The AFL finals remain within reach for Brisbane after the Lions kicked five last-quarter goals to run away with a 17.14 (116) to 12.11 (83) win over the Gold Coast Suns at the Gabba on Saturday.
Evergreen skipper Jonathan Brown (three goals, 10 marks) was herculean for the Lions, who have now won the last five consecutive Queensland derbies between the two clubs and moved to five wins for the season with this triumph.
The sixth meeting between the two rivals was robbed of two of its major drawcards in the lead up, with 2009 Brownlow Medallist Gary Ablett (calf) and Lions star Simon Black (groin) both late scratchings.
Former Lion Jared Brennan was recalled from the NEAFL to cover for the absence of Ablett and was one of the Suns’ best with three goals and 21 disposals.
Ablett wasn’t the only one missing for the Suns, who went into the match without injured players Karmichael Hunt, Charlie Dixon and Tom Lynch.
But it was the club’s wayward kicking, not their bank of stars watching from the sideline, that cost them with the Suns missing their first five attempts on goal.
Rookie Timmy Sumner’s shocking miss from directly in front in the second half was the most telling. That kick would have brought the Suns back to within a goal.
The Lions had their own problems with accuracy in the first half, missing nine shots at goal, but most of those came from long range as Brisbane loaded up from beyond 50m.
Brisbane looked set to blow the score out when they extended their lead to 23 through a brace of Brent Staker goals to open the third term.
But the Suns threatened a revival as Matt Shaw, Jarrod Harbrow, Steven May and Jaeger O’Meara plied on the next four straight goals to cut the lead to just one kick.
Campbell Brown earned the ire of the 27,170 strong crowd when he kicked his second major 20 minutes into the quarter after he was awarded a free kick from a tussle with Lion Ashley McGrath in front of goal.
Sumner’s night didn’t get any better, with the the rookie making a break in the dying stages of the quarter only to be beaten by the siren as he slotted it between the sticks, the Suns trailing 12.12 (84) to 10.10 (70) at the last change.
But from there it was one way traffic as the Lions stacked on five goals to run away with the 33 point result.
Lions defender Mitch Golby was taken from the field midway through the third term with suspected rib damage after he was ironed out by Suns Steven May in the lead up to Jaeger O’Meara’s goal.