Loss to Giants could prove costly for Lions in their bid to finish in top four

After winning nine successive games, the Brisbane Lions could pay a heavy price for losing to the GWS Giants.

Brisbane veteran Dayne Zorko says the Lions received a ‘wake-up call’ in their loss to the GWS Giants. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Brisbane’s “wake-up call” against the GWS Giants may not be enough to secure the Lions a treasured top-four spot even if they win their final two games of the regular season.

Following their 18-point weekend loss to the Giants, the Lions have dropped to fifth spot on the AFL ladder.

The first-placed Swans are six points ahead of Brisbane, while the three other teams perched in the top four – Port Adelaide, the Giants and Geelong – are all just two points in front of the Lions.

However, none of the top-four teams meet each other before the start of the finals series next month, meaning that if all of them win their remaining matches in the next fortnight, the best Brisbane can finish is fifth.

That whole scenario could change after this weekend’s penultimate round of the regular season, but the Lions are facing the potential prospect of needing to defy the odds by becoming the first team since the Western Bulldogs in 2016 to win the premiership from outside the top four.

Lions co-captain Lachie Neale looks dejected during his team’s loss to the Giants. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images

“The ladder, it’s so tight, you drop a game and you can go sliding down that ladder pretty quickly if results don’t go your way,” Lions veteran Dayne Zorko told SENQ’s Breakfast with Pat and Heals show.

“With the nature of this competition, this year for some reason, if you’re a little bit off, opposition teams make you pay, and we saw that across the weekend in a few games.”

Such is the tightness of the competition, Lions great Alastair Lynch remained confident Brisbane could still win the flag from anywhere in the top eight.

“I still have the Lions as premiership favourites,” Lynch said.

“It’s just so open this season, and if there’s going to be another year when a team from outside the top four wins the premiership, this could be it.”

The Lions were chasing 10 wins on the trot on Saturday at the Gabba and seemed likely to achieve the feat whey led by 30 points at quarter time.

However, they paid a heavy price for inaccuracy and being dominated at the contest by the hungry Giants, who kicked the final six goals of the game to record a sixth successive win.

“There was certainly no complacency in the group,” Zorko said.

“We just got beaten by a team that’s flying at the moment, and it was a good wake-up call for us as well. We need to do better.”

The Lions meet Collingwood on at the MCG on Saturday in battle between last season’s two grand final teams.

The 11th-placed Magpies can ill-afford a loss if they are to have any hope of finishing in the top eight.

“It’s another huge game for both clubs this weekend,” Zorko said.

Originally published as Loss to Giants could prove costly for Lions in their bid to finish in top four