlanod]

I wonder if the 1 yr was at his request or the clubs?

I'd guess it was more him. He hasn't exactly been on fire on his return, so from his POV a one year deal would hopefully see him return to full form and hence re-sign at a higher salary next year.

 

[jackess]

I'd guess it was more him. He hasn't exactly been on fire on his return, so from his POV a one year deal would hopefully see him return to full form and hence re-sign at a higher salary next year.

Hopefully it doesn't go the other way.

There were some on this board saying he might've been a better pickup than Beams but he hasn't hit the form he had in his last couple of seasons at Geelong when he was winning a fair bit of the footy inside and out.

I think he suits the way we want to play footy but it'd be a big bonus for us if he starts winning more contested footy than he has been this season.

 

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[jackess]

Starting to look like the guy from Workaholics

 

[lionshine]

Hopefully it doesn't go the other way.

There were some on this board saying he might've been a better pickup than Beams but he hasn't hit the form he had in his last couple of seasons at Geelong when he was winning a fair bit of the footy inside and out.

I think he suits the way we want to play footy but it'd be a big bonus for us if he starts winning more contested footy than he has been this season.

Was always going to struggle this season after such a long stint on the sidelines. Needs a full season this year plus another full pre season heading into next year until we can start to judge him too harshly. I reckon this year is just about finding some continuity in his footy and finding his feet again before next year when both he and club will be expecting him to have a bigger impact.

 

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Five talking points: Hawthorn v Brisbane

4. From the ridiculous to the sublime

Allen Christensen's second-quarter goal won’t go down as a classic, but it appeared as a minor miracle given the calamitous sequence that unfolded as the Lions brought the ball along the outer wing moments earlier. What looked like being a simple, uncontested goal became a comedy of errors as Hawthorn rebounded to the open side of the ground. But through a combination of tough tackling and tenacity from his teammates, Christensen was eventually able to kick the goal and send his side to a narrow lead.

 

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Brisbane Lions launch Reconciliation Action Plan

The Brisbane Lions proudly launched the Club’s first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in front of current and former players, coaches, staff, members of the board, supporters and media at the iconic Kangaroo Point Cliffs today.

The launch was timely, falling on International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. The one year plan details specific actioning from August 2018 – August 2019 and has been officially endorsed by Karen Mundine, the CEO of Reconciliation Australia.

The Lions Club values dictate they have a responsibility to be inclusive, collaborative, accountable and ultimately respectful to those around them.

“Care and connectedness are two of the Brisbane Lions’ four core values that staff, and players aim to demonstrate each day in their work and home life,” Lions Chairman Andrew Wellington said. “These two values are integral to the Australian community bridging gaps between the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and remainder of the Australian community.”

Allen Christensen, the Lions RAP Committee’s Co-Chair, echoed Wellington’s sentiments. “I think we, as a Club, have taken a few steps forward today,” he said. “We’ve put all these things down on paper and it’s going to hold us to account.”

Great work on driving the Reconciliation Action Plan Allen; no doubt will create a great pathway for future indigenous Lions.

 

[a mayes ing]

Fantastic initiative. Will be good to have some sort of contract so we keep honouring it. Hopefully it shows to any potential recruits that we can support them should they need it

 

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UNSUNG HEROES — ROUND 22

Brisbane: Allen Christensen

As the Lions look to take the next step, a fit and firing Allen Christensen goes a long way to making it happen. The former Cat was finding the footy everywhere on the outside against the Suns, collecting 22 touches at 90 per cent efficiency and taking 10 marks as Chris Fagan’s men continued their impressive rebuild.

 

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Player Reviews

#3 - Allen Christensen
One of the feel-good stories of 2018 for Lions fans was seeing Allen Christensen back on the field. Christensen missed a good two years of football with a recurring collarbone injury, but he returned to action to play all 22 Senior matches in 2018. The small forward started the year in excellent fashion, collecting 21 disposals in Round 1 and kicking three goals in Round 2.

He did have one hiccup in Round 11 against North Melbourne, when a heavy head knock early on saw him ruled out for the remainder of the game.
His best performances for the year came near the end of the season, when he was thrust into the unfamiliar role of defence. Christensen's run out of the back half was excellent for the Lions, with his 26 disposal performance against West Coast in Round 23 a highlight. He finished the season averaging 18 disposals, 2.5 tackles and nearly four marks a match.

As a member of the Lions' leadership group, Christensen was again superb with his leadership on and off the field. He recently helped to launch the Club's first Reconciliation Action Plan. Christensen signed a one-year contract extension for 2019 with the Lions midway through the season.

Coaches Comment - Jed Adcock, Forwards Coach.

"Bundy had a strong year back after two years out. He played the majority as a forward and showed some real promise late in the year when he went to defence - we found a nice spot for him and he did some good things."

Senior matches: 22, Goals: 16

 

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PLAYERS' VOICE — ALLEN CHRISTENSEN

Getting back to playing consistent football in 2018 has been a challenging road. I’ve spent much of my time at the Brisbane Lions in rehab so it was great to string together 22 games this year and get back to playing.

Being able to play every game for the first time since 2015 is something I’m proud of, and don’t take for granted. Because of that, I’ve spent some time reflecting on my journey since the season finished and it led me to speak about my experiences with injury in front of an audience at Levi’s BIGSOUND 2018 in Brisbane.

Talking in front of an audience and sharing my story in an open way is something that I previously wouldn’t have been comfortable doing, but being part of that panel has led me to want to share my story more broadly. It was a beneficial experience for me. Many people wouldn’t know this, but after breaking the plate in my collarbone in 2017, I thought my playing days could be over.

There were definitely times where I thought I couldn’t keep doing this because it felt like I was doing the same thing over and over, but with negative results. Fortunately, I had my rehab coach Sel Griffiths supporting me through. Putting in the effort to finish my rehab the right way and sustaining recurring injuries became quite frustrating but Sel made sure I kept my head up. We spent most of my time together and he made sure that if I was having a bad day he would get me in and out of the club pretty quickly.

I couldn’t have imagined how tough that might have been during those times because I know I was a bit of an arsehole to deal with but I couldn’t have done it without him. There were days there where I thought ‘I don’t know if I can get out of bed today’ because I didn’t have the motivation to go into the club. Those moments led me to seek assistance from Brisbane’s Head of Welfare Andrew Crowell and speak about what could happen if I broke my collarbone again and my career ended. We spoke about a career path post football and we found a couple of passions: coaching and indigenous affairs.

I threw myself into working on those passions and it made me want to keep coming into the club because I knew I was doing something worthwhile. I spent time with the NEAFL team and decided that I was going to help the club move forward in indigenous areas. During my time in rehab, I worked with the club in creating their first Reconciliation Action Plan, which we launched in August. I want Brisbane to be a place that indigenous players want to be a part of, so when we draft a young indigenous kid their family knows that they are going to be take care of. I wanted the families to know that their son or daughter is going to be cared for and know about their culture.

The biggest thing for me is that the club stays on the right track. I make sure I am doing my part and the club makes sure they are doing their part.
We’re creating a really welcoming and inclusive environment on the inside and on the outside we want to continue to help the indigenous community.

Brisbane knew that by supporting me in what I was going through, it would help get the real me back, not the one that was sitting on a bike and didn’t want to see anyone. I’m really thankful to the club for doing that and it definitely kept my mental health positive.