Relief over escaping suspension has turned to regret for Simon Black after key defender Matt Maguire was sidelined for a month ahead of the Brisbane Lions’ AFL clash with Melbourne on Sunday.

Black admitted he was breathing easy after accepting a reprimand for striking Western Bulldogs tagger Liam Picken, ensuring he can help the Lions claim back-to-back wins for the first time in 13 months.

“Whenever you are cited by the match review panel and get off it’s a relief,” Black said on Thursday.

The usually ice cool Black looked like a frustrated man when he threw his arm back and left Picken with a bloody nose in the Lions’ 58-point thrashing of the Bulldogs.

But Black would not buy into the debate over taggers’ tactics perpetuated by Gold Coast captain Gary Ablett’s well publicised tweet about Fremantle Docker Ryan Crowley’s treatment of Carlton’s Chris Judd.

“There are a lot of bodies around the stoppages so you can understand when they miss things sometimes but all in all the umpires do a good job,” he said.

“It was one of those things I felt I shouldn’t have done.

“That’s what you have to do week in, week out – worry about the ball and not the opposition.”

Black was much more vocal about Maguire, who has been ruled out for a month with an elbow injury suffered in the last round win.

“He’s been terrific for us. He’s 27 and in the prime of his career – it will be a shame to lose him for a month,” he said.

Maguire’s loss ensures a selection headache for Lions coach Michael Voss who may need to end his practice of playing regular fullback Daniel Merrett in the forward line.

But Lions’ Pearce Hanley believed a solution had already presented itself after fellow Irishman Niall McKeever’s stellar effort in Maguire’s absence last round.

“He’s very reliable down there. We should be able to manage without Goose (Maguire) for a while,” Hanley said.

Black believed the loss of Demons forward – and ex-Lions teammate – Mitch Clark (foot) for the rest of the year countered Maguire’s loss.