BRISBANE LIONS 6.0 11.3 15.11 18.13 (121)
FREMANTLE 2.2 6.7 7.7 9.10 (64)
GOALS: Brisbane Lions - Taylor 4, Cutler 3, Zorko 2, Barrett 2, Rockliff, Bastinac, Beams, Hipwood, Berry, McLuggage. Fremantle – Fyfe 2, B Hill 2, Walters, Neale, Weller, S Hill, McCarthy.
BEST: Brisbane Lions – Zorko, Beams, Taylor, Andrews, Mayes, Martin. Fremantle – Fyfe, Neale, Walters, Johnson, B Hill.
INJURIES: Brisbane Lions – Nil. Fremantle – Grey (hamstring).
UMPIRES: Foot, Stevic, Williamson, Fleer.
CROWD: 11,742 at the Gabba
There were whispers that could be an upset in the offing at the Gabba ahead of this game. The Fremantle Dockers were six and five at the halfway point of the season, and the Lions had just the one win to their name. But with Aaron Sandilands out with a hamstring injury, the door was ajar if the Lions were bold enough to step through it.
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Battling Dockers hammered by Brisbane
After nine straight losses the Lions claimed a comfortable win over the lethargic Dockers.
Well, they didn't just step through – the Lions stormed through, kicking six goals straight in the first quarter to open up a 22-point lead, then another five in the second to extend it to 26. The only question was whether they could shut the door behind them, as drizzle began to sheet across the ground.
They slammed it. There were some anxious moments late in the second quarter, when it looked like the Lions might squander what they'd worked very hard to establish, but in the third they made sure of it, pulling away to destroy Fremantle by 57 points, a result the Dockers may well be left to rue come September.
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The signs were good from the start for the Lions, with all of their best players up and about. Tom Rockliff, who has responded superbly to losing the captaincy to Dayne Beams, kicked the first goal in the fourth minute. Lewis Taylor snapped the second off his right, then gave away another to Beams.
But the player who was causing the Dockers the most headaches was Dayne Zorko. AFL statisticians currently rank Zorko the seventh best player in the competition. Make of that what you will, but there's no doubt he's a fine player who would deservedly have a bigger reputation in a better and higher profile team.
Zorko picked up 14 disposals in the first quarter, 10 of them contested, and with Beams and Taylor continually picked holes in Fremantle's defence. In the second quarter, as the Dockers began to press, he kicked a goal from well outside 50, on top of gathering eight clearances for the half.
The other real fly in the Dockers' ointment was Taylor, who's starting to consistently play the sort of football that won him the Rising Star award in 2014. Coach Chris Fagan has him running straighter and working harder defensively, but three goals and three assists in a half made him a constant offensive threat.
But could this downtrodden team maintain the fitness and, just as importantly, belief in themselves to close the deal? Really, half-time couldn't come soon enough for the Lions, as silly errors and fatigue continued to cost them. Nat Fyfe was also asserting himself, with his second goal rolling between the legs of two players untouched.
Taylor's third goal, kicked after the siren from a perfect pass by Sam Mayes, was exactly the steadier the Lions needed at the break as the Dockers began to grind their way back into the game. And an early goal to Eric Hipwood in the second half put them out by more than five goals.
Hipwood was otherwise well held throughout the game, but so dominant were the Lions at ground level that it didn't matter. The third quarter saw an avalanche of ball inside the Lions' attacking 50, and while they didn't fully capitalise, four goals to one was more than enough to seal it.
Fittingly, it was Zorko who kicked the clutch goal to establish a winning break for the Lions, and Taylor to make sure of it with his fourth. But they had a long list of winners: Harris Andrews was superb at centre half-back, Mayes pinpoint in his disposal off a flank, Stefan Martin dominant in the air and around the ground.
For Fremantle, it was another story, with a long list of players who had no impact on the contest. Forwards Cam McCarthy and Shane Kersten misfired, with barely a handful of possessions between them. But they can hardly take the blame given the slaughter taking place in the midfield: clearances were 46–28.
For long-suffering Lions fans, it's a welcome glimmer of hope, and for the players, a glimpse of a brighter future as they posted over 100 points for the first time this season. The road is long, but they might finally be on the right track.
VOTES
D Zorko (BL) 8
D Beams (BL) 8
L Taylor (BL) 7
H Andrews (BL) 7
S Mayes (BL) 7