That's it from the blog tonight!
I will leave you with the final two minutes of tonight's game, one for Lions fans to enjoy and Dees fans to avoid.
Thanks for your company tonight, I'll be back tomorrow arvo for more bloggy goodness. See you then!
Posted:
2024-06-28 08:40:32
Original link:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-28/afl-round-16-live-blog-brisbane-lions-melbourne-demons/104037494
The Brisbane Lions have defied some of Melbourne's best football and survived their own wastefulness to win a five-point AFL thriller at the Gabba.
Hugh McCluggage (28 disposals) kicked the match-winner from tight on the boundary inside the final two minutes as the hosts came from 25 points down to win 11.20 (86) to 11.15 (81) on Friday night.
A fourth-straight victory after a 2-5 start to the season shot the Lions (8-6-1) into the top eight for the first time — in fifth position — while the Demons' (8-7) fifth loss in seven games will be tough to swallow.
Brisbane led by 15 points at quarter time but, led by ruckman Max Gawn, midfielder merchant Clayton Oliver (29 disposals, one goal) and five-goal forward Kysaiah Pickett, the Demons kicked six consecutive majors.
Pickett had four goals before half-time, but his fifth was the highlight, intercepting, fending, swivelling and then snapping off his non-preferred left foot as Melbourne flexed their muscles.
It was arguably the Demons' best football of the season as they dominated through the middle, with forward Bailey Fritsch negating the impact of Harris Andrews for good measure.
But the Lions turned the tables in the second half, inching back within 10 points in the third quarter and eventually cracking the Demons in the final 10 minutes of the match.
They did their best to throw it away, with Eric Hipwood's heavy handball and Joe Daniher's uncertainty in front of goal undoing two certain majors.
Jarrod Berry and Kai Lohmann, with a neat left-foot snap, got the Lions to within a point before the returning Will Ashcroft rushed a behind to level the scores.
Demon Alex Neal-Bullen was then penalised for deliberately taking the ball out of bounds, and McCluggage threaded the needle from the boundary to give his men the lead.
Fritsch then snapped a behind and Melbourne went forward again, but Charlie Cameron scrapped for a loose ball and ran it out of danger with inspirational zeal to secure the win.
Josh Dunkley had a game-high 32 touches and 10 tackles for Brisbane while Cam Rayner, Daniher and Cameron all kicked two goals.
"In reality we went a bit safe," Demons coach Simon Goodwin said.
"Big occasion, a lot of young players playing. We probably just went into our shell a bit.
"There's a bit to unpack in that last quarter … ball in hand we made a lot of mistakes and that's two weeks now, evidence to suggest we need to have a look at it, and we will."
The Demons had kicked six consecutive goals to build a lead, with their second quarter proving to be a superb display of contested football.
"The core elements of our game are back in check," Goodwin said. "It (pressure) was great, wasn't it? We want to be a really strong contest team."
The loss was a fifth in the last seven matches for the Demons, leaving them little wiggle room if they are to contest finals.
"There's plenty to play for in this season," Goodwin said.
"There's a long, long way to go and we feel like we're building. There's a lot to like in our game."
Look back at how the action unfolded in our live blog.
The Lions are in the eight for the first time this year
How high is the ceiling for this team this year? If at the start of the season you'd said the Lions would be a couple of points out of the top four in round 16, you'd think that sounds about right and they are in good shape for a charge at the flag.
The poor start put Brisbane behind the eight ball, but this run of form is ominous. They're winning the tough ones, have a healthy percentage and a pretty handy draw coming up in the next few weeks.
Right now, it feels like it would be a surprise if the Lions didn't finish in the top four. Then we're talking Gabba finals. Anything is possible.
The Hugh McCluggage moment
As game-winning goals go, they don't come much better than this.
FT: LIONS WIN! They've done the Demons by five points!
What a finish, what a last quarter. There were big mistakes and heavy hits, but in the big moments the Lions had just too much class for the Melbourne opponents.
The game was won by two goals from Kai Lohmann and Hugh McCluggage. While everyone else was shanking and missing and botching, they held their nerve from the boundary line to steer the Lions home.
Melbourne played well all night and had chances to put this game to bed in the last quarter. But they just couldn't do it. This one will be hard to take, and the Dees are in serious strife now.
But there's some magic around Brisbane right now. This is the sort of game you win when special things are happening at a club. They're up to fifth tonight, and the only way appears to be up.
Bayley Fritsch snaps a behind
Five-point game. Demons will have one chance at an intercept and a crack at winning the game.
Hugh McCluggage from the boundary! Has he won the game?!?
The Lions might be home with that brilliant McCluggage drop punt from right on the line!
Alex Neal-Bullen had the ball in a horrible spot on the boundary and just dived over the line. He scored the try, but coughed up the deliberate free kick. McCluggage weighed up his options and went for goal, piercing the middle with a brilliant kick.
1:11 to play, six-point margin.
Will Ashcroft .... hits the post!
Boy wonder was nearly the hero on return!
Scores are level with 2:30 to play. Could the Lions be on for another draw?!
Kai Lohmann bends one from the pocket! One-point game!
That's how you do it! Lohmann runs around onto his left foot from the mark deep in the pocket to cut the margin to a solitary point.
With 4:04 to play, all the momentum is going Brisbane's way. The Dees have missed their chances to put the game away and look in real danger of being overrun now.
Joey Daniher misses another big chance
It's been a quarter of missed opportunities, for both teams but especially for Brisbane. That was a set shot from 30 out, directly in front that he really had to kick.
Less than five minutes to play now.
What a tackle from Jack Viney!
He has been incredible tonight, and that run down tackle on Zac Bailey to stop a shot on goal is the icing on the cake.
If that doesn't lift the Dees — who are on the back foot now — nothing will.
Jarrod Berry finally breaks through for Brisbane!
Ed Langdon missed a big chance for Melbourne, and from that kick in the Lions manage to work the ball forward and into the hands of Berry bursting through the 50.
He bangs it home on the run to bring the margin back to seven points. The Demons have to do something about Zorko at half-back, he is launching attack after attack for the Lions in this last quarter.
Charlie Cameron drops a chest mark in the goalsquare
The Lions had a three on one inside 50, Daniher chipped one to Cameron all on his lonesome, and Charlie spilled the beans.
Brisbane their own worst enemy here.
Demons forced to do plenty of defending
The Lions are dominating field position and creating some looks, but the Melbourne defence is hanging on. A fair whack of time has been taken off the clock too.
Jaspa Fletcher went closest with a shot from the pocket that hit the post, and now Eric Hipwood has stuffed one by overhitting a handball to Kai Lohmann in the goalsquare, turning a goal into a rushed behind.
Lions have to take some chances soon.
Underway for a crucial last quarter
Plenty on the line right now. First goal going to be significant with this Gabba crowd ready to explode.
The winner will be fifth tonight, the loser at risk of being overrun by a number of clubs just outside the eight this weekend.
3QT: The Demons lead the Lions by just 15 points
It's up for grabs now.
The Lions fought back in that quarter in most of the key areas they struggled in during the first half, but they only succeeded in trimming the margin by eight points.
But the game is opening up, and the Lions did start to look really threatening when they got the ball in space and in the hands of guys like Zorko, McCluggage and Hipwood. They have another charge in them here, can the Demons hold on?
Kozzy Pickett! Spectacular goal! What a player!
Kozzy has five, and he has just let the air out of the Gabba with that one!
The forward 50 opened up and Pickett grabbed a crumb with Lester charging at him. He fended him off with pure power, stepped back onto his left and snapped from 35 off a step. That is special stuff.
Cal Ah Chee kicks another for the Lions! Here they come!
End to end in the blink of an eye! The Lions are finding some space to attack into and hitting the scoreboard too.
Eric Hipwood played on quickly at half-forward and absolutely drilled one in low and hard to some marking targets. I'm not sure Ah Chee was top of that list, but he took the grab and played on into the goalsquare to convert. Ten-point game.
Cam Rayner gets a toe on it! Lions find a goal
The Brisbane goals are coming the hard way and aren't the prettiest, but they count just as much as the slick stuff.
Bailey's long shot fell short, but in the ensuing goalsquare scrap the Demons weren't able to punch it through. Rayner read the drop, threw a boot at it and took the spoils.
Jaspa Fletcher is in the game
The Lions have subbed Logan Morris out of the game and brought Fletcher in. It's a tactical switch, no injury to Morris who had been quiet tonight.
This quarter is ticking away with the Lions making any real headway.
Daniel Turner responds for Melbourne
Wonderful ball movement from the Demons through the middle of the ground, running and linking up with overlap handball.
Once again, the result was a scattered Brisbane defence and space for Disco Turner to mark out the back. His shot is straight and Melbourne's lead is back out to 23 points.