Lions have stamina together with talent
One massive query hanging over flag fancies Brisbane coming into this night, after their 0-3 begin to the 12 months, was whether or not they might run video games out.
It happened as a result of final 12 months’s grand finalists had been in commanding positions earlier within the season in opposition to each Carlton and Fremantle however misplaced these video games.
In opposition to the Blues, they blew a 46-point lead of their opening-round match. They have been seven targets forward early within the second quarter however went down by a solitary level.
The next week in spherical one in opposition to Fremantle, Brisbane kicked the opening 4 targets of the sport earlier than a five-goal run from the Dockers turned the sport. It was momentum Fremantle rode to a 23-point lead.
These two video games to start out Brisbane’s 2024 marketing campaign conjured questions round their stamina. Might they not alter once more after oppositions felt and labored them out in recreation, or might they simply not run the 4 quarters out?
It was these ideas that might have plagued Lions followers at half-time when Brisbane had kicked seven targets to 2 to carry a 30-point lead on the most important change.
But, the Lions shook off their performances of the previous couple of weeks – not together with the 70-point win in opposition to seventeenth positioned North Melbourne final Friday – to comprehensively outplay a high 4 aspect all through the night.
Nicely, Melbourne did end the sport with 4 targets on the trot, a lot to Chris Fagan’s displeasure. However they have been the Lions of outdated (or a minimum of of final 12 months).
Melbourne, normally a hard-paced, hard-pressured aspect, couldn’t sustain with Brisbane, who proved they’ve the stamina to expire the match in opposition to the very best.
Baptism of fireplace for Koltyn Tholstrup
It’s an enormous step up from the VFL to the AFL and 18-year-old Koltyn Tholstrup would have felt each inch of that in his debut in opposition to Brisbane.
After just a few spectacular outings within the VFL, the Western Australian, taken with decide 13 in final 12 months’s draft, got here into the aspect to exchange suspended ahead Kysaiah Pickett, and he needed to do some heavy lifting early because the Dees struggled in opposition to the Lions, notably, in making use of some massive tackles.
Melbourne’s debutant Koltyn Tholstrup.Credit score: AFL Photographs
He had a set shot late within the third quarter when the Demons desperately wanted a spark however couldn’t end it off.
Regardless of this, it was a formidable first tour out in a aspect that was comprehensively outworked all night time.
Tholstrup completed with seven touches, three of these contested, 4 tackles and one rating involvement.
With the Demons’ underperforming across the ball, the ahead didn’t get to see an excessive amount of of the ball and needed to watch his opposition counterparts have a area day.
Charlie Cameron completed with three targets (appeared like 4 for a minute there earlier than rating evaluation decided a behind), Joe Daniher, Eric Hipwood and Hugh McCluggage all two.
Issues for Melbourne?
It’s not splendid if you’ve acquired two of the competitors’s finest midfielders on the park however they’ll’t get arms to the ball or have an affect on the sport.
Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver completed with 18 and 20 possessions respectively, which isn’t horrible by any stretch of the creativeness, however nowhere close to their normal disposal main video games.
By half-time, when the Demons had kicked simply two targets and had the vast majority of injury completed in opposition to them, the duo had 9 and 7 touches respectively, and one clearance between them.
Oliver specifically didn’t look his normal match self. He had uncharacteristic fumbles, missed tackles and poor turnover handballs.
Brisbane gained it within the air and on the bottom. They gained it at stoppages and in entrance of targets. Melbourne have been 63 possessions in deficit, and trailed by 9 in clearances, eight in inside 50s and 31 in tackles.
Whereas lots of their forwards barely touched the ball, together with Harrison Petty, Ben Brown and Bayley Fritsch, the ball hardly ever made its manner into the Demons’ inside 50.
They have been utterly outplayed, regardless of the very best efforts from Max Gawn (23 touches) and Kade Chandler.
Alternatively, Josh Dunkley, 30 possessions, 4 tackles, and Dayne Zorko, 29 touches, 5 tackles ran riot, whereas Cam Rayner had a large recreation with 25 disposals, 9 clearances and 4 tackles.
