Brisbane: The Lions look finals-bound. Thats quite a call after a decade. But with seven wins on the board after a hard-fought win over Hawthorn, halfway through the season, its hard to see how they cant get there from here.
On this night, they surrendered an early lead, then slowly steamrolled the Hawks for a 19-point win.
In a way, the win was all the more meritorious for the Lions tardy start, held goalless in the first quarter (albeit kicking an inaccurate six behinds). It was driven from enormous efforts by Jarryd Lyons and Lachie Neale in the centre, a super game by Lewis Taylor, and a steely back six that gave little away after quarter time.
The Lions' Charlie Cameron relished playing against his former club on Saturday.Credit:AAP
Collectively, they wanted it much more. Contested possessions were a 145–118 the home sides way, a reflection of the sides effort after quarter time to grind their way back into the contest.
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The Hawks rallied early in the last, but Harris Andrews and Darcy Gardiner repelled everything, and a captains goal from Dayne Zorko sealed it.
Jumped early, the Lions quickly found themselves under siege. Nick Robertson was immediately exposed by Chad Wingard, who raced into goal for the Hawks first, then brought down Robertson in a tackle moments later for Luke Breust to reap the spoils.
Whereas the home side struggling to get their hands on the ball, and wasting it when they had it, the Hawks were well organised and lethal when they had it. Jarman Impey scored from a free kick against Luke Hodge, then Mitchell Lewis scored after trapping Andrews.
Ricky Hendersons goal from deep in a pocket, deep in the first quarter had Hawthorn 29 up, the Lions just two solitary points on the board, and the game looking shot to bits. And then they stirred.
Slowly they began to win back some of the ball, and though they were still without a goal at quarter time, the tide was turning.
Cam Rayner struck the first blow, hit on the chest by Daniel Rich, continuing a fine season. Neale won the next clearance, and Lyons thumped the ball long to a charging Rhys Mathieson.
James Cousins got one back for the Hawks against the run of play, but Charlie Cameron quickly clawed that one back.
Then Taylor, playing his most significant game this year, jagged one from the front of a pack and the margin was back to seven points. A free kick to Stefan Martin made it one.
Tom Scully kept the Hawks a kick in front at half time, but it came against not so much the run of play as the rush of it.
So the third quarter proceeded: Jonathan Ceglar kept Hawthorn two goals clear, only to be pegged back by Cameron. Shaun Burgoyne made it two kicks again, and for a time, the Hawks surged.
The Lions defence dug in, Andrews intercepting everything that came his way, Gardiner and Rich on the counter-attack.
The longer the quarter went, the more the Lions managed to wrest the game back on their terms. Eric Hipwood buried a free kick from the pocket to make the margin a point, and Dan McStay and Ben Keays missed sitters, but when Mathieson sunk his second after the siren, the Lions had the lead, the crowd, and the momentum.
The question was, after two one-point results in a row – the first against Adelaide a victory, after a 26-point lead was whittled away, and last weeks last-gasp loss to Fremantle.
It was a test that, this time, the Lions passed in fine style. With Carlton at Marvel Stadium next week, they should further cement their position in the eight.
Silly Sicily
James Sicily is noRead More – Source
Brisbane: The Lions look finals-bound. Thats quite a call after a decade. But with seven wins on the board after a hard-fought win over Hawthorn, halfway through the season, its hard to see how they cant get there from here.
On this night, they surrendered an early lead, then slowly steamrolled the Hawks for a 19-point win.
In a way, the win was all the more meritorious for the Lions tardy start, held goalless in the first quarter (albeit kicking an inaccurate six behinds). It was driven from enormous efforts by Jarryd Lyons and Lachie Neale in the centre, a super game by Lewis Taylor, and a steely back six that gave little away after quarter time.
The Lions' Charlie Cameron relished playing against his former club on Saturday.Credit:AAP
Collectively, they wanted it much more. Contested possessions were a 145–118 the home sides way, a reflection of the sides effort after quarter time to grind their way back into the contest.
Advertisement
The Hawks rallied early in the last, but Harris Andrews and Darcy Gardiner repelled everything, and a captains goal from Dayne Zorko sealed it.
Jumped early, the Lions quickly found themselves under siege. Nick Robertson was immediately exposed by Chad Wingard, who raced into goal for the Hawks first, then brought down Robertson in a tackle moments later for Luke Breust to reap the spoils.
Whereas the home side struggling to get their hands on the ball, and wasting it when they had it, the Hawks were well organised and lethal when they had it. Jarman Impey scored from a free kick against Luke Hodge, then Mitchell Lewis scored after trapping Andrews.
Ricky Hendersons goal from deep in a pocket, deep in the first quarter had Hawthorn 29 up, the Lions just two solitary points on the board, and the game looking shot to bits. And then they stirred.
Slowly they began to win back some of the ball, and though they were still without a goal at quarter time, the tide was turning.
Cam Rayner struck the first blow, hit on the chest by Daniel Rich, continuing a fine season. Neale won the next clearance, and Lyons thumped the ball long to a charging Rhys Mathieson.
James Cousins got one back for the Hawks against the run of play, but Charlie Cameron quickly clawed that one back.
Then Taylor, playing his most significant game this year, jagged one from the front of a pack and the margin was back to seven points. A free kick to Stefan Martin made it one.
Tom Scully kept the Hawks a kick in front at half time, but it came against not so much the run of play as the rush of it.
So the third quarter proceeded: Jonathan Ceglar kept Hawthorn two goals clear, only to be pegged back by Cameron. Shaun Burgoyne made it two kicks again, and for a time, the Hawks surged.
The Lions defence dug in, Andrews intercepting everything that came his way, Gardiner and Rich on the counter-attack.
The longer the quarter went, the more the Lions managed to wrest the game back on their terms. Eric Hipwood buried a free kick from the pocket to make the margin a point, and Dan McStay and Ben Keays missed sitters, but when Mathieson sunk his second after the siren, the Lions had the lead, the crowd, and the momentum.
The question was, after two one-point results in a row – the first against Adelaide a victory, after a 26-point lead was whittled away, and last weeks last-gasp loss to Fremantle.
It was a test that, this time, the Lions passed in fine style. With Carlton at Marvel Stadium next week, they should further cement their position in the eight.
Silly Sicily
James Sicily is noRead More – Source
