Australian Football

Match Report

With 18th on the ladder taking on 16th at such a late stage in the season, the prize for the winner of this match was going to be little more than bragging rights, and those ultimately went to the Brisbane Lions, who held off a strong second-half challenge from Carlton to defeat the Blues by 30 points. While the win wasn't enough to see Brisbane off the bottom of the ladder, the match did give Lions' fans a glimpse of their team's future, and that would certainly seem to be bright based on this performance. 

With neither side scoring a goal in the first seven minutes, the match got off to an uninspiring a dour start. Josh Walker finally broke the drought, with his goal putting the home side ahead by five points, but it would be another six minutes before the game produced a second major. That went to Brisbane's Rhys Mathieson after he was paid a free kick, and it sparked a run of goals for the Lions from there until quarter time, with Dayne Zorko kicking two, and Hugh McCluggage and Dayne Beams one each as they charged to a 33-point quarter-time lead.

Carlton finally got onto the scoreboard when Sam Petrevski-Seton goaled on the run two minutes into the second quarter but a mark and goal to Brisbane gun Eric Hipwood, followed by another to Beams saw Brisbane's lead stretch beyond 40 points after just six minutes. Unfortunately for the Blues, the pattern of the first 10 minutes of the term repeated itself twice more, with each Carlton goal answered by two from the Lions, and by half-time Brisbane was 53 points to the good, and the match seemingly done and dusted. 

Things got worse for Carlton in the second half before they got better, with the first goal of the third term going to Lewis Taylor, which extended Brisbane's lead to 56 points. However, that proved to be the Lions' last major of the quarter and a quick reply from Blue David Cuningham changed the complexion of the match. From there, Carton added further goals via Matthew Wright, Nick Graham and Petrevski-Seton, and the visitors were almost back within range at the last turn, trailing by 30 points.

Despite finishing the third term strongly and narrowing the gap at the last change, few believed Carlton had a genuine chance of overhauling the deficit, but the first six minutes of the last quarter change that view, with a burst of three goals - two to Charlie Curnow and one to Kade Simpson - seeing the margin at only 12 points. Another shot from Dale Thomas just missed, narrowing the margin to 11 points, but a goal to Daniel Rich seemed to settle Brisbane, and follow-up goals to Hipwood and Jake Barrett took the sting out of the game, and the Lions eventually prevailed by 30 points, which had been the margin at three-quarter time.

For the winners, the two Daynes, Zorko (26 possessions, three goals) and Beams (30 disposals, 10 marks) - along with Tom Rockliff, who did a great tagging job on Bryce Gibbs, restricting the normally prolific Blue to just eight touches - were vital. The Blues were well served by Marc Murphy (25 possessions six marks) and Charlie Curnow (seven marks, six tackles).

The Lions' fourth win of the season was not enough to lift them from the bottom of the ladder, but a follow-up victory against West Coast at Subiaco next Sunday more than likely would. The Eagles will start strong favourites in that match, however. Carlton remains 16th, and the Blues will be at long odds to beat Geelong (second) at Docklands on Saturday night.

Brisbane: Zorko, D.Beams 3; Hipwood 2; Walker, Mathieson, McCluggage, Cox, Witherden, Lester, Taylor, Rich, Barrett
Carlton: Petrevski-Seton, C.Curnow, Wright 2; Casboult, McKay, Cuningham, Graham, Simpson

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Brisbane: Rockliff, Zorko, D.Beams, Lester, Taylor, Andrews
Carlton: Murphy, Kreuzer, Docherty, Simpson, Wright, C.Curnow

BEST - BRISBANETIMES.COM.AU
Brisbane: Zorko, Beams, Lester, McStay, Andrews, Cox
Carlton: Murphy, Petrevski-Seton, Docherty, Kreuzer, Simpson, McKay

INJURIES
Brisbane: Nil
Carlton: Nil

UMPIRES: Haussen, O'Gorman, Hay

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Fox Footy

COMMENTATORS: Dwayne Russell, Dermott Brereton, Alastair Lynch, Ben Dixon