‘Playing against witches hats!’ Dees storm home post-blackout as Lions left in ‘preservation mode’

Brisbane had the match against Melbourne won and done with 12 minutes remaining when the Gabba was plunged into darkness. And what followed has cost the side 13 percentage points.

Lions players run out for the round two match against Melbourne. Picture: Chris Hyde

Brisbane had the match against Melbourne won and done with 12 minutes remaining when the Gabba was plunged into darkness.

And after an almost 40-minute delay, Lions players simply returned in “preservation mode” as Melbourne piled on 31 points to two.

The chaotic final minutes, which saw the Demons drag the margin back to just 11 points, cost Brisbane a whopping 13 percentage points by full time.

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“Flat track bullies the Demons,” Fox Footy’s Jonathan Brown laughed.

“They were playing against witches hats!

“The Lions couldn’t get themselves going and then they realised with two minutes to go, ‘oh we could get rolled here’.

“Looking forward, ladder position, we know how important percentage is if it costs them a top four spot or top eight spot. That percentage could be a costly last 10 minutes – or an important last 10 minutes for Melbourne.

“I don’t think you can take much away from that last 10 minutes.

“Clearly (Brisbane) players were in preservation mode the last 10 minutes and it quickly snuck up on them, the margin, and then they had to try and get to work and they couldn’t.”

Melbourne kicked the last five goals of the match to shave the 40-point margin as they looked “a completely different team” post-blackout.

Demons defender Jake Lever said the thrilling final minutes showed teams are “never really out of any game”.

“It just proves you can come back from anywhere,” he said on 7Sport.

“We just spoke (during the blackout break) about being a bit more aggressive. It was almost a situation of we had nothing to lose.

“On the flip side Brisbane think they’ve got everything to lose and think, ‘oh surely not’. I think those two combinations they can really turn.”

“You saw the contrast between pre-blackout and post-blackout,” Nathan Buckley highlighted.

“That just shows how fickle this game can be at times.”

Garry Lyon described the whole ordeal as part of a “crazy old night”.

“Brisbane were playing superb football all over Melbourne, absolutely belting them in every manner that you could imagine and then this happens (the blackout),” he said.

“We sat around and speculated how the opposing teams would approach it … we saw Simon Goodwin address his players just before the bounce of the ball.

“It wasn’t: ‘oh look after yourselves, it’s not our night’. It was: ‘We’ve been so bad boys, you’ve been given a chance for redemption’.

“They came on and kicked five goals in a row. Melbourne had an opportunity to make it six!

“Clayton Oliver had a really quiet night by his own standards. Couldn’t get his hands on the footy clearance wise and then you blink and he dominates that last 12 minutes and ends up with 37 (touches).

“(Lions’ coach Chris Fagan) He looked frustrated in those last 10 minutes.”

Originally published as ‘Playing against witches hats!’ Dees storm home post-blackout as Lions left in ‘preservation mode’