The two-time reigning AFL premiers make a statement at the Gabba with a dominant win in their round 16 game
Updated ,first published
For much of the season the Brisbane Lions have looked like a shadow of the team that was inconsistent and attacking flag after flag, but they have made their most emphatic statement yet.
The Lions, who edged out second-placed Swans 19.12 (126) to 12.11 (83), have put themselves firmly in top-four contention thanks to a masterclass under pressure led by captain Harris Andrews.
With Hugh McCluggage (calf) and Dayne Zorko (quad) remaining on the sidelines, the Lions’ midfield turned things around against their Swans all-star counterparts, with Isaac Heeney in particular kept relatively well under control.
A 10-minute stalemate ensued at the Gabba, and while the majority of the turf battle was won by Sydney, Andrews posed a major problem in defence, foiling raid after raid with apparent ease.
His heroics opened the door for Charlie Cameron, Cam Rayner, Logan Morris and Jarrod Berry to score on the counter-attack. In contrast, the Swans’ only goal going into the quarter came from a Jaspa Fletcher error and a free kick; Chad Warner and James Rowbottom ensured the lead was kept to a minimum.
But as Brisbane put their foot on the gas, making only a handful of mistakes in front of goal, going from 4.6 to 2.1 in the second half (both Swans goals were from Charlie Curnow) and preventing them from taking an insurmountable lead at half-time.
The visitors’ errors began to pile up as the Lions limited the damage Sydney could do with their passing game; They conceded twice through Zac Bailey and Levi Ashcroft due to poor shots from the goal area.
Warner did his best to get his side going and finished the game with four goals, 28 disposals and eight clearances; His second goal in the third stanza was particularly special; He stopped Lachie Neale’s rash strike and prevented the two-time Brownlow medalist from unleashing a series of runs on his way to goal. The first of the term came from a mistake by the Lions after Darcy Gardiner spilled a simple marker.
However, each time the Swans attacked the Lions were quick to react; Rayner and Cameron grabbed second place shortly after the Warner moments. Conor McKenna was quick to follow suit, leading to a minor scuffle between the sides as the Lions’ mood returned and the most was soon gifted a free 50-metre Darcy Fort.
“Our biggest focus was running at them because they want to make that handball play. It’s a little frustrating when your players do that, but you have to play that way against them and you have to take that risk,” Lions coach Chris Fagan said.
Ashcroft rises, Rayner returns
Now it’s official: Will Ashcroft is well and truly back on form.
Although it would probably require harsh criticism to suggest that he was anything other than that, the two-time Norm Smith medalist had endured a weaker period by his own lofty standards.
But after scoring two goals and 38 touches against Richmond last week, the 22-year-old once again led the midfield attack on Thursday night; he constantly sought out bounces in the center and found teammates further away.
Ashcroft was crucial in preventing Heeney from becoming heavily involved until late in the third term, and while he was kept much quieter in the final quarter, the damage had largely been done. He finished with 30 disposals and eight clearances, his only blemish being a series of missed shots on goal.
Up front Rayner has shrugged off three goalless weeks and come back to life; He finished with three goals and a pair of goal assists, while displaying the contested possession power that has made him one of the AFL’s most notable players in the top flight.
Warner’s exploits were in vain
They had only lost twice heading into the Brisbane capitulation, but Sydney appeared to have a lot to do with their ability to adapt.
Coming under heavy pressure from their free-flowing handball play, the Swans lacked answers and meaningful attacking routes and the Lions’ mistakes had to leave a mark on the scoreboard.
Although they have largely remained in the winner’s circle over the past month, those victories – apart from a dominant performance against Richmond – have seen bottom-seven teams St Kilda (two points) and Port Adelaide (three points) make them work for it.
Warner was the lone soldier after all, and he was making some brave and dedicated efforts to keep his team on the hunt, but his support was dwindling. Against a Lions team that ran fast and had plenty of support, he came out too strong until early in the final term.
Quick goals from Curnow (his third) and Logan McDonald triggered fears of another Gabba comeback similar to the Bulldogs’ in the Opening Round. But a miraculous one-handed grab and goal from Kai Lohmann extinguished those fears before he struck again to send the Brisbane faithful into hysterics.
Swans coach Dean Cox said after the match: “Brisbane are cleaner, tougher, more hungry; it’s simple.”
“Where you’re at you always have opportunities to learn and level up. Against a backline like Brisbane have you have to earn everything you get and we didn’t have enough of that in our team that wanted to get to the line long enough.”
In more good news for the Swans, Cox confirmed key defender Tom McCartin, who has a history of concussion, was in good spirits, passed the head injury assessment (HIA) and played the game after an incident in the third quarter.
“He’s doing well in the dressing rooms at the moment, it’s great to see him get through this phase. [HIA]and he can focus on his football again. Back then, when they say you’re going to HIA — no matter what player it is — you want the best for that player and make sure he’s OK,” Cox said.
In the closing stages of the game, Swans big man Will Edwards made a fierce tackle on Neale near the interchange benches and the result was beyond doubt. Neale hit his head on the ground during the tackle, but got up to take the free kick after teammate Noah Answerth challenged Edwards. These two could find themselves facing MRO scrutiny on Friday.
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