Match

Melbourne vs Brisbane Lions

Commentary / 28 Aug 2021

Pre Game

00:00

Brisbane have averaged a goal from 25 per cent of inside 50 entries in 2021, the most efficient conversion rate of any side in this metric this year.

Quarter 1

00:00

Q1 is now underway.

00:37

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ben Brown)

01:47

Jake Lever recorded the first intercept possession of the night and it launched Melbourne's goal to open the scoring. Melbourne rank second in the AFL in scores from intercept possession differential, outscoring their opponents by 14.8 points per game from this source in 2021.

02:20

SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Rushed)

03:04

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)

04:48

SCORE GOAL - Lions (Charlie Cameron)

05:01

In his 150th match, Charlie Cameron kicks the first goal for the Lions. That goal came from Brisbane's third clearance chain of the night, with Melbourne yet to record a clearance.

08:49

SCORE GOAL - Lions (Charlie Cameron)

10:14

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Tom Sparrow)

10:31

Lions Interchange - Daniel McStay and is possibly out for the game.

10:51

Melbourne are leading the hunt for the ball, winning 10 post-clearance contested possessions to just four for Brisbane, and recording 19 of the first 25 uncontested possessions of tonight's match indicating their running hard off the ball as well.

12:55

SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Joe Daniher)

13:17

After kicking the first two goals for the Lions, Charlie Cameron assists Joe Daniher to record his third score involvement in this match already. This takes him past Kane Lambert into outright fifth place in the AFL among general forwards for total unique score involvements (445) since moving to Brisbane in 2018.

15:12

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)

15:42

Christian Petracca, by recording two inside 50's early in tonight's match, has become the eighth player in AFL history to record 150 inside 50's for a season. He is the first Melbourne player to reach this milestone and the first player to accomplish this since Dayne Zorko (162 inside 50's) in 2019.

15:55

Melbourne have as many contested marks (three) as Brisbane have total marks in the first half of this term. Brisbane ranked third in marks per game in 2020, but have dropped to ninth this year averaging 94.6 marks per game in 2021.

16:39

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)

18:46

Dan McStay (concussion) has been subbed out of tonight's match, replaced by Rhys Mathieson.

19:14

SCORE GOAL - Lions (Zac Bailey)

23:22

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Charlie Spargo)

24:37

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Clayton Oliver)

26:00

SCORE GOAL - Lions (Charlie Cameron)

29:04

All four goals for Brisbane in the opening term have been scored from within 30 metres of the goal line. They are the only team in the AFL in 2021 to average seven goals per game or more from shots at goal in this zone.

33:01

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)

35:38

Despite Brisbane recording slightly more time in forward half in the opening term, Melbourne were more efficient entering their forward 50. They effectively doubled Brisbane's performance in possession retention from kicks inside 50 (50 per cent to 27 per cent) and scores per inside 50 (60 per cent to 35 per cent).

Quarter 2

00:00

Q2 is now underway.

01:32

Lachie Neale has recorded three disposals from three contested possessions within 90 seconds of the start of the second term. He is already up to 15 disposals, 10 contested possessions and five clearances for the match.

03:47

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)

06:40

SCORE GOAL - Lions (Jarrod Berry)

06:51

After eight goals in a row from general play before the last goal of the first term, the first two goals in this term have been scored from set shots, as well as both goals launched from each respective team's defensive 50.

09:56

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Luke Jackson)

11:00

After the Lions recorded six of the first seven clearances and scored 1.1.7 from these clearances in the first term, Melbourne have returned the favour with six of the first seven clearances in the second term and 1.1.7 scored from these clearances.

12:33

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Ed Langdon)

14:34

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)

14:42

Despite recording 24 inside 50 targets to Brisbane's 18, Melbourne have recorded nine of the 10 inside 50 marks taken in tonight's match. In Rounds 19-23, Melbourne (3.8 per game) and Brisbane (3 per game) both rank in the top four teams in the AFL for marks inside 50 differential.

18:51

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Charlie Spargo)

19:32

That goal to Charlie Spargo was Melbourne's sixth goal launched from their defensive half in tonight's match. By comparison, the Lions have launched just two goals from their defensive half. Brisbane were the number one ranked team in the AFL for points per game differential from behind centre, outscoring their opponents by 7.5 points per game from this zone in 2021.

20:29

SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Jarryd Lyons)

22:01

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Tom McDonald)

23:09

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Christian Petracca)

24:02

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Christian Petracca)

25:04

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)

25:32

After seven disposals and three goals in the first term, Charlie Cameron has been blanketed and held without a disposal in the second term, primarily by Joel Smith who has kept Charlie to just the three disposals in 36 minutes matched up on Cameron.

27:57

Lions Interchange - Grant Birchall off due to an injury.

30:57

SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Charlie Cameron)

31:22

Melbourne's contested possession count of 84-66 represents the second-largest half-time margin they have recorded in this category in 2021, behind the positive margin of 25 they recorded against Hawthorn in Round 5.

31:27

Brisbane face an uphill battle to catch the Demons in the second half, made even more difficult with Dan McStay out for the match. Among the Lions top 10 players for scoreboard impact in 2021, his goalkicking accuracy of 74 per cent is the best of the bunch.

Quarter 3

00:00

Q3 is now underway.

02:08

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Ben Brown)

03:03

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)

05:03

Brisbane are taking the game on to start the second half, playing on immediately from each of their three marks early in the third term. By comparison, Melbourne have not played on immediately from any of their five marks this term.

06:39

SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Zac Bailey)

07:53

After both teams recorded a tackle efficiency below 60 per cent in the first half (Melbourne 55 per cent, Brisbane 58), they have both lifted significantly to successfully apply over 80 per cent of their tackle attempts in the third term (Melbourne 91 per cent, Brisbane 83 per cent).

14:59

SCORE GOAL - Lions (Charlie Cameron)

15:20

Despite Brisbane recording a kicking efficiency of just 45 per cent, Melbourne have not been able to convert their 12 intercept possessions for this term into any points on the scoreboard. By comparison, Brisbane have scored 1.1.7 from their 10 intercept possessions in the third term.

17:28

Clayton Oliver has now ticked over 400 contested possessions for the 2021 season, as he leads the Demons with 14 in tonight's match. Oliver is the first player to reach this figure in a season since himself in 2018, and is one of only three players in AFL history to reach this milestone (Patrick Dangerfield and Josh J. Kennedy).

19:34

SCORE GOAL - Lions (Hugh McCluggage)

19:41

The Lions kick back-to-back goals for the first time since the nine minute mark of the first term. They have improved their attacking efficiency in the third term thus far, retaining possession from 71 per cent of their kicks inside 50 and scoring from one in every three entries to their forward 50.

23:16

Demons Interchange - Luke Jackson off due to an injury.

28:40

Melbourne lead by 19 points at the final break, the 19th match in which they have lead at three quarter time in 2021, the most of any side this season. They have only ended up losing on one of the previous 18 occasions, coincidentally at the Adelaide Oval against Adelaide in Round 10.

Quarter 4

00:00

Q4 is now underway.

01:50

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)

02:03

After failing to score a point from an intercept possession chain in the third term, Trent Rivers has already recorded two, including the intercept that launched the goal to Bayley Fritsch to start the scoring for the Demons in the final term.

04:36

SCORE GOAL - Lions (Lincoln McCarthy)

06:55

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)

07:58

Keidean Coleman is the only Lion to take a contested mark in tonight's match. By comparison, eight Demons players have taken at least one, lead by Max Gawn who has recorded three of the Demons' 12 contested marks.

10:19

SCORE GOAL - Lions (Charlie Cameron)

11:50

Charlie Cameron kicks his fifth goal for the match, equalling his career-best figure for goals scored in a final, after kicking five goals for Adelaide in the 2017 preliminary final against Geelong.

13:32

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Angus Brayshaw)

15:12

Trent Rivers leads all players with five intercept possessions in the final term, two of which have launched goals for Melbourne. He has also held Zac Bailey to three disposals in 25 minutes matched up against him, while winning 11 disposals of his own in the same period.

15:23

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Max Gawn)

18:42

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)

19:17

19 of Melbourne's 20 points in the final term have been launched from forward half intercepts. They rank fifth in the AFL in 2021 from this score source, averaging 31 points per game.

20:51

SCORE GOAL - Demons (Christian Petracca)

23:02

Christian Petracca has recorded 659 metres gained in tonight's match. As a result, of the top 10 matches in 2021 by Demons players in this category, Petracca is responsible for eight of them.

25:06

SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Jaxon Prior)

31:51

Lachie Neale has recorded 46 disposals and 25 contested possessions in tonight's match. That is a new record for disposals in a final since the turn of the century, and he equals the record for contested possessions in a final since 2000.

31:57

SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Kysaiah Pickett)

32:32

Melbourne's top-ranked defence stood up in tonight's qualifying final, holding the Lions to just five marks inside 50 and conceding 1.1.7 from marks. By comparison, they recorded 15 marks inside their forward 50, converting this into 5.6.36.