BRISBANE has dashed the AFL finals hopes of Gold Coast and remains in the box seat for a top-four spot, winning a see-sawing Queensland derby at the Gabba by 17 points.
Trailing at the end of the second and third quarters, the Lions kicked five goals in the fourth term to claim a hard-fought 16.14 (110) to 14.9 (93) win on Saturday night.
It’s the first time since round nine the Lions have won back-to-back games and they return to third spot, two points clear of Fremantle after the Dockers’ draw with Richmond on Friday night.
Joe Daniher and Charlie Cameron kicked three goals each for the Lions, with Rhys Mathieson and Lincoln McCarthy managing two majors apiece.
For the Suns, Levi Casboult finished with four goals while debutant Elijah Hollands kicked two as did Mabior Chol and Brandon Ellis.
Touk Miller was a standout with a game-high 34 disposals, seven tackles and four clearances to win the Marcus Ashcroft Medal as best-on-ground for a third time.
Brisbane star Lachie Neale had 32 touches and 10 clearances in a typically all-action display for the Lions, while defender Brandon Starcevich and midfielder Hugh McCluggage were also impressive.
The hosts made a fast start when Daniher and Cameron both scored early goals but Hollands’ goal with his first touch in AFL football sparked the Suns.
Cameron’s second meant Brisbane held an eight-point lead at the first turn before the Suns took control in the second quarter on the back of inspirational work by Miller.
Hollands mixed the good with the bad, taking a defensive mark before his kick near the goal square was smothered by Daniher, who slotted his second.
It was all Suns after that, with the visitors kicking three unanswered, including one to David Swallow in his record-breaking 193rd appearance for the club to hit the front for the first time in the game.
When Hollands’ kicked the second of his debut match, the Suns were seven points clear and held onto a goal lead at the main break.
A thrilling third quarter featured a number of lead changes as both teams kicked five goals each, Chol’s second of the night seconds before the siren putting the Suns seven points clear at the final turn.
The Suns had to make a medical substitution before the fourth quarter, with Oleg Markov coming into the game after Charlie Ballard suffered a knee injury.
Daniher’s third early in the final quarter, breaking an Ellis tackle, levelled the scores again six minutes into set up a grandstand finish.
When Ellis was caught in possession close to the goal with 12 minutes to play, the Lions hit the front with ex-Sun Jarryd Lyons converting the free-kick.
Daniel Rich came from the field dazed after copping a Casboult knee to his head but moments later the Lions were two goals clear when Mathieson kicked his second.
Oscar McInerney’s fine finish made it four in a row for the quarter as the Lions took a stranglehold on the contest before Cameron added the gloss with his third of the night to ice the win.
The Lions travel to Melbourne to take on Richmond next weekend while the Suns host West Coast at Metricon Stadium.
(C) 2022
