Lions lose to Tigers in final round but earn Gabba final anyway

Lachie Neale set a new record for the most disposals by a Brisbane Lions player in a game, but was left disappointed after the club missed an opportunity to clinch its first minor premiership in more than a decade.

Brisbane will host Richmond in a qualifying final at the Gabba after a meteoric climb of 13 places in a year to finish the season in second place on the AFL ladder.

The Lions fell short of their goal of securing the club’s first minor premiership in 106 years — but as a dress rehearsal for a big final on the MCG the 27 point loss to Richmond yesterday has given coach Chris Fagan plenty to build on.

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The Tigers ran out 12.10 (82) to 8.7 (55) courtesy of an opening quarter Tigers blitz but Fagan will point to the stats that show wins in contested possessions, clearances and inside fifty pressure, a Lions trademark, when he reviews the game.

Lachie Neale has the ball on a string for the Lions. Picture: AAP Image/Michael Dodge

“The bottom line was it was an even contest after quarter time,’’ he said.

“If you have a look at the stats we won a lot of areas you need to win to win a game of football.’’

Fagan had been worried the venue provided a hurdle the players needed to overcome — an observation based on their record over the past few years and impossible to argue with given their start.

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They received a first quarter reality check from a rampant Tigers outfit who moved the ball with a fluidity and precision the Lions couldn’t cope with.

Veteran Luke Hodge attempts to break through a tackle. Picture: AAP Image/Michael Dodge

The crowd was massive, 76,995 of them, and hostile and it affected the Lions. As good as Richmond were, Brisbane were their own worst enemies.

There was little Brisbane could do about a superb Dustin Martin clearance to Dion Prestia who found Jack Riewoldt on the lead.

But so many of the Tigers first quarter goals came from turnovers, many from fundamental Lions errors like dropped marks and missed handballs.

Charlie Cameron celebrates a goal. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Riewoldt was the major beneficiary with four first quarter goals and after the first break his shell shocked opponent Marcus Adams was replaced by Darcy Gardiner.

At quarter time the margin was 25 points and the Lions’ hopes of keeping the margin under the 63 points required to hold onto second spot was in question.

Whatever Fagan said to his men at the break worked. They got over the stage fright of the opening term and began to equalise things around the ground.

The turned the tables at the start of the third quarter — starting with two quick goals to Dayne Zorko and then when Charlie Cameron was finally given an inch to breathe by Dylan Grimes and broke free to kick his first the margin was down to seven.

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But the Tigers steadied and it was to be as close as Brisbane would get.

“It was good to play here, that’s great preparation,’’ he said.

“I’m not surprised our group fought back they have been able to do that throughout the year and today was no exception,’’ he said.

“Just not well enough to win the game, Richmond were the better side on the day.’’

Cameron was frustrated by Grimes’ close checking and although Fagan said he saw nothing untoward from his vantage point on the bench — he would have a close look at the tape.

“I couldn’t see if it was legal or illegal, we will have a look at that and if we think there is something for the umpiring department to have a look at we will ask them too,’’ he said.

NEALE ‘IN THE ZONE’ BUT FRUSTRATED BY LOSS

Andrew Hamilton

Lachie Neale says he was “in the zone” after raising his bat at the MCG yesterday but the loss would not allow him to celebrate a new club record for disposals.

Neale is a fierce competitor and the only emotion he felt at the final siren was disappointment however the Brownlow medal hopeful says he had no concerns it would affect the Lions’ confidence ahead of a return bout at the Gabba in the qualifying final.

The super recruit produced the best game of his career with 51 disposals and 14 clearances to power the Lions to a clear win for the midfield - 48 to 32 clearances including 14 to eight out of the centre.

“My first reaction was I was disappointed we didn’t get the result,’’ he said.

“I probably had one of those days where it falls in your lap a bit, I thought my workrate was really high today I felt pretty clean, it was one of those days where you feel like you are in the zone

“Unfortunately we couldn’t quite do the damage we wanted to, but I left it all out there and I came home with that (record) but we didn’t come home with the victory.’’

Shai Bolton launches into a tackle from Brisbane’s record-setter Lachie Neale. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images.

Neale reckons when the club sits down to review the loss they will find plenty of positives.

The obvious ones are the wins on the stats sheets, but Neale said he shared coach Chris Fagan’s view that the Lions were able to shake the MCG hoodoo.

The ground has been a graveyard. Against this same opponent last year they only kicked two goals in a 93 point drubbing while earlier his season it was a 47 point loss to the Bombers.

When Richmond stormed out of the gate the mostly pro-Tigers crowd of 76,995 found their voice and the Lions looked shell shocked.

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Another hiding looked imminent but Brisbane rallied and Neale said that ability to withstand that pressure and fight back gave the club belief ahead of their first finals campaign in a decade.

“We did speak about that a bit, our first quarter we let ourselves down a bit,’’ he said.

“We will learn a lot from that and hopefully in a couple of weeks it will be a different result.

“It certainly doesn’t dent our confidence, we feel really proud of our season as a whole.