Brisbane Lions set out to avoid wooden spoon with win over North Melbourne
AFTER another spirited effort on Sunday, the Brisbane Lions can jump off the bottom of the ladder with a final round victory against North Melbourne.
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BRISBANE’S fate is in its own hands.
The Lions must beat North Melbourne on Saturday afternoon to avoid the AFL wooden spoon.
The Lions almost took themselves out of the firing line with a stirring performance against finals-bound Melbourne on Sunday.
They sent a scare through the Demons who needed a win to keep their dreams of a first finals berth since 2006 alive.
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The visitors fell 13 points short but added to their growing list of admirers by fighting back from a 32-point deficit in the final quarter to send a mighty fright through the Demons who relied on a six-goal haul from Jesse Hogan to claim a 16.8 (104) to 14.7 (91) victory.
“On a pretty big-occasion day for the Melbourne footy club we made life pretty difficult for them trying to find their way into finals which was pretty pleasing,’’ coach Chris Fagan said.
Carlton’s surprise victory over Hawthorn on Saturday spiced-up the battle to avoid the wooden spoon.
Fagan did not know the result of the Sunday’s Kangaroos against St Kilda match when he fronted the press post-game, but admitted he was praying his side’s fate would be in its own hands on Saturday.
“I’m hoping we get to play the Kangaroos in a fight to avoid that dubious honour,’’ he said.
The Roos lost which will mean the losers at the Gabba will collect the spoon and the No. 1 draft pick.
Fagan and his players have made no secret of their desire to drag themselves off the bottom of the ladder but he stressed the season could already be considered a success.
“Wooden spoon or no wooden spoon doesn’t really mean anything to us, we just look at the bigger picture,’’ he said. “How we have improved, this year we have won a lot more quarters of football, since the bye we have been particularly competitive and our points for and against have improved.’’
Hogan, in his first game back after two weeks out with a broken collarbone and also his 50th for the Demons, was the difference.
Brisbane skipper Dayne Beams produced another blinder, bouncing back from a high shot from Bernie Vince that is sure to be scrutinised by the match review panel.
If the Demon receives a punishment, the sanction will automatically have one match added to it because of his bad record, putting his availability for finals games into jeopardy.
Originally published as Brisbane Lions set out to avoid wooden spoon with win over North Melbourne
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