AFL round 12: Callum Dick analyses Brisbane Lions’ victory over Essendon

Brisbane has limped back to the top of the AFL ladder ahead of a crucial three weeks which could define its premiership defence. Plus, is Hugh McCluggage this year’s Brownlow bolter?

To co-opt a quote from Breaking Bad’s Jesse Pinkman, “he can’t keep getting away with this”. Brisbane, that is.

The Lions might have finished Thursday night atop the AFL ladder, but their 18-point victory over Essendon told an all-too familiar tale of a team stuck in second gear.

And that won’t cut it in the next three weeks against Adelaide, GWS and Geelong before the reigning premiers’ round 16 bye.

Like they did against Melbourne a fortnight earlier, the Lions burst out of the blocks with a blistering 6.3 opening term. Brutal Brisbane looked to be back in business.

Nate Caddy over the head goal

If Chris Fagan could have drawn up his perfect first quarter, it would have included early goals to Charlie Cameron, Kai Lohmann and Cam Rayner. Tick, tick and tick.

It was a welcome continuation of last week’s five-goal warning shot win over Hawthorn, which Fagan labelled their best performance of the season and had the football world warming to the idea that the lethal Lions were back.

But there were still areas of concern.

Fagan told Fox Footy in the preamble he had spoken to the team about its forward 50 inefficiency during the week. Those words were almost prophetic.

Isaac Kako gets wrapped up. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Harris Andrews climbs above Nate Caddy to mark.

In a frustrating second stanza, the Lions booted 1.6 to the Bombers’ 3.0 and a dominant quarter from Brisbane amounted to a 26-point halftime lead that should have been much greater.

There were shades of the Demons defeat from two weeks earlier when Essendon hit the lead midway through the fourth quarter, off the back of a brilliant third term from Jye Caldwell.

His 17 disposals, seven clearances and a goal might be the best individual quarter of the season so far. Against a star-studded Brisbane midfield, the Bombers’ unsung ball magnet brought his own footy for 25 minutes and dragged them back into the contest.

Darcy Wilmot goal

His partner in crime, Nate Caddy, mixed brilliance with a brain fart in a few short minutes that will have Bombers fans feeling like they have something special in their midst.

At 51-39, the young gun dragged himself to the front of a contest in the goal square and pulled down a trademark contested grab. But with a blood rush he played on, scared himself, and dragged a grubber across the face of goal.

It deserved six points.

Not a minute later he was down the other end, intercepting a kick deep in defence to keep the Bombers alive.

The 19-year-old finished with 2.1 and five marks – a warning of things to come for a player with so much potential.

Eric Hipwood on the move.

Jack Payne shows Nate Caddy a clean set of heels. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Nic Martin goal

But the best on ground was clearly Hugh McCluggage – born again as one of the game’s most damaging inside midfielders and the man who steered the Lions home.

It might be time to start a Brownlow dialogue with the soon-to-be 200 gamer, who will almost certainly earn three votes for this performance in late-September.

Entering the match as the No. 5 ranked midfielder in the competition according to Champion Data, the 27-year-old produced a career-best outing – 41 disposals, seven clearances and 12 score involvements.

He started the night a rank triple-digit outsider for “Charlie” – streets behind midfield mates Lachie Neale and Will Ashcroft. Those odds will have to shorten after Thursday’s showing.

The football world has been generally quite negative about the Bombers this season, despite entering the round outside the top eight only on percentage.

If the criticism of Brad Scott’s side had been about beating up on weaker teams, then the Bombers deserve some flowers for their gutsy performance at one of the hardest cauldrons in footy.

Injury-hit and on the home deck of the reigning premiers, to have hit the lead in the fourth quarter and come oh so close to pulling off an upset will give Brad Scott’s men a platform to build from ahead of next Sunday’s clash with Carlton.

Originally published as AFL round 12: Callum Dick analyses Brisbane Lions’ victory over Essendon