Match

Brisbane Lions vs Gold Coast Suns

Commentary / 05 May 2024

Pre Game

00:00
The Suns won the contested possession count by 37 points against the Eagles last round - their second-best differential since 2017.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
02:10
Matt Rowell gets his first clerance of the match, from a pre-clearance free kick. Rowell has been awarded 21 pre-clearance free kicks this season - the most ever recorded over the first seven matches of a season.
02:17
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)
04:14
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Joe Daniher)
04:25
Joe Daniher misses from directly in front to open his scoring. Daniher averages 2.1 behinds per game in 2024, ranked second overall on average.
06:29
Lions Interchange - Lincoln McCarthy off due to an injury.
06:37
The Lions' connection between forward 50 and midfield has not been apparent so far, with the Lions only going at 57% for inside-50 retention in the early stages of this match.
08:07
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Rushed)
08:36
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Joe Daniher)
08:46
Lachie Neale has amassed six disposals already, the most for any Lion so far. Neale has had 20 or more disposals in 30 of his last 31 matches at the Gabba, collecting 30 or more in 16 of those 30.
10:40
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Darcy Gardiner)
11:16
The Lions have looked especially effective from their attacking midfield and centre bounces so far, entering forward 50 six times from six scoring chains and converting these entries into 2.1 (13).
13:02
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Darcy Gardiner)
16:42
Gold Coast averages 7.7 more contested possessions than their opponent in 2024. Currently, they are trailing the Lions in contested possessions by ten.
19:44
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Touk Miller)
20:05
Sam Flanders is continuing his good form since being moved into the defensive half. He leads Gold Coast for possessions with eight, as well as rebound-50s (with four) so far.
21:26
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Jarrod Berry)
21:41
Jarrod Berry kicks the Lions' fourth goal, and second from a defensive-50 intercept chain. The Lions average 7.9 points per game from this source in 2024, ranked 14th overall.
23:27
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Logan Morris)
24:50
Lions Interchange - Noah Answerth and is possibly out for the game.
26:18
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben King)
28:17
The Lions are currently going at a shot at goal accuracy of 50%. The Suns have conceded on average a shot at goal accuracy of 59.2% this season - ranked 17th overall.
28:29
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Josh Dunkley)
31:13
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Kai Lohmann)
32:22
The Lions take a 22-point lead into quarter time of the Q-Clash, thanks to their slick ball movement from defensive 50. The Lions have taken 22 more uncontested marks than the Suns, and have scored 3.2 (21) from defensive-50 intercept chains - indicating that they've moved the ball from defensive-50 with very little challenge from the Suns.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:29
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Harry Sharp)
00:57
Last-minute on-field starter Harry Sharp kicks an impressive checkside banana to open the scoring for the Lions in the second term. It's the Lions' second goal from a centre-bounce clearance for the match.
02:50
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Joe Daniher)
03:12
Feast or famine for Joe Daniher, who misses everything from directly in front one minute, to scoring his second goal a minute afterwards. The Lions have now scored five goals from intercept possession chains.
05:58
The Suns have conceded 70.9 uncontested marks per game on average in 2024 - the second-least in the competition. Tonight, they have already allowed Brisbane to take 40.
08:39
Lions Interchange - Darcy Gardiner and is possibly out for the game.
11:17
Gold Coast have not made any inroads into the contested possession differential this quarter, falling ten further behind this term, for a total of -13. This is a differential 20 worse than their season average.
12:40
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Jed Walter)
14:51
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Rushed)
15:56
The Lions have registered 21 tackles from 26 tackle attempts - a conversion rate of 80.8%. Since Round 4, the Lions have been going at a conversion rate of 73.6% - ranked first in the competition.
16:55
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Cam Rayner)
18:02
Ryan Lester leads all players on the ground for intercept marks, with four so far - two of which have come in this term. The Lions have doubled the intercept mark count of the Suns, leading 12-6 so far tonight.
21:55
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Logan Morris)
22:03
Last-minute late-in and debutant Logan Morris kicks his first goal in AFL football, after having already played earlier today in the Lions' reserve match against Gold Coast. Morris also kicked a goal in that game, alongside 13 disposals.
24:17
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Jack Lukosius)
24:37
Brisbane captain Dayne Zorko has returned to his defensive-half role, after pushing forward last week against the Giants. He has collected 17 defensive-half disposals already - nine more than any of his teammates. He has also taken seven uncontested marks - all of which have been taken in the defensive half.
27:02
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Touk Miller)
27:46
Brisbane are in the midst of a disposal feast so far this match, with Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale and Captain Dayne Zorko already collecting 24 and 22 disposals respectively. It's the fourth time in the last three seasons that Neale has had at least 20 disposals before half time.
29:36
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Dayne Zorko)
31:29
The Suns have not fired a shot so far this match and have been unable to keep the Lions from possessing the ball. The Suns have registered 67 fewer disposals than the Lions up to half-time - their third-worst half-time differential over the last three years.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:05
Matt Rowell's influence around stoppage has been curbed by the Lions, with Rowell only registering two clearances so far. Rowell averages 9.4 per game this season, ranked second overall. Rowell also averages 8.4 tackles per game, ranked second overall - he has only registered two so far.
03:43
The Suns have responded well this term, registering the first three clearances of the third term, as well as the first three inside-50s. The Lions are yet to register any of either statistic.
05:40
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben Long)
05:57
Ben Long has made an immediate impact after coming on as sub, kicking the first goal of the half for the Suns. The Suns lead the contested possession and clearance count this term by five and four respectively.
08:15
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Hugh McCluggage)
10:31
Ben King kicks his third goal, from a mark inside-50. It's the Suns' third mark inside-50 this match. The Suns average 9.6 marks inside-50 this season, ranked last overall.
12:24
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Rushed)
13:08
Lions Interchange - Bruce Reville off due to an injury.
13:44
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Logan Morris)
14:26
The ruck battle between Oscar McInerney and Jarrod Witts has been well-fought tonight, with McInerney leading the hitouts 27-25. However, Witts has the upper-hand in hitouts-to-advantage, leading six to five. Witts averages 12.8 hitouts-to-advantage against Brisbane through his career - his highest average against any team.
15:52
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Logan Morris)
17:07
The Lions have stemmed the tide in the last five minutes, regaining control around stoppages. In the last five minutes, they've amassed nine more contested possessions and one more clearance than the Suns.
20:48
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Josh Dunkley)
21:01
Despite getting the game back on their terms, the Lions have only managed to kick five behinds this quarter. Their shot accuracy for tonight is now a measly 36.4% - lower than their competition-low average of 43.4%.
23:04
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Rushed)
25:03
Lions Interchange - Charlie Cameron off due to an injury.
25:45
The Lions have registered seven clanger kicks this quarter, after amassing 17 in the first half. The Suns have not registered a single one this quarter.
26:04
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Joe Daniher)
26:30
Lions Interchange - Bruce Reville off due to an injury.
27:44
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Kai Lohmann)
28:34
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Dayne Zorko)
30:11
The Suns started the third quarter with an increased intensity, kicking two goals in the first ten minutes. However, as their intensity depleted, the second half of the quarter echoed the first half, which the Suns again down 13 in uncontested makes and nine in disposals for the term.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
02:25
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Jed Walter)
02:45
Jed Walter kicks the first goal of the fourth term for the Suns. It is the Suns' first goal of the night from an intercept possession chain, a source the Suns average 52.1 points from in 2024 (ranked fifth overall).
05:25
Gold Coast Suns rookie Will Graham has now amassed seven tackles - the equal second-most on the ground. Graham has averaged 8.4 tackles per game over his first four games in the AFL - ranked third in the competition.
06:27
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Dayne Zorko)
09:35
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Jack Lukosius)
09:42
The Suns are continuing to push the Lions this quarter, led by Charlie Ballard's three intercept possessions for the term. However, the Suns' inside-50 retention rate of 43% for the term has stifled their attempts at a comeback.
11:09
Hugh McCluggage leads all players on the ground with nine stoppage first possessions and seven clearances. He has also amassed 29 disposals, after collecting 28 and 30 in last season's two Q-Clashes.
11:31
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Rushed)
13:28
SCORE GOAL - SUNS (Ben Ainsworth)
13:35
Ben Ainsworth keeps the Suns in touch, with the Sun's second goal from a defensive-50 intercept this quarter. Before this quarter, from 23 defensive-50 turnovers, the Suns had managed to enter forward-50 only three times.
17:35
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Charlie Cameron)
18:21
Charlie Cameron kicks the Lions' first goal since the 22-minute mark of the second term, bringing the lead back up to 29 points. Despite the lack of available bench players, the Lions continue to hang on to their lead.
19:47
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Josh Dunkley)
22:01
Dayne Zorko has now amassed 38 disposals, with 34 of them kicks. It is the most kicks ever recorded in a Q-Clash, and eight more than his previous best of 26. His 38 disposals is also an equal-career-high, and the first time he has reached that number since Round 21, 2015.
24:46
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Rory Atkins)
26:24
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Rushed)
28:49
Dayne Zorko's 39 disposals is a career-high and his highest disposal total in nine years, surpassing his previous career-highs of 38, achieved in Round 22, 2014 and Round 21, 2015.
28:58
SCORE BEHIND - SUNS (Rushed)
29:51
The Suns will rue a disappointing Q-Clash, falling to an injury-riddled Lions outfit. The Suns were outclassed in the contest (losing contested possessions by 19) and outside of the contest, managing 80 fewer uncontested marks than the Lions - the second-biggest differential in the last three years by any team.