Match

Gold Coast Suns vs Brisbane Lions

Commentary / 28 Jul 2023

Pre Game

00:00
Brisbane won the contested possession count by 36 against Geelong last round, the best margin of any side in this category in Round 19. They have won this count by an average of six per game in 2023, ranked third for the season.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
02:14
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Hugh McCluggage)
03:17
Brisbane get the first goal of the game from the first set shot of the game. The Lions have outscored their opponents by an average of 20 points per game since Round 12 when shooting at goal from a set shot, the highest scoring margin of any side from this shot type.
05:20
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (David Swallow)
08:22
Ben King kicks his first goal since Round 15 against Hawthorn to get the Suns first of the match. King has marked both of the kicks from teammates that have been sent his way inside 50.
12:21
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Joe Daniher)
13:46
Gold Coast have successfully completed 10 of the 11 tackles they have attempted in the early stages of today's match. By comparison, the Lions have only successfully completed eight tackles from 14 attempts, four of which the Suns player has broken out of the tackle attempt.
15:08
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Ben King)
16:33
Both of the Suns goals have been launched from defensive half intercept possessions. The Suns have been outscored by four points per game from this source in 2023, ranked 15th in the AFL.
19:41
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Joe Daniher)
20:52
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Rushed)
23:55
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Charlie Cameron)
24:19
The Lions have sourced both of their goals in today's match from forward half stoppage clearance chains. The Lions average 1.95 points per clearance over the last four weeks, the only team to average over 1.5 points per clearance in this period of the season.
26:57
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Hugh McCluggage)
29:34
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Dayne Zorko)
29:38
Brisbane won the free kick count 6-0 in the first term. The Lions have won the free kick count on 13 occasions in 2023, equal with St Kilda for the lead in this regard this year.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
03:58
With his third contested possession of the match, David Swallow becomes the first player to reach 200 total contested possessions in Q Clash matches.
05:22
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Ben King)
07:01
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Eric Hipwood)
13:18
Ben King goals from his fourth mark inside 50 for the match so far. The Lions combined have four marks inside 50 in today's match.
16:15
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Brandon Ellis)
18:01
Brandon Ellis boots the Suns back into the lead with the first goal of the match scored from general play. The Suns have scored 47.3 per cent of their total score in 2023 from this shot source, the third-highest percentage share of any side in this regard.
20:57
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Eric Hipwood)
22:14
The Suns are the team that moves the ball by foot more than any other in 2023, and tonight is no exception. Their league high kick-to-handball ratio of 1.94 in 2023 is likely to grow after tonight's match, as their ratio in this match so far is 2.66 kicks per handball.
23:54
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Darcy Macpherson)
25:33
With his second inside 50 of the match, Dayne Zorko has become the first player to record 100 inside 50's in Q clash history.
26:14
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Eric Hipwood)
27:55
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Eric Hipwood)
28:47
Eric Hipwood gets two quick shots at goal but con't give the Lions the lead after missing the second of those shots. The Lions have lead at half-time a league-high 15 times in 2023, and gone on to win 12 of those matches. From the three matches they have trailed at half-time, they have only won one.
31:35
The Lions have been able to keep themselves at the main break through their work around the stoppages, scoring three goals to none from this source in the first half. However they hurt their efforts to retake the lead in the second term, scoring just one goal from 10 inside 50's for the quarter.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
05:46
Ben King with his fourth goal of the match moves to third on the all-time goalscoring list for the Gold Coast, surpassing Gary Ablett Jnr and Brandon Matera, to now have 126 goals in 72 games.
07:04
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Charlie Cameron)
08:52
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Malcolm Rosas)
11:04
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Ben King)
12:21
Gold Coast have been able to move the ball into their forward 50 from six of their eight possession chains in the third term so far, whereas the Lions have generated just three inside 50's from seven possession chains this quarter.
13:00
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Lincoln McCarthy)
13:46
The Lions score the first goal of the game from a centre bounce clearance, after scoring just two behinds from their first five centre clearances. Importantly, they have prevented the Suns from scoring from either of their two centre clearances in today's match.
20:00
A drastic difference in the efficiency of ball movement by foot this term. The Suns (77 per cent) are well ahead of the Lions (52 per cent) in this regard. This is primarily as a result of the Lions poor kicking forward of the halfway line which sits at just 31 per cent.
20:09
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Noah Anderson)
22:00
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Levi Casboult)
24:24
Despite being behind by the smallest of margins for inside 50's in today's match (34-35) the Suns have held the Lions potent attack to just five goals. In the last four rounds, the Lions have scored from one in every four inside 50's to be the third most efficient side in the league in this regard.
25:27
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Charlie Cameron)
27:48
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Joe Daniher)
29:37
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Josh Dunkley)
30:49
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Charlie Cameron)
31:16
The Lions have scored 3.5 (23) from shots at goal taken after a mark in tonight's match. The Lions 2023 goalkicking accuracy from marks is 53 per cent, ranked ninth in the AFL this year.
31:24
The Suns recorded a pressure factor of 197 in the third term, the best return of either side in any quarter of today's match. The Suns apply an average pressure rating of 178 in 2023, the sixth-lowest pressure rating of any side this year.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
03:16
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Matt Rowell)
03:38
The Suns get the first goal of the final term to extend the lead back beyond 20 points. In the Suns forward 50, they lead the clearance count 7-6. They have also outscored the Lions four goals to one from forward 50 chains in today's match.
07:48
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Ben Ainsworth)
08:32
Jy Farrar has replaced Elijah Hollands as the Suns tactical substitute. Similarly, James Tunstill has replaced Jaspa Fletcher as the Lions tactical substitute.
10:01
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Bailey Humphrey)
10:13
The Suns have recorded seven of the first 10 inside 50's in the final term, but have failed to put the game on ice by scoring just 1.2 (8) for the term. They have got this territorial advantage off the back of four forward half intercepts to zero in the last quarter.
12:01
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Levi Casboult)
13:52
Lions Interchange - Keidean Coleman and is possibly out for the game.
16:17
The Suns are leading the mark inside 50 count 14-8 in today's match, largely due to Ben King's six marks in this zone. They have only won this count on five previous occasions against Brisbane in their history, and as it stands this will be their second-best margin in this metric against the Lions.
20:13
Lions Interchange - Oscar McInerney and is possibly out for the game.
21:29
Since half-time, the Suns midfield has asserted their influence on today's match to give them a platform to set up a potential victory. They have won the hitout-to-advantage count 10-1, allowing them to lead the pre-clearance contested possession count 31-14 and clearances 21-13 in the second half.
22:21
SCORE BEHIND - Suns (Noah Anderson)
23:24
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Jy Farrar)
25:30
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Jack Gunston)
26:59
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Rushed)
27:53
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Kai Lohmann)
28:24
Kai Lohmann kicks his first goal in the AFL in his seventh match, however it looks like he'll play in his first loss after winning his first six matches he's figured in. The Suns ability to hold the Lions to just seven goals from 54 inside 50's has been telling, although the Lions inaccuracy in front of goal has helped the Suns in this regard.
29:24
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Ben Ainsworth)
30:51
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Rushed)
31:56
SCORE GOAL - Suns (Ben Ainsworth)
32:04
The Suns will record their biggest victory over their nearest rivals in eight years, and their first win over Brisbane in ten attempts. The return to form of Ben King, and their ability to win the ball in their back half and move it forward, while preventing the Lions from doing so (six goals to one from defence) has paved the way for this win.
33:05
The Suns keep their finals hopes alive with their fourth win over a Top 8 side in 2023. The Suns were clinical in front of goal, kicking a goal from 30 per cent of their inside 50's, and holding the Lions to a conversion rate of just 13 per cent in the same measure.