It’s been a very tough year for the Brisbane Lions, having secured with only three wins, but they have won two of those games inside the last five weeks.
Justin Leppitsch has been in the spotlight across the entire season, but he and the Lions haven’t been helped by the almost year-long absence of 2015 best and fairest winner Dayne Beams due to a severe knee tendinitis issue.
Other recent acquisitions, Allen Christensen and Tom Bell, have both missed close to half a season each, which hasn’t assisted a midfield group that is already light on for top-end talent and depth.
So while huge defeats to Adelaide in Round 20 (138-points) and Port Adelaide in Round 19 (94-points) took some of the shine off a positive middle part of the season, it hasn’t been all doom and gloom at the Gabba on the run home.
Brisbane led from start to finish against Essendon in Round 18, snapping a 12 game losing streak, to win by 37-points at Etihad Stadium.
Then, after a tough fortnight, the Lions played some of their best football of 2016 against Carlton in Round 21. Brisbane dominated the opening half to lead by 40-points at the main break, before staving off a spirited Carlton fightback in the second half, with four goals from Lions forward Michael Close.
And then last weekend at the Gabba, Geelong burst out of the blocks before Brisbane reeled them in to only be a couple of goals behind at half-time. From there, the Cats ran away with it, but the second quarter was quality against one of the premiership favourites.
It’s no secret the Lions have struggled in the midfield this season, especially without Beams. Brisbane is ranked 18th for disposals differential (-55.4), inside 50 differential (-16.1), time in forward half (-10:08) and clearances differential (-4.3). Despite the best efforts of reigning joint club champions Dayne Zorko, Stefan Martin and Mitch Robinson, Brisbane have been badly beaten around the ball.
Join the players and coaches at the 2016 best and fairest and celebrate an exciting season
In a tough year, Zorko has been a shining light and will perhaps be included in next week’s All Australian squad. Martin hasn’t quite reached the lofty heights he achieved in 2015, but has continued to be a reliable member of Brisbane’s engine room and Robinson is the heartbeat. His ferocious attack on the ball and the man is a source of pride for Brisbane fans.
While not quite as good as his better years, oft maligned Brisbane captain Tom Rockliff has continued to find plenty of the ball in 2016. He is averaging 29.1 possessions (No. 9 in the AFL), 11.6 contested possessions (No. 1 at Brisbane), 7.1 tackles (No. 7 in the AFL) and 5.4 clearances (No. 1 at Brisbane).
For a team that has only won three games, struggled for opportunities inside 50 and been bereft of experience in attack, Brisbane’s game up forward has been relatively positive. They are ranked 14th for points for at 79.4 points per game, ahead of Richmond, Fremantle, Carlton and Essendon.
Zorko has continued to impact the scoreboard this season with 22 majors to his name, off-season recruit Josh Walker is next in line with 20 goals from 15 games, further back is Lewis Taylor with 18. First-year high picks Josh Schache and Eric Hipwood have shown enough to suggest they will anchor the attack for the next decade.
While at the other end of the ground, Harris Andrews is the future. After a strong debut season, where he finished 8th in the Merrett-Murray medal, Andrews has again shown strong signs of his prodigious talent with his intercept play standing out.
Star:
Dayne Zorko has been a clear standout for the Lions this season with his game-breaking ability propelling him into All Australian calculations. The explosive midfielder has taken his best and fairest winning season and raised it, averaging 23.2 disposals (No. 2 at Brisbane), 4.6 inside 50s (No. 15 in the AFL), 6.5 tackles (No. 2 at Brisbane), as well as the most goals at the Gabba. There’s every chance he will win the goal kicking and the best and fairest come next weekend.
Fresh face:
While most of the interest this season has focused on young key forwards Josh Schache and Eric Hipwood, Lions Academy graduate Ben Keays has adjusted well to the game at the highest level. Taken with pick No. 24 in last November’s National Draft, the prolific ball winner has played 15 games in his debut season, averaging 11.2 and 4.0 tackles per game to show signs of his prowess. Composed with ball in hand and polished by foot, Keays is part of the next generation Brisbane hopes will drive them back up the ladder.
