AFL news: Cam Rayner stars as Brisbane Lions win 102-55 over Gold Coast Suns in practice match

Another Cam Rayner midfield masterclass will have Brisbane Lions fans salivating after Chris Fagan’s men looked a class above the Suns in the first real hitout for both sides this pre-season.

Another Cam Rayner masterclass will have Lions fans salivating after his performance in their practice match against the Suns. Picture: Getty Images

Stop teasing us Chris Fagan.

Another Cam Rayner midfield masterclass on Thursday night will have Brisbane Lions fans salivating at the prospect of more minutes in the guts for the former No.1 pick this year.

But with so many mouths to feed in the Lions’ engine room, does Fagan have the means to get him more of the footy?

It’s a question that must be asked with only two weeks to go until Opening Round, after Rayner put on a clinic against Gold Coast in their practice match at Springfield.

With no Lachie Neale, Jarrod Berry or Deven Robertson it allowed the 24-year-old to play the majority of his four quarters in the middle against the Suns – and he was unquestionably best afield in the 15.12-102 to 8.7-55 victory.

Brisbane looked a class above the Suns in the first real hitout for both sides of the pre-season, with Fagan’s grand finalists never really challenged by a side that is still finding its feet under new coach Damien Hardwick.

Another Cam Rayner masterclass will have Lions fans salivating after his performance in their practice match against the Suns. Picture: Getty Images

After teasing a defensive switch for Rayner last pre-season, Fagan settled on him as a permanent forward in 2023 and he showed glimpses of his game breaking potential.

But the question remains how can the Lions maximise Rayner’s incredible skill set, which at times can feel wasted inside 50 when he is not getting his hands on the footy.

Thursday night’s masterclass – standing alongside Josh Dunkley and against a Suns midfield of Touk Miller, Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell – proved Rayner has all the capabilities of a superstar on-baller.

The standing question has been over his running capacity, which from an albeit small sample size this pre-season appears to have improved.

So will we see more Rayner in the middle this year? With the likes of Neale, Dunkley, McCluggage, Berry and Ashcroft it seems unlikely.

But the case is mounting for at least more of a mid-forward split than we saw in 2023.

CHAMPAGNE CHARLIE

Charlie Cameron looked on for a monster afternoon when he booted a fifth goal mere minutes into the second quarter on Thursday.

The all-Australian missed last week’s intraclub clash for further dental surgery but made up for lost time with a scintillating early display against the Suns.

Charlie Cameron missed last week’s intraclub clash for further dental surgery but made up for lost time with a scintillating early display against the Suns. Picture: Getty Images

He and Eric Hipwood combined for five goals in an opening quarter blitz as the Lions’ A-Graders ran roughshod over a Suns backline that still has some tinkering to be done.

It was hard to judge Gold Coast without knowing what Hardwick was looking for from his new “toys” as he calls them, but the coach would not have been happy with the defensive display he saw in the first half.

Cameron left the field in the third term and remained the match-high goal kicker, while Hipwood bagged three and Lincoln McCarthy two.

GOLD COAST GROWING PAINS

The Suns forward line looks a serious work in progress just two weeks out from their Opening Round clash against Richmond.

Sam Day was the pick of the key forwards on a night where Ben King and Jack Lukosius were barely sighted.

Sam Day was the standout forward in a Suns team that looked like a serious work in progress. Picture: Getty Images

Brisbane skipper Harris Andrews was close to perfect as the backline general for the Lions.

Fagan would have been delighted with the display from his defence, just two weeks removed from draftee Logan Morris booting five against the A-Graders in their intraclub clash.

Perhaps worryingly for the Suns, their forward 50 makeup looked more dangerous when the VFL side took the field in the fourth quarter.

It wasn’t all bad for the Suns, though.

Ben Ainsworth found plenty of the footy and looks set for a stellar season in a hard-running up-and-back role that will form the backbone of Hardwick’s system, while second-year star Bailey Humphrey could have had three goals but for some wayward set shot kicking.

Darcy Macpherson was the pick of the small forward brigade and could be the man in the box seat for the job against Richmond, with James Tsitas ruled out through suspension.

FANTASY FINDS

For the SuperCoach fanatics paying attention to Alex Sexton there was plenty to like.

The two-time Suns leading goalkicker appears poised to begin the season across halfback and after a shaky start to Thursday night’s contest, began to show why Hardwick rates him so highly.

There was plenty to like from Alex Sexton’s performance. Picture: Getty Images

It quickly became obvious the Suns plan to feed Sexton the footy running out of defence this season and he was one of the key link men in transition.

Hardwick last week declared Sam Flanders would have plenty of opportunities through midfield this season and the former first-rounder was among the Suns’ best – though he did not get forward as often as some fantasy managers might have liked.

YOUNG GUNS IMPRESS

The Lions have a host of youngsters waiting in the wings should an opportunity arise and the top of the list might be James Tunstill.

The 20-year-old ran with the A-Graders early and was one of the more impressive players on the field, finding plenty of footy through the middle and rarely putting a foot wrong.

Young gun James Tunstill made the most of his opportunity. Picture: Getty Images

Harry Sharp, Jaxon Prior and James Madden also got early looks against the Suns’ starters and did some nice things, while the footy world waits with bated breath for Kai Lohmann to properly announce himself as a star of the future.

For the Suns, supplemental selection Sam Clohesy started on a wing in place of Brandon Ellis and – perhaps it was the hot pink boots – looked more than comfortable at the level.

The former Suns Academy product, who returned to the club after spending time at VFL club Werribee, could be a smokey selection on the wing or across halfback early in the season.

RISING ROWELL

Before Christmas Matt Rowell declared he wanted to be a more offensive threat this season and the early signs are promising.

The midfielder was arguably best afield for the Suns, shrugging tackles and planting plenty of his own in an energetic display.

The former No.1 pick showed his usual contested grunt but with a noticeable desire to get the ball moving forward. His off-season sprint training looks to have paid dividends.

After watching his partner in crime Anderson rise multiple levels last season, Rowell could be set to take his game to another level in 2024 which will be music to the ears of Suns fans.

Originally published as AFL news: Cam Rayner stars as Brisbane Lions win 102-55 over Gold Coast Suns in practice match