‘Game was there for the taking’: Melbourne lament another goalless last quarter; Lions keep on surging

Brisbane Lions 11.20 (86) d Melbourne Demons 11.15 (81)

Kai Lohmann of the Lions celebrates with teammates.Credit: Getty Images

KEY POINTS

Lions Roar Home

Never mind how they did it. The Lions are in the eight, and – for the first time this season – they could finish the round there, too, providing one of Geelong, Port Adelaide or GWS lose. With eight games still to play, that’s an amazing result for Chris Fagan’s men, who like premiers Collingwood have had to improvise on the run after an injury-riddled campaign. The adversity they’ve faced has unearthed some fine players from the fringe: Kai Lohmann gives them greater strength in the air, and energy at ground level; Bruce Reville is a keeper; and although subbed out after a quiet night, Logan Morris has been a revelation. But the lynchpin of their revival has been former captain Dayne Zorko, who at 35 has had one of his best years at half-back after the devastating round one injury to Keidean Coleman.

Hugh Know Who

Hugh McCluggage had a quiet first half for the Brisbane Lions, with just nine possessions. For all the attention on dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale, the Lions look a much less potent threat when McCluggage is being sat on. In the third quarter, McCluggage went into the centre square and exploded, his creativity setting up numerous scoring opportunities and dragging the Lions back into a contest that looked all but lost. His last goal – taking a free kick after Alex Neal-Bullen inexplicably dived out of bounds like he was crossing a try line – sealed the deal for the home side.

Pickett Palace

For the first two quarters, Kysaiah Pickett was untouchable at the Gabba. The electric Demons forward opened his account with two behinds, but from there he couldn’t miss, kicking 4.2 for the half. His physical pressure, which at times has got him into trouble, was fair and intense, and although he cooled in the third quarter, his fifth goal was the best of the lot. It should have been enough to shut the gate on the Lions, too. Both teams had their chances to win this game – at times it seemed like neither wanted to finish the job – but Pickett remained the most dangerous player on the ground.

KEY STATS

That’s all we have for you tonight.

Thanks so much for joining us and please come back tomorrow for our AFL Saturday blog which kicks off in the early afternoon.

Bye for now.

Lions coach Chris Fagan spoke to the media post game.

Probably not many wins like that in your time, it did not quite fell like you would get there?

It was a rollercoaster ride of a game, probably in the end it would have been unlucky if we had not got there, we had so many opportunities, some great ones we butchered and it looked like it would be a goal and the handball would go along or someone would fall over, but the good thing is, we found a way. Sometimes after you have those big wins like last week, you can get performances like that, and we started well but kicked three goals seven, and then they obviously had a massive second-quarter with a dominated asking contested possession and used the ball efficiently, so that was a disappointing quarter, but outside of that, the rest of the game was an acceptable standard for us outside our kicking for goal.

Chris Fagan addresses his team.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

You must have been thrilled with your midfield response to the second half, you outplayed in the first half but then putting you back into it.

To be honest, I put Hugh, lucky and Dunkley stats on the board compared to the opposition and to their credit, they gave us a massive lift in the second half which shows you the character they have. They had been up and firing for three weeks in a row, and probably had a bit of a downer tonight but found a way in the second half and ended up being our best players.

What is the catalyst for you to pull the lever? I imagine it is not something you do all the time.

I very rarely do it, to be honest but tonight I thought it was necessary because what I do know about those lights, they do respond when you do that to them, particularly when you don’t use it as a method every single time things don’t work out. I thought it was appropriate and they responded.

There has been a lot of questions over Hugh’s goalkicking, what did you think when he had shot late?

Set shot kicking is not his forte, he is good on the snaps and things, and it has been a challenge for him but I thought again, great leadership, and he would have got a lot of confidence from that, you could not wipe the smile off his face after the game, because he probably has missed those historically but tonight he put it through the middle.

Demons coach Simon Goodwin spoke to the media post game.

Thoughts on the game?

We came here on a mission and people did not give us a chance and we were determined and felt like we had some things in our identity that were coming back around territory and contest and the way we were defending the last few weeks. We knew we had some things going in the right direction and coming up here against a team that is in good form, they are a territory team, they win contest and transition incredibly well so we knew what we were up against, an experienced team and proud of how the boys performed but incredibly disappointed with the result at the end. The game was there for the taking and be walkway losing.

Clayton Oliver of the Demons is tackled by Harris Andrews of the Lions.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

What do you think happened in the last quarter?

Probably a range of things, definitely there midfielder got on top, certainly in transition, they were able to transition, they were able to transition way too easily from one end to the other and had a lot of fun contested possessions and in reality we probably were a little safe, a big occasion for our group and a lot of young players playing, at the moment, and we probably went into our shells, went a bit safe and that added to the momentum. The is a bit to unpack in the last quarter, we will go away and look at that. As I said, for three quarters, there was a lot to work with and probably the best be played.

You haven’t kicked a goal in the last quarter for the last two weeks, is that something you need to look at?

Probably something we need to go away and have a look at, whether we go into our shells in games, we will certainly look at that and with ball in hand. We made a lot of mistakes in the last quarter look like we were playing safe so that is two weeks, you are right, it suggests we need to have a look at it and we will. That is what clubs do, we try to get it better but the core elements of our A game are back in check but we had some young players who stood up.

On the flipside you had your best quarter for the year, the second quarter for the year, the second quarter, all that talk about your team struggled to find connection between midfield and forward line, seemed to melt away.

We have been really strong in the last month about trying to get the same group of forwards playing together for a period of time. For a period of time in the last 18 months, we have changed a lot down the front end, and we think we have got some continuity of Petty, van Rooyen and Turner and we think they can certainly become quite a forgettable group but they need time, cohesion is a big thing in sport. We need to be able to allow them to flourish and grow and tonight was the start of some of that, I think four games in a row where they could play together. We think we are onto something there, and we need to give it time and be patient and build the cohesion but as you said, tonight we saw it come out.

What did you make of the free kick against Alex Neal-Bullen late in the match that led to the McCluggage goal?

I have not had a good look at it, the ground level it is over the other side, but there is lots of decisions in a game of footy that can be played out and I am sure that is one that can be talked about but it is not the reason we lost the game. There was a lot of other things in the last quarter that we are in our control that we will go back and get better at.

Clayton Oliver, a big response from him?

He has worked incredibly hard and there He has worked incredibly hard and there has been a lot of criticism out there and I think he showed again tonight why teams go to him, he is a very important player with a high level of skill and we are rapped to see him back to his best.

Lions superstar Lachie Neale revealed his side copped some stern words from coach Chris Fagan following Melbourne’s eight-goal second term.

The Lions turned things around in the second half to win with a late goal from Hugh McCluggage.

Joe Daniher of the Lions celebrates with teammates.Credit: Getty Images

“A crazy game, we were pretty poor even the first quarter - in the contested ball and clearance we were getting smashed, and forward half ground ball, they were beating us and at working us and got a bit of a clip from Fages at halftime which was deserved,” Neale told Channel Seven post game.

“We got to play the game in our term in the second half and got some looks. We did enough.”

When asked how the Lions decided to stop Jarrod Berry’s tagging job, Neale said they wanted to free up their midfield.

“I think it was halfway through the second, I might have been on the bench at the time and Fages said “we want to be proactive and start hunting”,” Neale said.

“We felt like we were second to the ball and letting them dictate stoppage so we wanted to make the stoppage more proactive and get at the ball.”

Brisbane Lions 11.20 (86) d Melbourne Demons 11.15 (81)

Kai Lohmann of the Lions celebrates with teammates.Credit: Getty Images

KEY POINTS

Lions Roar Home

Never mind how they did it. The Lions are in the eight, and – for the first time this season – they could finish the round there, too, providing one of Geelong, Port Adelaide or GWS lose. With eight games still to play, that’s an amazing result for Chris Fagan’s men, who like premiers Collingwood have had to improvise on the run after an injury-riddled campaign. The adversity they’ve faced has unearthed some fine players from the fringe: Kai Lohmann gives them greater strength in the air, and energy at ground level; Bruce Reville is a keeper; and although subbed out after a quiet night, Logan Morris has been a revelation. But the lynchpin of their revival has been former captain Dayne Zorko, who at 35 has had one of his best years at half-back after the devastating round one injury to Keidean Coleman.

Hugh Know Who

Hugh McCluggage had a quiet first half for the Brisbane Lions, with just nine possessions. For all the attention on dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale, the Lions look a much less potent threat when McCluggage is being sat on. In the third quarter, McCluggage went into the centre square and exploded, his creativity setting up numerous scoring opportunities and dragging the Lions back into a contest that looked all but lost. His last goal – taking a free kick after Alex Neal-Bullen inexplicably dived out of bounds like he was crossing a try line – sealed the deal for the home side.

Pickett Palace

For the first two quarters, Kysaiah Pickett was untouchable at the Gabba. The electric Demons forward opened his account with two behinds, but from there he couldn’t miss, kicking 4.2 for the half. His physical pressure, which at times has got him into trouble, was fair and intense, and although he cooled in the third quarter, his fifth goal was the best of the lot. It should have been enough to shut the gate on the Lions, too. Both teams had their chances to win this game – at times it seemed like neither wanted to finish the job – but Pickett remained the most dangerous player on the ground.

KEY STATS

Lions match-winner Hugh McCluggage spoke to Channel Seven post game.

The match-winning goal, how do you describe that?

I thought it was going left but then it squared up, and we would have been disappointed if we did not get over the line that it is amazing.

Hugh McCluggage of the Lions.Credit: Getty Images

Talk us through the kick?

I didn’t have the ball, and I was like, “Joey [Daniher] , get out! It is good that everybody wants that moment and we have to win the close ones and building winning form.

What with the conversation at three quarter time? You kick 20 odd behinds, so it was just about making the most of the opportunities?

I think so, at half time, we spoke about the fact that our hunt was not there and in the third quarter we got it going and by three quarter time we had to stick with it and not worry about the scoreboard and that is what we did.

Good to have Will Ashcroft back out there.

He had some huge contests late, he is so strong and confident and he comes in and plays his role the whole year and for a 19 year old that is incredible.

The Lions took the lead and hung on for dear life battling out the final seconds to make sure of the win and another vital four points.

They will finish tonight in fifth spot although we will see how other results play out.

The Lions are on the march. That much is clear.

Kai Lohmann of the Lions celebrates with teammates.Credit: Getty Images

The Lions have won it.