Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich cautions his side against underestimating Western Bulldogs, West Coast Eagles

Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich has cautioned his side against underestimating their opponents ahead of back-to-back games against last year’s bottom two sides. Following a dominant 52-point win over an injury-riddled Collingwood at Brighton Homes Arena on Friday, the reigning premiers will host wooden spooners Western Bulldogs on Wednesday before travelling to Perth to face West Coast the following Sunday. Starcevich admitted the Lions were “going through the motions a bit” in the last quarter, having set up the win with dominant second and third terms. “It’s a good result but like if someone had said at the beginning of the night you’d have a 50-odd point win you’d take it, but we feel like we’ve left a bit out there,” he said. “But we know we’ve got a busy time coming up so there’s a bit of a view to that.” The Lions will look to manage players through an upcoming packed schedule across the competition but Starcevich said the Lions can’t afford to take their foot off the gas against perceived weaker opposition. “There’s a fair bit on in the next nine days. We’ve got to be mindful about being smart about it but also putting out super competitive teams to make the most of what’s ahead of us,” Starcevich said. “We’ve got some opposition that have been battling a little bit but they’re often the most dangerous. “The Bulldogs next Wednesday and then West Coast have been really good so far this year. It’s going to be a tough little period for us.” The Dogs are winless so far in 2024, while the Eagles (2-1) have enjoyed their best start to a season in history under new coach Daisy Pearce. West Coast got the better of the Western Bulldogs at Whitten Oval on Thursday night and will remain in Melbourne ahead of their clash with Collingwood, before hosting the Lions at Mineral Resources Oval.