I’d like to tell you this was a brilliant win for the Brisbane Football Club, but I’d be lying.
It was a win. An ugly win, but a win nonetheless, and it took the Lions until the third quarter to really hit their stride in this game. Even then, they struggled with accuracy.
Sydney started the contest looking to clamp down on Brisbane, and it worked a treat early, with the Swans able to hit the scoreboard whilst restricting the Lions’ ball movement and transition. The second quarter saw Sydney own territory for the majority of the quarter. However, they failed to capitalise on their dominance and when the Lions hit back, they hit hard and managed to go into the main break with a narrow lead.
It was a couple of moments of ill-discipline from the Swans that opened the doors for the Lions in the second, and when those doors opened, Brisbane walked on through.
From there, it always felt like a Brisbane win was on the cards. The Swans came again at different points, and there seemed to be a lot more spirit about the group, but Brisbane managed to retain that three-to-four-goal lead until late in the game.
The Lions wasted plenty of opportunities in this one and the game really should have been out of reach by three-quarter time. With 11 more scoring shots for a 14-point win, Brisbane would be feeling both relieved and frustrated with their performance, whilst the Swans must be wondering how they’ve ended up doing exactly what other teams have after being belted in a Grand Final. Their season is in tatters.
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