AFL Round 19 Brisbane v Gold Coast: All the news, action and fallout from the QClash
The Brisbane Lions have continued their dominance in recent QClashes, but were forced to do it the hard way before extinguishing Gold Coast’s finals aspirations.
Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Brisbane are still the kings of Queensland football but the Gold Coast proved to be emerging threats to the crown after the Lions were forced to dig deep to claim a 17-point victory in QClash 23 at the Gabba on Saturday night.
Brisbane stayed in the hunt for a top four berth while also ending the Gold Coast’s slim finals aspirations in a cracking contest that would be on the medal dais for the best Queensland derbies since their inception in 2011.
The Lions have now won the last eight QClash match-ups after kicking five goals to one in the final term but the margin does not reflect how tight the contest was for the first three terms when the Suns led at halftime and three-quarter time.
Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Sadly for the Suns, their last win in the QClash remains the five-point win in Round 5, 2018 as Brisbane took the overall record for the derby to 17-6.
Gold Coast co-captain Touk Miller claimed his third Marcus Ashcroft medal for best-on-ground with 34 disposals but his heroics were not enough to stop the Lions running over the top of the visitors in the fourth term with Hugh McCluggage prominent for the home side.
A rare Joe Daniher goal off his right boot levelled the scores early in the fourth quarter before Brisbane jumped a goal ahead after Jarryd Lyons won a free kick and kicked truly after Rory Atkins failed to get rid of the ball in his defensive goalsquare.
The Lions lost veteran Daniel Rich to concussion after his head heavily collided with Levi Casboult’s knee but Brisbane maintained their momentum with Rhys Mathieson’s second goal of the night.
Oscar McInerney’s snap in traffic soon after all but sealed the deal for Brisbane who moved to a 13-5 record while the Suns slipped to 8-10.
The lead changed four times in the third term but it was the Suns that went into the last change with a seven-point advantage after a seesawing quarter when both sides booted five goals each.
After a fast start from Brisbane who kicked two goals in the opening minutes, the Suns worked their way back into the contest on the back of the inspirational Miller to take a six-point buffer into halftime.
Miller had six touches in the first term and exploded into action with a dozen possessions in the second quarter to help the Gold Coast kick five of the last six goals in the first half.
The Lions held a 12-point cushion at quarter-time and extended that lead to 16 points after Daniher capitalised on an Elijah Hollands turnover but the Suns seized the momentum to thrust themselves into the willing contest.
SWALLOW DELIVERS ON MILESTONE
New Suns games record holder David Swallow cut a familiar figure leaving the field with blood coming from his mouth in the first half of his 193rd senior game for the Gold Coast. Not so familiar was the sight of the courageous Swallow thumping a set-shot drop punt from 50m out, straight through the goals. The goal came from what is arguably the “inside 50 entry of the year” from Jack Lukosius who snapped the ball over his shoulder with one knee on the ground.
HARD NUT MAKES IMPACT AGAIN
Rhys Mathieson should not find himself back in the VFL any time soon. After a standout performance against GWS, the “Beast” or “Barometer” was in the thick of the action once again with two goals, 18 disposals, eight contested possessions and three clearances. Mathieson brings aggression, physicality and some old-fashioned mongrel to the Brisbane Lion-up. He adds legitimate starch to the Lions midfield and lifts those around him.
LIONS DEFENDER ECLIPSES GUN SUN
Lions defender Brandon Starcevich continued his domination of Suns livewire Izak Rankine in the QClash. Rankine had just one touch in the first quarter but worked his way into the match with four touches in the second, including a nice handball for an Elijah Hollands goal. Gold Coast players continually tried to block for Rankine to give him time and space in the forward 50 but Starcevich and the Lions stuck to him like a glue, allowing him just the one touch in the third. Rankine kicked a goal after the siren and finished with 10 possessions on the night while Starcevich had 14 of his own.
RARE ACHIEVEMENT FOR DEBUTANT
Suns debutant Elijah Hollands joined the “First goal with the first kick in senior football” club with a thumping drop punt in the first term. Taken at pick No. 7 by the Suns in the 2020 draft while he was recovering from a knee reconstruction, the 20-year-old from Wodonga experienced the downside of the big time in the second term when he turned the ball over deep in defence to gift a goal to Joe Daniher but rebounded strongly to help set-up a goal for Brandon Ellis and kick another for himself. He gave away a 50m penalty in the third term for running through the protected zone to continue the rollercoaster night.
SCOREBOARD
LIONS 4.3 6.9 11.11 16.14 (110)
SUNS 3.1 8.3 13.6 14.9 (93)
GOALS
Lions: Daniher 3, Cameron 3, McCarthy 2, Mathieson 2, Hipwood, McCluggage, Ah Chee, Bailey, Lyons, McInerney
Suns: Casboult 4, Hollands 2, Ellis 2, Chol 2, Lukosius, Swallow, Ainsworth, Rankine
BEST
Lions: McCluggage, Neale, Starcevich, Ah Chee, Bailey, Zorko
Suns: Miller, Ellis, Anderson, Rowell, Casboult, Witts
INJURIES
Lions: Rich (concussion)
Suns: Ballard (knee)
VOTES
3: Touk Miller
2: Brandon Starcevich
1: Hugh McCluggage
Crowd: 21,467
SUNS URGED NOT TO MAKE ZORKO 2.0 DRAFT MISTAKE
By Callum Dick
Gold Coast has been urged not to make the same mistake by passing on a Dayne Zorko clone from the same club that cultivated the Brisbane Lions skipper right under the Suns’ noses.
Broadbeach Cats coach Craig O’Brien says the club has a Zorko 2.0 in its midst, and the Suns cannot let history repeat by letting him slip through their grasp.
Gold Coaster Zorko was famously snubbed by the Suns, who chose not to draft him as a Queensland zone selection, and instead let him toil away with Broadbeach where he finally earned an AFL lifeline at the Lions after winning the 2011 NEAFL best and fairest award.
O’Brien says Suns Academy prospect Jake Rogers, 17, would be leading Broadbeach’s best and fairest count if the season ended tomorrow, in just his first full season of senior QAFL footy.
The 175cm midfielder stands at the exact same height at Zorko, and shares all the qualities that have made him a 200-plus game star for the Brisbane Lions.
“I think you put him as the same type of player as Dayne Zorko. He’s very clean around the stoppage, he never fumbles and he has exceptional hands,” the Cats coach said.
“He wins his own footy. He’s an inside midfielder, even at his size, but you can put him forward and he’s very dangerous with how well he reads the ball off the back.
“He already has a couple of strings to his bow and he’s still just 17. We started him as a forward but he’s our number one midfielder right now.”
Zorko has spoken previously of his disappointment at being snubbed by the Suns, and has become a regular thorn in the Gold Coast club’s side with Brisbane dominating the modern QClash rivalry.
It appears Gold Coast is more aware of Rogers’ talents than they were Zorko’s, with Suns Academy head Kath Newman labelling the talented teen “absolutely amazing”.
“He’s small but quick with clean hands below his knees and he just does some things on a footy field you scratch your head and wonder, ‘How the hell has he done that?’” Newman said.
One of Rogers’ key traits is his consistency. He rarely features outside Broadbeach or the Suns Academy’s best players.
He averaged 17.5 disposals, nine contested possessions and 4.5 score involvements in two games for the Allies at the U18 National Championships as a bottom-age player and should be a midfield mainstay in the same side next year ahead of the 2023 draft.
O’Brien says a big reason why is Rogers’ ability to win his own footy – a rare trait shared by only an elite few young players when stepping into senior footy.
So damaging was Rogers in the Cats’ recent QAFL win over Labrador that opposition coach Nick Malceski, the former premiership Sydney Swan, sent a tagger to the 17 year old – and still could not quell his influence.
Standing opposed to former AFL players Andrew Boston and Cam Ellis-Yolmen in midfield, Rogers put his stamp on the contest and was named Broadbeach’s best in the win.
“He’s an elite player for his size. Strong, evasive and I reckon he’d be close to winning our best and fairest at the moment,” O’Brien said.
More Coverage
Originally published as AFL Round 19 Brisbane v Gold Coast: All the news, action and fallout from the QClash
The dominoes which will dictate frantic three days
Nearly 20 deals are still up in the air ahead of the final three days of trade period, but many of them are held up by a dam wall of three crucial moves which will define all others.
‘Fingers crossed’: Unknowns remain for Aussie skipper
Australia is through to the final four at the T20 World Cup but chances of snaring a fourth-straight title could hinge on the fitness of the captain.