Match

Brisbane Lions vs Melbourne

Commentary / 24 Mar 2023

Pre Game

00:00
The last time these teams met, Brisbane defeated Melbourne by 13 points in the 2022 Semi Final. The Demons had won 8 of the previous 10 games between the teams by an average of 38 points, including a 58-point win at the Gabba in Round 23 last year.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:36
The first goal of the game to the Lions came from a forward half stoppage. Brisbane averaged 18.2 points per game from this source in 2022 (ranked second).
04:01
Melbourne scored its first goal tonight following its first forward half intercept. The Demons scored only 104.1 points per 100 forward half intercepts last season (ranked last).
05:18
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Jarrod Berry)
05:39
Brisbane was outscored by 14 points from centre bounces last week, but has an early goal from this source tonight through Jarrod Berry who has been given the role on Clayton Oliver. In the Semi Final last season, Berry was moved to Oliver in the second half with great success.
05:50
Demons Interchange - Max Gawn and is possibly out for the game.
09:37
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Clayton Oliver)
09:47
The second score for the Demons again followed a forward half intercept. Melbourne averaged 25.2 points per game from this source in 2022.
11:59
Melbourne has generated the last four inside 50 entries of the game leading into the goal for Christian Petracca. The Demons have recorded 62 percent time in forward half to start the game, with the Lions having some trouble clearing the ball from their back half.
15:13
Melbourne has an early 16-9 lead in ground ball gets, including 5-1 in hardball wins. Recent games between these teams have swung to the team winning contested possessions.
15:47
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Rushed)
17:49
The last seven inside 50 entries have gone the way of the Lions, with Brisbane now having a 9-4 lead in midfield intercepts. Despite this advantage, both of the goals to Brisbane have come from stoppages.
18:34
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Conor McKenna)
20:29
Brisbane scored 126.3 points per 100 forward half intercepts last season (ranked third). Tonight, the Lions have scored just one point from their first seven such intercepts.
21:23
A second goal from a forward 50 stoppage for the Lions. Last season, Brisbane averaged 10.2 points per game from such stoppages (ranked No.1).
24:30
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Will Ashcroft)
24:44
Brisbane has won six of the last seven clearances and generated the last 11 inside 50 entries leading to the goal to Will Ashcroft, which again came from a stoppage.
26:25
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Oscar McInerney)
26:54
After the first four goals for the Lions came from stoppages, the last goal to Oscar McInerney was the first to follow a forward half intercept. Brisbane leads 9-3 in such intercepts and 6-1 in centre bounce clearances with this driving the inside 50 advantage.
27:57
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Joe Daniher)
28:24
Brisbane has now kicked four goals from forward 50 stoppages. The Lions only kicked one goal in their three finals last season from this source, and only once last season kicked more than four goals in a full game from forward 50 stoppages.
30:31
The Lions now lead centre bounce clearances 8-1 and have generated the last 14 inside 50 entries in a stunning period of territorial dominance.
33:01
After an even first ten minutes, Brisbane dominated the opening quarter, due in no small part to a 7-0 lead in hitouts to advantage and a 16-6 clearance count. The Lions also lead 15-6 in midfield intercepts and had the last 15 inside 50 entries of the quarter.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:03
Brisbane has now won the last 11 clearances of the game in an extraordinary period of dominance at stoppages.
04:26
Brisbane lost the clearances by nine last week and was outscored 15-64 from this source. Tonight, the Lions lead the clearances 20-7 and points scored from stoppages 30-0.
06:11
The Lions took only 52 marks last week (ranked last), but have already taken 41 marks tonight displaying more confident ball control.
07:45
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Rushed)
09:26
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Jack Gunston)
10:15
Dayne Zorko has made a prominent return for the Lions with a game-high seven forward half disposals and 100 percent efficiency from his seven kicks.
12:52
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ben Brown)
13:04
Melbourne has a 6-4 edge for inside 50 entries this quarter due to a 6-1 advantage in midfield intercepts. It was such an intercept that led to the last goal for Ben Brown. The Demons actually lead 20-9 in points scored from turnovers.
16:11
Lions Interchange - Jack Payne off due to an injury.
17:46
The goal to Charlie Cameron was the first for the Lions to come from a chain starting the defensive half. Again it was a goal sourced from a stoppage, and Brisbane now leads 36-0 in points scored from stoppages.
19:18
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Joe Daniher)
19:39
With the clearance dominance, Brisbane has had more opportunities to generate forward half intercepts. The Lions now lead 11-4 in such intercepts and 14-7 in points scored from this source following the last goal to Joe Daniher.
21:01
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Lachie Neale)
22:14
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ben Brown)
22:29
A rare clearance led to the last goal for Ben Brown. This was the first stoppage goal of the game for Melbourne and only their second clearance in the forward half (Brisbane has won nine such clearances).
25:22
In the last three seasons, Brisbane has consistently had one of the highest kick-to-handball ratios (last year it was 1.83). Tonight the Lions have had 3.17 kicks per handball and clearly tried to control the ball.
28:24
Jack Gunston has taken three forward 50 marks tonight (Lions lead 8-5 in these marks) and had three shots at goal but only scored one behind from these chances. Brisbane has already taken more marks tonight (53) than it did last week (52).
30:09
The Lions lead 10-2 in forward 50 tackles tonight. Last week Melbourne applied 21 such tackles (ranked No.1) and Brisbane only six.
31:26
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
31:44
Melbourne has now scored 4.0.24 from set shots at goal tonight and kicked 5.0.30 from shots beyond 30 metres from goal following the last accurate kick from Bayley Fritsch.
32:54
Brisbane again won the clearances in the second quarter (16-9), but Melbourne used a 9-4 lead in midfield intercepts to match the Lions for inside 50 entries and narrowly win the quarter.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:35
The third quarter has started with the Lions again winning the centre bounce clearance and forcing forward 50 stoppages. Nine different players for Brisbane have now won multiple clearances, compared to Melbourne who has four.
01:11
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Charlie Cameron)
02:44
The goal to Charlie Cameron again came from a forward 50 stoppage, making it 30-0 in points scored from this source. Melbourne did not concede five goals from opposition forward 50 stoppages in any game last season.
03:14
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Zac Bailey)
04:24
A great start to the third quarter for Brisbane with two goals from its first two inside 50 entries. The goal was launched by a defensive half intercept and was the first such goal for the Lions tonight.
05:58
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Will Ashcroft)
07:14
Josh Dunkley won a game-high 14 contested possessions on his Lions debut last week and currently leads all players tonight for both contested possessions (9) and pressure points (42).
08:29
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Dayne Zorko)
08:39
An excellent handball chain led to the goal for Dayne Zorko with Connor McKenna providing the assist. McKenna has launched three scores this quarter for the Lions with his intercepts and has now recorded a game-high five score involvements.
11:26
Brisbane is again winning the clearances (6-2) and contested possessions (16-9) this quarter with Melbourne often having to rebound from its defensive half.
12:11
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
12:54
The goal to Bayley Fritsch was launched from the defensive half, with Melbourne now leading 25-20 in points scored from such chains, but it has also had more of these chains (54-36).
14:25
Since Simon Goodwin took over as coach in 2017, the worst clearance result for the Demons was in Round 11, 2018 when it lost the count by 21 to the Bulldogs. Brisbane currently leads 39-18 in clearances.
16:00
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Tom Sparrow)
18:06
Brisbane leads 11-1 in ground kicks and 4-1 in knock-ons and has on occasion used these to surge the ball forward when unable to find an uncontested mark.
21:50
Christian Petracca averages 24.9 disposals from 10 career games against the Lions, which is his second-most against any opponent. Petracca has had just 13 disposals and 165 metres gained tonight.
23:42
Demons Interchange - Harrison Petty off due to an injury.
24:30
Joe Daniher is yet to be the target of a kick inside 50, with the Lions preferring to use Charlie Cameron (six times) and Jack Gunston (four). Bayley Fritsch has been the main target for the Demons (four).
25:39
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Alex Neal-Bullen)
29:08
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Lincoln McCarthy)
30:49
The Lions now lead 16-6 in centre bounce clearances. Brisbane has scored two goals from this source and leads 48-12 in points scored from stoppages following the last goal to Joe Daniher.
33:10
Brisbane had the better of the third term, again winning clearances (13-7) and with better forward half kicking efficiency (65 percent to 52 percent) was able to make more of an even inside 50 count.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:25
The first centre bounce clearance of the final quarter has again gone the way of the Lions through a free kick for holding the ball. This was the first such free kick of the game to either team after 85 tackles.
02:17
Brisbane recorded a scoring accuracy of 67.2 percent from the corridor zone last season, which was the best percentage in the AFL. Tonight the Lions have scored 10.1.61 from central shots at goal.
03:59
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Joe Daniher)
04:29
Joe Daniher had kicked 13.20 in ten games against Melbourne before tonight. Daniher has returned 4.0 tonight.
05:44
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Joe Daniher)
07:08
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Joe Daniher)
07:24
The Lions had just 264 disposals last week against the Power, which is the second-fewest disposals recorded by any team since 2013, and the lowest for Brisbane since 2005. Brisbane leads 280-255 in disposals tonight.
09:48
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Lachie Hunter)
10:19
Will Ashcroft has impressed tonight for the Lions with a game-high 13 contested possessions, a team-high 25 disposals, and eight clearances as part of an improved Lion midfield.
51:24
After a break due to a power outage, Melbourne has won the first two clearances on play resuming. While Melbourne has won the hitout count (46-38), Brisbane leads 16-5 in hitouts to advantage and has also sharked more hitouts (9-3). This has contributed to the lopsided clearance count.
53:42
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
53:56
Bayley Fritsch averages 2.5 goals against the Lions across his career, which is his second-most against any opponent. Fritsch has kicked three goals tonight and provided one assist in his return game.
55:57
Jake Lever has taken seven intercept marks among his game-high 13 intercepts for the Demons. However, none of these intercepts have launched a scoring chain for Melbourne.
56:02
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Josh Dunkley)
58:39
Lions Interchange - Jarrod Berry off due to an injury.
00:39
The Lions lost the contested possession count by 34 in Round 1, which is their second-worst differential since 2018. Tonight Brisbane has won the contested possession count 143-118 with its midfield dominant at stoppages.
00:56
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Rushed)
01:22
The goal for Ben Brown was the first score of the night to be launched from a kick-in. Melbourne now leads 37-26 in points scored from defensive half chains.
02:33
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Kade Chandler)
03:01
Since play resumed, Melbourne has won the clearances 5-2, with a centre bounce clearance launching the last goal for Kade Chandler. This was the first score of the night to Melbourne from a centre bounce clearance.
05:03
Five goals in a row to Melbourne, including four since play resumed. The last goal for Clayton Oliver was from disposal No.35 (a game-high). Oliver has recorded a career-high 761 metres gained tonight.
06:46
SCORE GOAL - Demons (Ben Brown)
07:55
Melbourne has scored four goals from its last five inside 50 entries in a frantic finish. Ben Brown has had a game-high nine disposals in the forward 50 including four goals.
09:45
SCORE BEHIND - Demons (Bayley Fritsch)
09:54
Despite a late flurry of goals from the Demons, the Lions used a dominant night at stoppages (clearances 60-32) to win both the inside 50 count (59-54) and more importantly finish with a 56-30 advantage in points scored from stoppages that separated the teams.