By Nick Wright
If there were any doubts of the rising stars of the Brisbane Lions and their ability to stand up in the big moments, they have largely been laid to rest.
How they respond to a few nervous moments, however, in an eventual 28-point triumph of Carlton, could be what dictates their forthcoming battle with the Giants.
Kai Lohmann and Lachie Neale celebrate a goal.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
These cubs roared when they had the running, and the cohort of Will Ashcroft, Logan Morris, Kai Lohmann and Darcy Wilmot will feel fearless after their side’s 14.15 (99) to 11.5 (71) Gabba victory.
The Blues had no answer to the speed and intensity coach Chris Fagan’s men played in the opening half on Saturday night, as Brisbane kicked the first 60 points, and the way the rookies blended with their more experienced teammates was a sight to behold.
Ashcroft (20 disposals, two goal assists) collaborated with Hugh McCluggage and Lachie Neale superbly in midfield. His kick selection, energy around the ball and smarts to rely on his hand balling game were all on show.
Kai Lohmann and Logan Morris (two goals each) came up with highlight reel moments, and Darcy Wilmot (21 disposals, three clearances) was the perfect partner for Dayne Zorko in the backline.
But for all the enthusiasm these emerging stars bring to the Lions, the challenge will be maintaining momentum and overcoming the nerves which hit them late.
After the Blues kicked five straight goals, Morris missed a set shot from in front, while Lohmann came up with a bad miss and took too long with the ball to squander a certain chance in a largely open forward pocket.
It was only a few weeks ago the Giants made Brisbane regret their inability to capitalise on their ascendancy, but Fagan took solace in how his side wrestled back into a dominant position.
“You’ve just got to deal with the momentum when it occurs, and I thought we did a pretty good job in the latter part of the third quarter just to crunch the game up, slow it down, and be in a good position by three-quarter time,” Fagan said.
“It’s how you respond to it. I know the murmur went around, probably because it’s happened a couple of times, but I don’t think Carlton were ever going to get back into that game.”
No end in sight for Zorko’s renaissance
Zorko’s transformation this year has been nothing short of exceptional.
To completely shift to halfback this year after Keidean Coleman suffered a ruptured ACL has been one of the stories of the season, and he showed his class from the opening siren.
Dayne Zorko in action.Credit: AFL Photos
Finishing with 29 disposals, Zorko’s kick selection working through the midfield kept Brisbane on the front foot from start to finish.
The 35-year-old was seemingly everywhere across in the opening half, coming up with five score involvements - finishing with eight - and six intercept possessions in that time.
It took Carlton 19 inside 50s just to get on the board.
On the back of Zorko’s work, his fellow seasoned Lions made their presence felt - Cam Rayner (three goals) nailing his assignments at crucial moments, while Neale (27 disposals, nine clearances) and McCluggage (24 disposals, six clearances) were unflappable.
Zorko said in Channel 7’s post-game wrap he believed more veterans would hit similar heights late in their playing days.
“I think we’ll see more of it. I think the sports science in the game is extraordinary and the way the training staff manage your loads and prepare you for a game is the best it’s ever been,” Zorko said.
“For shocking circumstances I got put down at halfback, but I’ve really loved it and the boys down there have been great, the support I’ve got from them has been enormous and really allowed me to play my game.
“The thing I’ve been most proud of is our defensive efforts. The boys have asked me to really contribute in that area, and I feel like I’ve done that in the last month.”
Off the ball hustle key
Brisbane’s inaccuracy in front of goal had been well documented in the lead up to the finals’ series.
But off the ball, they had not emerged on top of the tackle count for several weeks, leading Fagan to hint before the opening siren their defensive pressure had been a point of focus.
It showed, as the Lions harassed the Blues early and turned the tide when Carlton plotted a shock comeback.
Making 65 tackles to the Blues’ 42 - McCluggage leading the way with eight - that pressure inspired the initial surge of points.
Given the Giants’ preference to move the ball through the hands at speed, that intensity will be key.
“That’s probably the best footy we’ve played this year for 50, 55 minutes. We set out to put a lot of pressure on Carlton, we were aware they had quite a few players who hadn’t played a lot of football in the last little while because they’ve had a fair old battle all season with injuries,” Fagan said.
“We wanted to try and get them on the back foot early, I didn’t think we’d do it as well as that, but it was a pretty emphatic performance for the first 50-odd minutes of the game.”
More pain for Jack
Jack Payne’s return to Brisbane’s back field from a foot injury ended agonisingly, clutching at his knee after landing awkwardly in a contest and being taken out of the game at halftime.
Reports of an MCL concern will leave him in grave doubt for next weekend’s do-or-die battle with Greater Western Sydney, but Fagan was optimistic about his immediate future.
“We’ve got a level of optimism that he could be right for next week. We’ll get some scans and see how it is, but if we had to put him out there we could have tried to, but there probably wasn’t any point in doing that,” Fagan said.