Senior Noah Answerth (2018-)

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Cockatoo Continuing To Build

The Lions will also welcome back small defender Noah Answerth through the VFL this week. After suffering a groin injury in Round 17 last year, Answerth experienced several setbacks in his road to recovery.

“It’s really exciting to have Noah back. He’s been helping in a part-time coaching role that we’re hoping will help in his playing as well.

“His return will bring out his leadership and we’re keen to see his aggression and attack on the contest again.”
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Answerth: "A Lot To Be Grateful For"

With the VFL on hold due to the Covid 19 lockdown in Melbourne, the reserves clash with the Giants has become a scratch match against the Gold Coast at Yeronga.

Answerth, who will be playing just his second game in nine months, can’t wait.

“I know it’s not an official game, but I’m really excited to be back playing and just grateful for the opportunity to get a game,’’ he said.

“My brother plays in the VFL and he can’t play at the moment and there won’t be any grassroots footy going on in Victoria this weekend and we’re up here and able to get a scratch match in, so I think there’s a lot to be thankful for.

“And to be back out there with my mates, I’ve spent a lot of time with the VFL boys while I’ve been out injured, and I can’t wait to play a game with them.’’

Answerth was a regular in Senior coach Chris Fagan’s side in 2019 but injury restricted him to just 9 senior games last season, the last the Lions’ Rd 17 victory over Sydney in Cairns.

He had a restricted pre-season due to a persistent groin issue and did not play until a reserves scratch match that coincided with round one of the AFL.

At that stage he had every right to be optimistic that after a couple of games to build fitness he’d be knocking on the door of senior selection.

He came out of that game sore but was flown down to Melbourne when the senior side was stuck there while Queensland went into its lockdown, with the intention of pushing for selection in round three.

However, the injury flared up at training and he has not played since.

VFL coach Mitch Hahn said while he may have been frustrated with his own situation, his attitude around the group had been fantastic and he had made a significant contribution helping out as an assistant coach for the backline.

“He’s been a huge help, we’ve had a very young and inexperienced backline and he’s been terrific with those guys each week,’’ he said.

“And now that he’s playing we know that will continue, he’ll be able to convert that educational role into match day leadership which will really benefit those younger guys.’’
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Reinforcements In Sight For Lions

Noah Answerth played his first game in almost three months on Saturday when he lined-up in a reserves scratch match against Gold Coast at Yeronga.
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“Noah played the whole game and got through without any problems so from here it is just about building on his match fitness,’’ he said.

The popular small defender was last seen at AFL level in Round 17 against Sydney last year, before a groin injury ruled him out for the remainder of the year.
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Big Bodies In Frame For Return

Fellow defender Noah Answerth also faces a stint on the sidelines and will consult a surgeon this week due to ongoing groin soreness.

Answerth played his first game in over two months in a reserves practice match in Round 11 but pulled-up sore and was unable to back-up the following week.

“We haven’t been able to get on top of this issue so we’ll get a surgeon’s opinion this week,’’ Austin said.

“He won’t be back in action for some time.’’
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Rayner Eyes Return to Full Training

Speaking to Lions media, Austin also mentioned that Harry Sharp and Noah Answerth were closing in on returning to the main group.
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“Noah Answerth is back running. There’ll be some slight alterations to his program, but we expect come January he’ll be back to full training.”
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Big Things Coming for Answerth

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Day one of pre-season can be hellish for young footballers, especially those based in Queensland.

But for Noah Answerth, November 29 can’t come around quick enough.

The 21-year-old will be there when the 1st to 4th year players return, the first time he has joined full training in over a year.

Answerth was a revelation in his first year in Brisbane. He’d suffered a broken back as a junior and missed his draft year, however he nominated again the following season and the Lions took a punt. Arriving via pick 55 in the 2018 national draft, he quickly proved it was astute drafting by the Club’s talent scouts as he played 19 games including two finals as the Lions stormed to their first September campaign in a decade.

However, 2020 he ran into some hurdles.

He played in Rd 1 before the competition went on hold. Then he was suspended in a scratch match in the lead-up to the competition’s return. The sentence could not be served until the AFL season resumed and in that period he picked up a groin complaint which further delayed his start until Rd 9.

Once he was in the side he began to reclaim the form that had seen him earn a Rising Star nomination in his debut season.

However, with the congested playing schedule as the league sought desperately to complete the competition, his troublesome groin began to complain.

The Lions played the Pies in Rd 14 on Friday September 4, the Suns on Wednesday the 9th and then the Swans in wet conditions in Cairns on Saturday the 12th.

By the trip home it was obvious he needed a spell, what he didn’t know at the time was he wouldn’t play again that season nor at all in 2021.

“It was a footy frenzy, we were playing a game every three days,’’ he said.

“I think I had Izak Rankine into Tom Papley who is a pretty high-speed running type of player and I guess it started with pubic overload which is the reason why my groin ended up happening like they did and why I ended up having so much time out.

“I thought I’d be out for two weeks and I was really prepared to have a crack and get back for the finals, I thought I was going to play a final so I was training all the way up to that prelim, even to the point where I was almost getting carried off the track.

“I was meant to hit targets and couldn’t do it, it was heartbreaking.’’

At the end of that season performance coach Josh Low joined the Club and together they mapped out a plan that would set Answerth on the path to recovery.

In addition to rehabbing the injury, Low also set a program that would improving Answerth’s mobility and also encouraged him to put more effort into his life away from the club.

He started to practice Pilates and put hours into the Building and Construction Diploma he is studying at TAFE.

“I was very lucky with Josh, it was his first year and he was massive for me from a mental side of things,’’ he said.

“With my groins going back and forth like they were, we focused on things outside of footy like my diploma

“I did fair bit of that.

“But also how I could recover, eat well, sleep well, things like mobility because a lot of my problems came from back and how tight I was, so teaching myself ways to become more mobile.

“I had a lot of time, but I also used it pretty well which helped my mental side.’’

It was decided minor surgery would help his recovery, but once again Answerth was the victim of some bad timing as he developed appendicitis.

“I was meant to only have one surgery, I got my groins done on a Tuesday and then on Friday I went back for appendix surgery,’’ he said.

“When I finally got out on Sunday,I spent 16 days on the couch after that because I couldn’t move, it was brutal I coudn’t get up without a hand and walking around was tough for a long time.’’

However, that became the turning point. He has built up his running load over the off-season to the point where he is ready to join the group when pre-season kicks off.

“It (the surgery) was very unknown if it was going to help, and I think it has which is good,’’ he said.

“But also the program that Josh created, I think the approach we have taken, its been very slow but I’m back at a point where I can run with the group but also full train in the pre-season and hopefully play some practice games which is exciting.

“I’m hoping 2022 will be a better year than 2021.

“The 2019 year that I had, coming in as a first year was pretty surreal and I guess I got pretty lucky then.

“And all the work I have done now is hopefully going to get me back to that point and hopefully I don’t look back from there.

“It will be a big thing to get out there and throw the jumper back on with all the boys again, I will take a lot of pride in that.’’
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Key Lions Flying in Race to Return

Noah Answerth (groin) is also back in the mix after missing last season and Nakia Cockatoo was looking noticeably trim after impressing late last season.
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Forgotten Warrior Eyeing His Return

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It’s been 490 days since Noah Answerth last took the field in Chris Fagan’s best side.

After being hampered by niggling groin, hip and back injuries, Answerth struggled to get on the park through much of 2021.

But the 22-year-old looks set to make 2022 his year, returning to full training and appearing stronger than ever.

Speaking to Lions Media, Chris Fagan expressed his excitement about the prospect of having Answerth back in the side.

“Looking at him at the moment, he’s looking really strong physically, particularly through his core which was important in his recovery,” Fagan said.

“He’s been doing all the training through pre-season so far. It wasn’t much of a year for him last year, he hardly played, and we didn’t see him in the AFL team after two years where he showed so much promise.”

Fagan also suggested that a fit Answerth would be a likely inclusion to the side should his body hold up.

“He’s as fit as I’ve ever seen him… we’ve got no reason to think that with a little bit of lucky, he’ll play a full season this year and we’ll get to see a player who we’ve probably all forgotten about.

“But he’s a very, very good player and spirit wise he means a lot to the team.”
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What You Missed at Men's Training This Week

Noah Answerth was a tackling machine in the Lions match simulation drills, applying plenty of heavy hits and pressure as he continues to eye his return, while Connor McFadyen is looking dangerous in the forward line with his strong hands and impressive leap.
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Answerth Enjoying Being Back

It’s been a while between drinks for Noah Answerth.

Having been a standout in the Lions recent match simulations, it seems ‘Noz’ has finally gotten his body right after a frustrating two years with injury.

Speaking to the Roar Deal, Answerth admits he’s noticed himself mature along the journey.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been out there, and I’ve grown up a fair bit since I first got injured. The last time I got to play for four points was in 2020 in Round 17 against Sydney, so it’s been a while.”

Sidelined for the majority of the 2021 season with lingering groin injuries, the 22-year-old sought the advice of a former Lion and West Coast Eagles midfielder, Elliot Yeo, for advice.

“I’d run 10km sessions and then it would just overload and I’d quickly go backwards because of it. So that happened three times,” he said.

“I ended up chatting to Elliot Yeo and a few other contacts and took it into my own hands a bit. I learnt a lot from it that will help me in the future.”

After the third set back, Answerth said there were moments where he thought he might not be destined for the career he’d always dreamt of.

“It took a fair bit of a toll looking back on it. I’ve been lucky with great support staff and I leant on Darcy Gardiner a lot when he was in rehab with his shoulder.

“I did a lot of study which helped fill some time, but feeling okay and then seeing the decline, I thought ‘maybe I won’t play as long as I think, it won’t be the dream career that others get.’”

However, Head Coach Chris Fagan has been the physical defenders biggest supporter through the journey, often commenting in press conferences that a fit Answerth is a crucial part of his best 22.

“Fages’ faith in me has been massive. It gave me a lot of hope and was a main push to get back. I’m a pretty motivated person, but when you’ve got that hope that you can come back and have an impact in the team, it drives you.

“I want to win a flag with Brisbane and sometimes I lack that faith in myself to contribute at AFL level but having the coaches support has been really important."

Answerth has been a stand-out in Brisbane’s match simulations over the last couple of weeks, showcasing his grunt and rebound off half-back.

Although, he humorously confessed that he’s still wrapping his head around some of the new rules that have come into place since he last played.

“Having not played footy for a little while, I still haven’t quite gotten used to the new rules. The stand rule is a new thing I’m still getting used to. But being back out there, I’m just having a lot of fun and hopefully I can keep going.”
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The Brisbane Lions have locked away the comeback kids on the eve of the season with Nakia Cockatoo and Noah Answerth committing to new deals.

Cockatoo has extended his deal to the end of 2023 while Answerth is locked away for another three years.

Answerth’s return to the side throughout the AAMI Series matches has been one of the highlights of the pre-season for the Lions and the Club’s fans.

The tough as nails defender was a revelation in his first season at the Gabba after being taken with pick 55 in the 2018 NAB Draft.

He was the Club’s fifth selection that year but the first of the new blood to make his AFL debut after forcing his way into the side for the Round 6 QClash victory over the Suns.

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Lions GM of Football Danny Daly said Answerth had impressed everyone at the Club with his great determination and commitment to his rehabilitation and the hard work had paid off with his pre-season form.

Noah Answerth had a tough end to the 2020 season but his 2021 season didn't get any better. Watch as Noah talks about what happened and how his is getting himself ready for the 2022 season.
“We saw what he could do in his first year at the Club and are all looking forward to witnessing what he may achieve over the next three years,’’ he said.

“If what we have seen throughout this pre-season is anything to go by, he’s only going to keep getting better.’’

Answerth said he was grateful and humbled by the faith the Lions had shown in him, and putting pen to paper was a simple decision.

“Coming in as late draft pick and the club having faith in me to select me really meant a lot to me and then again with the support they gave me while I was injured, so I was happy to re-sign’’ he said.

“I love it here, I love coming to work every day, it’s a great environment and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.’’

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The Comeback Kids Commit

The Brisbane Lions have locked away the comeback kids on the eve of the season with Nakia Cockatoo and Noah Answerth committing to new deals.
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The Partner Who Would Noah Thing or Two About Answerth

It’s no secret that Brisbane Lions defender Noah Answerth has experienced an unlucky start to his promising AFL career.

Recruited by the Lions from the Oakleigh Chargers with Pick No. 55 at the 2018 AFL draft, Anwerth’s arrival at The Gabba brought plenty of excitement.

Yet after impressing early for the Lions, the rising star suffered a groin injury which saw his miss the 2020 finals series and all of the 2021 season.

In fact, he had surgery on both his groins and appendix in the same week, keeping him bed-ridden for 16 days.

While this has been well documented, someone that has experienced these frustrating setbacks with him is his partner and Queensland Firebirds netballer Macy Gardner.

As the popular Lion, more affectionately known as ‘Noz’, gears up for his 50th game, Macy provides some insight into his journey to the milestone.

Question: Noah has had his fair share of bad luck with injuries and setbacks - how has he dealt with that?

Macy: I’ve never met a more driven person that continually strives to get the absolute best out of themselves.

Obviously, with not being able to play all last season, and having those almost moments of getting back and then never really getting there can be quite frustrating and disappointing.

But he has been very good at galvanizing those feelings and emotions to motivate himself to continue to try and get back to playing.

He’s always been positive that things will eventually go his way with persistence and hard work.

Noah’s mindset has always been to never leave a page unturned, and that’s the exact approach he took with his rehab.

Q: As not only his partner, but a professional athlete yourself, what sort of role did you play in trying to help keep him positive?

Macy: Noah is a positive and motivated person in general, so it wasn’t too hard to keep him up and about away from footy.

As always it can be difficult sitting there and watching your mates play and you physically can’t be out there with them, so it can gradually start to weigh on you.

However, he’s had great support around him from the club and his family - also Cam (Rayner) and Eric (Hipwood) were in rehab at the time.

I just tried to keep reassuring him when his rehab got a bit stagnant that it was all just a part of the process.

When you are coming back from injury the small things that you achieve on your way back are also the biggest wins and something to recognize, especially with an injury that is so uncertain.

Like anything no one’s career is the same and you’ve just got to take the highs and the lows all in your stride and not to compare yourself.

So just reinforcing the progression through each stage of his rehab was an accomplishment in itself.

Q: Yours and Noah’s dogs also played a key role in getting him through his rehab, didn’t they?

We can’t forget our dogs Ziggy and Nahla (laughs).

For the majority, when you are doing rehab as many athletes know it can be quite lonely when no one else is going through the same thing as you.

Noah had a long stint of training and doing laps of the ovals by himself when he wasn’t at the club.

I would try and go where I could, but Zig and Nahla were the main stayers running laps with him to make it a little more enjoyable.

What’s it been like this year seeing him back playing almost every game and playing well?

It’s been incredible to watch.

Noah has always been a tough critic on his own performances, so once he had his first game back, it was pretty much all business from there.

So, every now and then I try and remind him of how much he has achieved with all that he has gone through.

I know myself, his family and close friends are all super proud of his resilience and determination to continue to get the best out of himself while playing footy and he should also be super proud.

Q: It was a long and tough enough road to 50 games as it was, when he missed playing his 50th in the first final, through suspension, how tough was that?

Macy: Noah loves to play on the edge, that’s what makes him the footballer he is.

Obviously to see that he was suspended for the first week of finals was disappointing.

But Noah had a good mind frame around it, that there was no point getting worked up about something that you can’t control.

And he never doubted the boys wouldn’t be able to get the job done against Richmond.

Pretty much everything continued as normal, just a little more anticipation I suppose waiting to see if there would be another week of training and playing to come.

Noah likes to keep himself busy regardless and has lots going on outside of footy which helped keep his mind off not being able to play.

He’s been working through finishing his building and construction course, playing a fair bit of golf which, he claims he’s pretty good at, and working on a couple of renovation projects.
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Around the state leagues: Eagle goals in comeback, Jack's back, Port tall hurt

Rhys Mathieson (33 disposals, six marks, seven clearances) and forward Noah Answerth (27, six clearances, two goals) was also impressive in the big win.
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I see that Noah is still out with his facial injury and likely to miss another 3-4 weeks. It must have been really bad - I assume a broken jaw or cheekbone. Did anyone see what happened in the VFL game or know more detail. I hope he will be okay...nasty injury.
 
Qscan Injury Update: McCarthy Ruled Out

Lions VFL player, Noah Answerth, who recently returned from a facial injury, suffered a season ending shoulder injury during the Lions two-point VFL win over the Casey Demons.
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Injury Stricken Answerth Back to Full Form

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There was one part of Noah Answerth's game holding him back from being a regular contributor at AFL level – his kicking.

So rather than wallow in rehabilitation misery over the past few years as he dealt with injury after injury, the rugged Brisbane defender got to work on remodelling his approach to one of the game's fundamental skills.

After injuries to Keidean Coleman and Conor McKenna gave the 24-year-old a path back into the Lions' defensive unit, his hard work was on display in a strong outing against North Melbourne last Friday.

Answerth said working with development coach Scott Borlace had made a huge difference to his game.

"I've done a lot of work on my kicking," Answerth said ahead of facing Melbourne on Thursday night.

"I know that's been a knock, and probably why I was struggling to play in the AFL.

"It's a lot of repetitive kicking. The action, where my balance arm is, my hand beside my body when I'm dropping the footy.

"It took, honestly, two years of doing it consistently while I was injured and have a real focus on it.

"You've got to go out of your way to work on it and figure out what your deficiency is and that was mine."

Although conceding it's a constant work in progress, Answerth said the fundamentals, coupled with his decision-making and remaining calm on the field, were big factors in his improvement.

Since being drafted as a 19-year-old following a back fracture in his junior years, Answerth has been riddled with bad luck.

"I've had groins, that was 18 months. Popped my shoulder out, got it fixed, popped it out again, got it fixed. Broke my face and had four fractures and all of those got fixed up. That's about it, really," he said.

"I've got 11 screws in my face. When I saw Jonathan Brown after it, he said 'Don't worry, mate, I've got 66'."

Even Answerth had a wry grin as he rattled through the catalogue of problems. Incredibly this was the first year he had ever played pre-season matches.

And now he's been thrust into a backline that has been constantly changing since the start of the season.

"It's good to get back and be fully fit and have my body right and now get the opportunity to play," he said.

"I'm back to normal now, back to when I was 17 … that belief in myself now that I'm injury free. I'm enjoying my footy at that level (again)."
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Answerth A Lion Until 2026

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Defender Noah Answerth has re-committed to the Brisbane Lions by signing a new two-year deal to remain at the Club until at least the end of 2026.

The contract comes as a due reward for the 24-year-old who has been a solid contributor in his six games for the Lions so far in 2024.

Answerth’s two best performances came in Brisbane’s win against Melbourne where he had 19 disposals and seven tackles, as well as 24 disposals against Geelong.

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“We are thrilled to have Noah signed up for a further two years,” Lions general manager of football Danny Daly said.

“He has shown this season that he is a talented player and that every time he takes the field, he gives his absolute all.

“Noz is also a great person who we love having at the Brisbane Lions because he really typifies our culture and we look forward to him continuing to be a valuable member of our Club.”

Answerth, who was selected with Pick 55 in the 2018 National Draft from the Oakleigh Chargers, has experienced both the ups and downs of AFL.

Making his debut in 2019, the defender went on to play a total of 19 games that season and showed plenty of promise – including a Rising Star nomination.

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Then his tough run with shoulder and groin injuries began, leading to Answerth being sidelined for the entire 2021.

Though in a positive shift, for the first time in his young career the defender was injury-free and able to play in intra-club and preseason matches this year.

That build up has helped Answerth play every game since Round 1 when he came into the team.

“Noah has faced plenty of challenges in his career with injury setbacks, but we have all admired the way he has handled that adversity,” Daly acknowledged.

“To his credit he has continued to persevere and work hard, so he deserves his contract and to be given the opportunity to become the best player he can be.”
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