Brisbane v Gold Coast
2nd Semi-Final
13th September 7.35 p.m.
Gabba
I was fortunate to be at the Gabba in the perfect seat: one level up, adjacent to Damien Hardwick’s elevated position, slightly to the right and above the ground level coaches’ boxes, alongside the television camera and with a direct line of sight across the centre circle. I’d seen the demolition of the Lions by Geelong eight days earlier from the 2nd back row of the MCC Members!
The contrast in Brisbane’s performance on these two occasions was as pronounced as my change in viewing position. Against Geelong, the Lions were overwhelmed by the irresistible force of Geelong’s contested football. Their prime movers were shut down and this left many observers wondering if the quest for a repeat of their dominant finals series last year was doomed.
Saturday night confirmed that the engine is still operational as Brisbane secured a decisive victory. While the Suns began the match impressively, it didn’t take long for the Lions to steady and then progressively demonstrate their ascendancy.
The Suns enjoyed the opening four minutes when it seemed that they would make a serious contest of the match. Ben King opened the goal-scoring with a fine mark from John Noble’s skimming pass, and Noah Anderson added the second with a characteristic dash from midfield and a long accurate kick. Jarrod Witts was outpointing Darcy Fort and setting up Anderson and Matt Rowell for the clearances, and King’s height advantage was proving a handful for Darcy Gardiner.
Thereafter the Suns’ position declined in a manner analogous to Ernest Hemingway’s observation about bankruptcy “gradually, then suddenly”. During the middle stages of the opening quarter, Brisbane reasserted themselves. Gardiner competed with King (the task was later taken over by Harris Andrews, and his outstanding intercept marking was a prime launch pad for Lions’ counter-attacks). Fort engaged effectively with Witts (although the Suns’ veteran remained one of his team’s most influential players); the Lions’ midfielders began to take control, and Zorko used his reliable right boot to slice open the Suns midfield and set up attacks. This change in the pattern of the match yielded three goals to one for Brisbane in the remainder of the opening quarter, which gave them a narrow lead at the change of ends. This single point advantage was not relinquished for the remainder of the match.
Gold Coast hung on during most of the 2nd quarter, even though the struggle now seemed an unequal one. Brisbane edged ahead until the dam wall burst with three unanswered goals in time-on, producing a margin of 25 points at half-time. My impression at the break was that the Suns had been drained by the physical and emotional demands of their triumph against Fremantle – to say nothing of the longest away trip in the AFL. It seemed that only an exceptional effort by them would reverse the now-established pattern of the match.
That exceptional effort proved beyond their ressources. In the third term, the Lions added three goals and held the Suns to a few behinds to carry a seven goal lead into the final quarter where they again managed to outscore their opponents two goals to one. The scoreboard precisely reflected the gap between the two sides on this occasion. From five minutes in the first quarter (Gold Coast’s best period of the game), Brisbane outscored them 13:15 to 4:10. From quarter time it was 11:11 to 3:7, and in the second half, 5:10 to 1:6 (which reflected that the Suns had run out of gas).
I have only a couple of modifications to the AFL’s judgement of the best players for Brisbane. I’d include Zorko and Lohmann, and would promote Andrews in the order of merit. Gold Coast list is much as I saw it.
The Suns have obviously progressed under Damien Hardwick and now have a distinctly competitive foundation on which to build. Those of us who have patronised them in the past (I’m looking in a mirror as I write) will note bona fide stars Anderson, Miller and Rowell, and quality players such as Noble, Rioli, Andrew, Uwland, Weller and Collins. They have excellent prospects of augmenting their playing stocks from Academy picks and, if they are not yet a destination club, they should be at least able to stem the ‘go home’ factor which has bedevilled their earlier years.
Brisbane remain serious contenders, this year and into the forseeable future. Their core, Andrews, Dunkley, McCluggage, Zorko, Rayner, Neale (if he can recover fitness – long-term as well as for the immediate challenges), in addition to their precocious talents – Ashcrofts (x 2, but especially Will), Morris and Lohmann – confirm my view that their best is a match for anyone. Their problem in 2025 has been to produce that best consistently. Now they face the biggest challenge(s).
BRISBANE 3.5 9.6 12.10 14.16 (100)
GOLD COAST 3.4 5.5 5.9 6.11 (47)
GOALS
Brisbane: Bailey 3, Lohmann 3, Morris 2, W. Ashcroft 2, Ah Chee, Berry, Rayner, Gallop
Gold Coast: King 2, Anderson, Rowell, Fiorini, Ainsworth
BEST
Brisbane: W. Ashcroft, Dunkley, McCluggage, Rayner, Andrews, Bailey, Berry, Wilmot
Gold Coast: Collins, Rowell, Witts, Miller, Anderson
INJURIES
Brisbane: Nil
Gold Coast: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Brisbane: Bruce Reville (replaced Sam Marshall in the fourth quarter)
Gold Coast: David Swallow (replaced Ethan Read in the third quarter)
CROWD
36,628 at the Gabba
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How will the Lions fare in the grand final, Peter??
Smokie,
I’m flattered that you’d ask my opinion, as my tipping performance this year has suggested that I’m completely ill-informed. I think that it’s a genuine flip of the coin, but of course there are plenty of precedents for what promised to be close Grand Finals producing blow-outs, when one team doesn’t fire a shot (e.g. 2022, 2017). I do feel a degree of vindication,as my judgement during the bye week was that the winner of the Geelong-Brisbane game would probably be premier, and that they were the two most likely sides among the finalists. Consistent with that prediction, I have a slight preference for Geelong, but I also maintain that Brisbane’s best is a match for anyone. Their failing this year has been their inability to produce that best consistently. The need to do it three weeks in succession after the poor performance against Geelong in the opening week of the finals is the question mark against them. However, if they produce their best on Saturday, they could certainly win. So, I’ll say Geelong by say 10 points, but I reserve the right to review that guess several times between now and Friday.