Match

North Melbourne vs Brisbane Lions

Commentary / 11 May 2025

Pre Game

00:00
Since 2022, North Melbourne has lost the contested possession count to Brisbane by an average of 28.7 per game, which is its worst record against any team over this period.

Quarter 1

00:00
Q1 is now underway.
00:18
These two teams have been slow starters in the first ten minutes of games in 2025. Brisbane is ranked 17th during this period, and North Melbourne is ranked last.
00:25
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Levi Ashcroft)
01:09
A centre bounce goal to start the game for the Lions. Brisbane has averaged only 6.5 points per game from centre bounces this season (ranked last).
02:09
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Eric Hipwood)
05:18
A smart kick into the forward 50 from George Wardlaw and an accurate set shot from Cam Zurhaar capped a good passage of play from the Kangaroos that started with a defensive 50 intercept. North Melbourne has scored 17.3 points per game this season from defensive 50 chains (ranked fifth).
07:44
There has been only one effective tackle in the opening seven minutes, with the ball moving freely from end to end. The Lions have the best pressure differential in the league, applying a pressure factor of 182 and receiving just 171.
09:54
After Brisbane won the first four contested possessions of the game, North Melbourne won 11 of the next 14. Brisbane is ranked third for contested possession differential this season and has been ranked in the top-4 in each of the last three seasons.
11:48
All three scores for the Lions have come from stoppages. Brisbane leads the clearance count 4-3, and North Melbourne has not scored from any of its clearances.
14:23
Lions Interchange - Jarrod Berry off due to the blood rule.
15:21
Brisbane holds a 10-4 advantage for inside 50 entries with North Melbourne struggling to disrupt the ball movement of the Lions. The Lions have generated these ten inside 50 entries from just 11 midfield chains.
17:55
The Lions have retained just 41.6 per cent of their kicks into the forward 50 this season (ranked last). Brisbane has recorded a forward half kicking efficiency of 47 per cent to start the game, but has three forward 50 marks from its 12 entries.
18:15
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Cam Rayner)
22:05
Since the start of 2024, Brisbane has a 21-3 win-loss record when winning the clearance count but 4-1-6 if it loses clearances. The Kangaroos have a narrow 7-6 lead in clearances today.
25:12
The Kangaroos have trailed at quarter time in each of their last ten games, and have conceded at least 25 points in each of these opening quarters.
28:33
North Melbourne is the No.1 ranked team for winning hard ball gets this season and on average has won this count by 4.9 per game. The Kangaroos are ahead 10-5 in this measure today, and this is driving the contested possession differential.
30:21
North Melbourne was able to match Brisbane in contests during the first quarter, but the Lions displayed better ball movement, restricting the Kangaroos to 55 per cent kicking efficiency. North Melbourne averages a competition-high 69 per cent for this measure.

Quarter 2

00:00
Q2 is now underway.
00:03
Charlie Comben was the No.1 rated player in the opening term. Comben won six intercept possessions, including three intercept marks, and offensively contributed seven disposals at 100 per cent efficiency.
01:30
A great start to the second quarter for the Kangaroos with Tasmanian recruit Colby McKercher helping North Melbourne convert a forward half intercept. The Kangaroos average 20.6 points per game from forward half intercepts.
03:04
A brilliant goal from the always impressive George Wardlaw has given North Melbourne its first lead of the game. The goal came from a forward half clearance, and the Kangaroos have a strike rate of 176 points per 100 such clearances (ranked No.1).
07:10
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Kai Lohmann)
09:29
Both scores for the Lions this quarter have come from chains starting with a defensive 50 intercept. Brisbane leads 11-8 in intercept marks and averages 18.1 points per game from defensive 50 chains (ranked third).
11:39
Brisbane has converted a 22-16 inside 50 count into 6-3 forward 50 marks, and 8-3 scoring shots, with Eric Hipwood taking three of these forward 50 marks.
12:01
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Eric Hipwood)
13:48
Josh Dunkley has been involved in five of the eight scores for the Lions. Dunkley has already won four clearances (all effective) and two of these clearances have launched scores.
17:10
There have been six one-on-one contests in this game, with the Lions winning four of these, and the other two have been drawn. The Kangaroos are ranked No.1 for winning these contests this season.
17:56
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Cam Rayner)
18:39
Three consecutive goals for the Lions, with the last two coming from forward half stoppages. Brisbane averages a competition-high 24 points per game from this source.
19:14
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Rushed)
22:50
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Callum Ah Chee)
23:20
Brisbane has kicked four goals from its last six inside 50 entries and recorded a pressure factor of 225 during this period. Overall, the Lions also have a higher pressure rating (181-161).
26:29
Harris Andrews has again been influential for the Lions. The Brisbane co-captain has disrupted Kangaroo ball movement with seven intercept possessions (including three intercept marks) and four spoils, while posting nine disposals at 100 per cent efficiency.
27:06
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Cameron Zurhaar)
31:09
After a pair of early Kangaroo goals to start the second quarter, the Lions kicked the next four with 71 per cent forward half kicking efficiency while restricting North Melbourne to 50 per cent kicking efficiency in its forward half.

Quarter 3

00:00
Q3 is now underway.
00:09
Dayne Zorko has again provided important offence for the Lions tonight with 11 kicks at 100 per cent efficiency, resulting in 272 metres gained and a pair of score assists.
00:58
Charlie Comben finished with 25 disposals, seven marks, and a career-high 13 intercept possessions when these teams last met in Round 4, 2024. Comben has already won nine intercept possessions tonight.
03:06
Cam Zurhaar has been involved in four of the six scores for the Kangaroos tonight, taking two of their four forward 50 marks and winning two of their three forward 50 ground ball gets.
04:49
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Charlie Cameron)
05:13
Charlie Cameron has kicked more goals than behinds in each of his last ten seasons in the AFL. Cameron has now kicked 7.12 this season following his last set shot miss.
07:31
The Lions entered the round top of the ladder despite having the lowest percentage of all teams in the top-eight. This is the first time this has ever happened.
08:12
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Rushed)
08:51
Nick Larkey averages 3.0 goals at this venue since 2023, being held goalless just once in eight games over that period. Larkey is yet to have a disposal in the forward 50 tonight, primarily opposed to Jack Payne.
10:22
The Kangaroos have won stoppage first possessions by 7.4 per game this season (ranked second). North Melbourne is ahead 27-22 in first possession at stoppages tonight and has converted this into 26-21 clearances, but trails 17-19 in effective clearances.
12:28
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (George Wardlaw)
12:52
North Melbourne has had five shots at goal from greater than 40 metres out for a return of just two behinds and three misses. Brisbane has scored two goals from seven attempts at this range.
14:49
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Rushed)
16:11
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Zac Bailey)
16:25
Brisbane now has a 10-5 advantage in forward 50 marks, with seven different players contributing in this area. Only three players have taken a forward 50 mark for North Melbourne.
17:40
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Levi Ashcroft)
18:38
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Dylan Stephens)
18:54
After three consecutive behinds to the Lions, the Kangaroos have kicked a goal from a kick-in chain. This is only the fifth time this season that the Lions have conceded a score from an opposition kick-in chain.
20:33
Nick Larkey has kicked his first goal of the game and the first for the Kangaroos to come from a centre bounce clearance. The Kangaroos average 15.2 points per game from centre bounces (ranked third).
22:41
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Nick Larkey)
24:13
A class snap from Charlie Cameron has capped some excellent ball movement from the Lions following a defensive half intercept. Brisbane now leads 26-6 in points scored from defensive half intercepts.
24:55
Kangaroos Interchange - Caleb Daniel off due to the blood rule.
26:35
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Rushed)
27:52
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Luke Parker)
28:04
North Melbourne has won the inside 50 count 14-10 this quarter and converted this into 6-2 forward 50 marks and 9-5 shots at goal, but has missed its last three set shots at goal.
30:34
Tristan Xerri has won seven clearances this quarter for North Melbourne. Brisbane has won only three clearances this term.
31:27
The Kangaroos won the clearances 15-3 in the third quarter, which helped with the inside 50 count (16-10) but resulted in only 9-2 points scored from stoppages.

Quarter 4

00:00
Q4 is now underway.
00:06
Brisbane lost the clearance count by 12 in the third quarter, which equals the worst quarter the Lions have had at stoppages under coach Chris Fagan.
00:23
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Charlie Cameron)
01:51
Since the start of 2023, the Lions have won 38 of the 41 games when leading at the final change. The Kangaroos have lost their last 71 games when trailing at the final break.
04:58
After losing four games by an average of 59 points in Rounds 3-6, the Kangaroos have proved much tougher opposition in the last three games, pushing Port Adelaide, Essendon and now Brisbane with improved defensive returns.
05:29
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Jack Darling)
06:18
An excellent contested mark from Jack Darling has given the Kangaroos a second goal from a forward half stoppage. North Melbourne has scored from 43 per cent of forward half clearances this season (ranked third).
07:18
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Eric Hipwood)
07:58
Another quick response from the Lions launched with a defensive half intercept. Dayne Zorko again featured, and he now has game-highs for metres gained (583) and disposals (29).
09:29
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Zane Duursma)
10:24
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Jack Darling)
11:31
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Luke Parker)
11:43
North Melbourne has generated five intercepts in its forward 50 tonight, but had failed to kick a goal from the first four of these before a Luke Parker tackle and 50-metre penalty resulted in a goal from this source.
13:03
The Kangaroos are dominating contested possession 20-11 in the final quarter, which includes 14-6 in post-clearance contested possessions.
14:28
Tristan Xerri had 16 first possessions at stoppages against Essendon, which is the equal-second most recorded by a North Melbourne player in a game. Xerri has backed that up with 12 first possession wins tonight and a game-high ten clearances.
15:31
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Jacob Konstanty)
15:53
The Kangaroos have now kicked six of the last eight goals to take their biggest lead of the game. Both teams have recorded pressure ratings above 200 in a frantic final quarter. North Melbourne had a pressure rating of 166 across the first three quarters.
19:12
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Zac Bailey)
20:23
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Luke Davies-Uniacke)
20:35
The last time that North Melbourne defeated Brisbane was round 20, 2018 (by three points). Dayne Zorko polled the three Brownlow votes in that game, recording 35 disposals. Zorko has had 35 disposals tonight.
21:24
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Jack Darling)
22:10
SCORE GOAL - Kangaroos (Jack Darling)
22:39
North Melbourne has won contested possessions in its forward 50 by 14-7 in the second half. It lost this count 6-13 in the first half, and some of these contest wins have been critical in the final quarter.
24:02
SCORE GOAL - Lions (Cam Rayner)
27:32
SCORE BEHIND - Lions (Eric Hipwood)
27:46
Eric Hipwood kicked four goals across his first six games against the Kangaroos but has kicked ten goals in his last three and been a constant threat again tonight.
29:39
SCORE BEHIND - Kangaroos (Cameron Zurhaar)
31:43
A dramatic finish to the game with the second ever draw between the Kangaroos and Lions (the previous draw was in Round 3, 2003). North Melbourne displayed clear improvement, winning clearances (47-32) and contested possessions (139-123) against a powerful team in this area.