Brisbane Lions beat Adelaide in emphatic fashion at the Gabba, keeping their bid for back-to-back premierships on course while bringing Taylor Walker’s AFL career to an end.
Brisbane seized control almost immediately, scoring five goals in the opening eight minutes and setting up a commanding victory in the sudden-death clash. The Lions will face Hawthorn in next week’s preliminary final.
Charlie Cameron was central to the response after a quiet qualifying-final defeat by Sydney. He kicked five goals and three behinds against his former club, including two in the opening quarter, while Zac Bailey marked his new contract with 23 disposals and three goals.
Cam Rayner was rated Brisbane’s best player after repeatedly breaking open the contest. He had five score involvements by midway through the second term and produced a composed finish after taking on Alex Neal-Bullen to give the Lions a 31-point advantage.
Will Ashcroft grew into the match and finished with 30 disposals, while Josh Dunkley was influential at the coalface and helped restrict Izak Rankine. Dayne Zorko also delivered a strong performance, kicking a third-quarter goal and leading the Lions for metres gained.
Hugh McCluggage was involved early as Brisbane established its decisive lead, while Ryan Lester made a series of important defensive contributions. Eric Hipwood provided a reliable target in attack and finished with two goals.
Adelaide Crows fall short in Walker farewell
Adelaide struggled to contain the Lions’ pressure and attacking movement, although Sam Berry fought hard through the midfield to finish with a game-high 31 disposals. Daniel Curtin also made an impact after half-time, collecting 22 disposals and seven clearances.
Jordan Dawson battled throughout and gathered 30 disposals, but his disposal efficiency fell to 50 per cent. Rankine, one of the competition’s most influential players since round 17, was kept kickless in the first quarter and had only two kicks by half-time under Dunkley’s close attention.
Riley Thilthorpe improved after the interval, scoring twice and competing strongly against Harris Andrews. Hugo Hall-Kahan was another of Adelaide’s better performers, using the ball effectively from half-back and finishing with 27 disposals.
Walker’s final match proved a frustrating one for three quarters, but the veteran forward finished with two late goals to take his career tally to 715. The 319-game Adelaide great left the field with his children after bringing his playing career to a close.
Brisbane’s victory was underlined by the performances of its newly re-signed players, with Bailey and Zorko among the leading contributors. After recovering from last year’s first-final setback to win the premiership, the Lions have again advanced to the preliminary-final stage with their title defence intact.
