‘Monster has awoken’: Lions dominate despite brutal injury disaster

The Brisbane Lions person dominated the QClash astatine the Gabba successful a 10.19 (79) to 6.9 (45) drubbing of the Gold Coast Suns connected Sunday night.

But it’s travel with a brutal wounded outgo with the Lions having conscionable 2 acceptable players for astir of the match.

Brandon Stacevich went down with a calf wounded successful the warm-up, earlier Lincoln McCarthy and Darcy Gardiner suffered genu injuries, portion Noah Answerth was ruled retired with concussion.

It meant Logan Morris, who had played VFL earlier successful the day, played astir of the QClash arsenic well.

Watch each crippled of each circular this Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE with nary ad-breaks during play connected Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your escaped proceedings contiguous >

In beforehand of a grounds QClash assemblage of 30,285, the Lions conceded the archetypal extremity but aft hitting the lead, ne'er gave it up.

The 2023 expansive finalists person been underfire this play but successful 8 matches, they’ve played six apical 8 teams, defending premiers Collingwood, who are presently successful ninth, and North Melbourne.

It’s been a pugnacious tally but with a pugnacious clash shaping up against the Suns, the Lions looked similar the broadside the AFL has been utilized to successful caller years.

Dwayne Russell said precocious successful the 4th fourth arsenic the Lions kicked 36 points up precocious successful the game: “You bash consciousness similar they whitethorn beryllium backmost the Lions.

“The monster whitethorn person awoken,” helium added.

Gerard Healy added: “There’s nary uncertainty it’s awesome reversal of past week’s signifier and I deliberation enactment to beryllium overmuch of the criticism. But I deliberation they whitethorn aftermath up Monday oregon Tuesday 2 men short.

“The effect has been there, and it’s been emphatic.”

Lions manager Chris Fagan called the show “the astir astonishing and courageous show I’ve ever seen by immoderate radical of players I’ve had thing to bash with.”

Fagan added that some McCarthy and Gardiner’s injuries suggested ACLs, which would extremity their respective seasons.

The wounded blows volition trial the Lions’ extent but the show was decidedly a measurement successful the close direction.

Lions large Jonathan Brown pointed retired the Lions present don’t play a squad presently successful the apical 8 squad until the extremity June.

Next up, the Lions person the Crows successful Adelaide, Tigers successful Brisbane, Hawks and Bulldogs successful Melbourne and Saints astatine the Gabba.

Currently 3-5, a bully tally against those teams could revitalise the Lions’ play arsenic they presently languish successful 13th connected the ladder, 2 wins extracurricular the apical eight.

At full-time, Russell said: “Reports of the Lions’ decease person been exaggerated. They are good and genuinely successful this play still.”

While this volition lone genuinely beryllium known aft the adjacent 5 matches, it’s a promising show with wounded toll the squad was facing.

Gun midfielder Lachie Neale bounced backmost from a quiescent lucifer past week against the Giants, starring from the beforehand early, to decorativeness with 33 disposals, 12 of them contested.

The determination to fractional backmost for Dayne Zorko continued to carnivore fruits arsenic the weapon racked up an astonishing 35 kicks from 39 disposals, a career-high for the Lions legend.

Champion mid Josh Dunkley grabbed 27 disposals, booted a extremity and Daniher was a beardown people up forward, booting 2 goals.

The ever reliable, intercepting skipper Harris Andrews was besides coagulated successful defence.

There’s inactive plentifulness of country for betterment for the Lions, who were shockingly inaccurate successful beforehand of extremity and should person enactment their transverse municipality rivals distant by 10 goals.

Luckily for Brisbane, arsenic AFL fable Gerard Healy said, the Suns were “nowhere adjacent their best” and the one-sided contention reflected arsenic such.

Damien Hardwick’s men could not halt the Lions attacking done the corridor arsenic the unit was lacklustre.

Speaking connected Nine’s Footy Furnace, AFL fable Leigh Matthews said the Suns looked similar

“They were horrible today, Brisbane perfectly destroyed them,” Matthew said.

The Suns question to Darwin adjacent Sunday to conflict North Melbourne.

With Elliott Turner, NCA Newswire