AFL 2022 Gold Coast v Brisbane: All the news, scores and reaction
Brisbane has extended its winning record to 5-1 on the back of a Zac Bailey masterclass to down Gold Coast, but its next opponent will give a true indication of where the club sits.
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Brisbane senior coach Chris Fagan says this Sunday’s clash with Sydney at the SCG will be a litmus test for the Lions after describing the 52-point QClash victory over the Gold Coast as the club’s best win of the year.
Meanwhile, Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew has mounted a passionate defence of small forward Izak Rankine who was neutralised by Brisbane’s Brandon Starcevich before making an impact in the Suns midfield.
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Brisbane moved to a 5-1 record to cement their spot in the top four with the match-up with the Swans serving as a measuring stick on where the Lions sit as a genuine flag contender.
“That’s a big test, big game. They got us at the Gabba in Rd 1 last year and hopefully our boys haven’t forgotten that and we’ll try and get one back on them,’’ Fagan said.
“They are hard to beat down there. They are a good side. The game comes at a good time for us. If you want to be any good in this comp, you’ve got to win on the road. It’s important to get those away wins.’’
“That’s as good as Gold Coast has ever played against us. I actually think that was our best win for the year. Their contest, their pressure, was outstanding. Our contest, our pressure was equally as good.
“The critical moments in the game, we were able to come through. It was a tight and tough game.”
Brisbane half-forward Zac Bailey kicked a career-high six goals to equal the all-time record for most goals in a QClash and earn the Marcus Ashcroft medal for best-on-ground.
“He’s been on the rise for a couple of years. It’s only six games in and he’s probably taken another step forward in his football. He’s a great finisher, a clever player. We are lucky to have him,’’ Fagan said of Bailey.
“He actually kicks goals when he is on-ball because he runs forward really hard. Happy for him to be a 50-50 forward-mid.”
Dew said criticism levelled at Rankine — who had 16 touches, three clearances and no goals — was off the mark.
“I thought he bounced back. He knew last week was poor and he got busy tonight more intensity, physically he was in good shape,’’ he said.
“I said during the week, he’s played 34 games, he averages 11 touches and a goal a game and there’s a guy at the other end, number 23 for Brisbane (Charlie Cameron), that averages 11 touches and averages a goal and a half, who’s played 156 games.
“We understand he’s under the microscope but at the same point in his career he’s very similar to a lot of these guys.
“I just want to, not protect Izak, but stick up for him. He’s on the path. He’s working so hard. He’s not the not the player that people say. He’s not selfish.
“He’s the ultimate team-man and he’s working hard at his craft.
“When we get better, he’ll get better. He’ll help us get better. They’ll work together. He’ll be fine but his workrate was really good tonight.
“We love Izak at our footy club and we’ll keep working with him. It’s simple as that. I’ve probably showed a bit of frustration because I think that the bar is very high for this lad. And we get it. But I guess when we get an opportunity, we’ll just give a little bit of perspective and reality.’’
Dew was frustrated by the Gold Coast’s poor goalkicking.
“They finished theirs. I guess the gap was the ease at which they scored versus, we worked hard to get our opportunities, didn’t take them,’’ he said.
“I hate the way it rolls off my tongue because it was just so disappointing that we didn’t put up more resistance because we had some good numbers in certain areas, but against good teams they make you pay and Brisbane are certainly that.
“It’s frustrating …we can’t be that easy to score against.’’
Bailey’s record-equalling bag gets job done
Just in case anybody was in any doubt, Lions livewire Zac Bailey underlined why he is a legitimate AFL star on the rise with a career-best six goals in Brisbane’s 52-point victory over the Gold Coast in the QClash on Sunday night.
The sharp-shooting half-forward also had 17 disposals and two clearances in a standout best-on-ground performance to rightfully earn the Marcus Ashcroft Medal for breaking the game wide open.
The 22-year-old’s six-goal tally equalled the all-time QClash high shared by Charlie Dixon, Charlie Cameron and Ash McGrath.
By halftime, he had four goals and 13 touches, kicking two in a minute in the first term and two in a minute in the second quarter with his third major the stunning highlight.
With light rain falling on the ground, Bailey swooped on a loose ball in Brisbane’s forward 50, picked up the Sherrin with one hand and snapped truly over his left shoulder. It was brilliant, utterly brilliant.
Brisbane moved to a 5-1 record while the Suns slipped to 2-4 with the Lions claiming their seventh-straight win in the Queensland derby and their ninth victory in the last 10 QClash encounters.
It was Brisbane’s 800th premiership match, Cameron sprung to life with three goals in the third term when Bailey kicked his fifth to help Brisbane extend their advantage to 34 points.
Brisbane led by 23 points at halftime after enjoying a 15-point buffer at quarter-time. But the Suns would have been much closer to the visitors if they had been able to kick straight.
The Gold Coast had two more scoring shots than the Lions at the main break but wasted opportunity after opportunity with their wayward kicking.
The Lions kicked five of the first six goals of the game despite the best efforts of Rowell who had 11 touches in the first term when Jarryd Lyons was the prime mover for Brisbane with nine disposals, three clearances and four inside 50s.
Brisbane were accurate and relentless and every time the Suns closed the margin, the Lions would capitalise on a Gold Coast error and kick away.
JOEY FIRES LATE BUT COLLINS TAKES DECISION
The battle between Lions spearhead Joe Daniher and Suns key defender Sam Collins was always going to be intriguing as they both took very good form into the match and it was Collins who took the spoils at halftime with 11 disposals, six marks, three inside 50s and three rebound 50s to Daniher’s six touches, one mark, one goal and one scoring assist. Daniher finished with three goals after two late majors but Collins probably enjoyed a points decision after keeping the giant left-footer quiet for the best part of three terms.
QCLASH STILL FALLING SHORT OF MARK
The AFL’s own program described the QClash as the “intra-state rivalry that lags badly behind the others”. Harsh but fair. The best QClash is still the very first derby in 2011. The chief protagonist over the decade or so of QClash matches is Steve May who is long gone so they have lacked some sizzle for a while. Brisbane pumping the Suns regularly hasn’t helped either. The rivalry needs a spark or both sides to be in the upper echelons of the ladder.
BRUTAL ECLIPSE OF SUNS DOESN’T HELP DEW
Uh oh. Here we go. Under Stuart Dew — who became the Gold Coast’s longest-serving senior coach on Sunday night — the Suns have been more than competitive in the first month of the season only to descend into an abyss and tumble down to the dark depths of the ladder. The Suns have been reasonably good in the first five rounds apart from the loss to GWS. This is the time of the year that the wheels fall off. As competitive as they were for periods against the Lions, they were still out-hustled and out-muscled when it counted and faded badly in the fourth term.
WHY LIONS NEED TO MAKE NEXT ONE COUNT
The Lions have taken care of teams well below them on the ladder — Port, Essendon, North Melbourne, Collingwood and Gold Coast. They face Sydney at the SCG this coming Sunday in what will be their toughest test outside the trip to Geelong where they suffered their only loss of 2022. If they are truly premiership contenders, they need to beat the Swans on their home turf to make a serious statement to the rest of the competition.
SCOREBOARD
LIONS: 5.1 9.3 14.4 21.6 (132)
SUNS: 2.4 4.10 7.12 11.14 (80)
GOALS
Lions: Bailey 6, Cameron 4, Daniher 3, McStay, Rayner, Berry, Prior, Fort, Neale, Lyons, McCarthy
Suns: Casboult 3, Holman 3, Chol, Swallow, Ainsworth, Miller, Markov
BEST
Lions: Bailey, Lyons, Starcevich, Andrews, McCluggage, Rayner
Suns: Collins, Rowell, Anderson, Swallow, Ainsworth, Witts
INJURIES
Lions: Kai Lohmann (ankle)
Suns: Nil
VOTES
3: Zac Bailey
2: Jarryd Lyons
1: Brandon Starcevich
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Originally published as AFL 2022 Gold Coast v Brisbane: All the news, scores and reaction
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