Lions Unleash Second-Half Surge to Overcome Saints in Fiery Encounter
Brisbane has secured their maiden victory of the AFL season, overcoming a tenacious St Kilda outfit by 33 points in a hard-fought contest that ignited late in the final term. The reigning premiers, initially grappling for ascendancy, unleashed a devastating six-goal blitz to seal the 17.11 (113) to 11.14 (80) win, with coach Chris Fagan crediting a strategic shift in their midfield approach for the turnaround.
The match remained a tense affair for much of the afternoon, with the momentum swinging precariously until the closing stages. It was a spectacular run of unanswered goals, sparked by Keidean Coleman, that ultimately propelled the Lions to victory and kickstarted their premiership defence.
A Tactical Shift in the Midfield
Early in the game, Brisbane employed a direct tagging strategy on St Kilda’s emerging star, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. Jarrod Berry was tasked with the responsibility, actively engaging Wanganeen-Milera and attempting to disrupt his rhythm, even drawing a free kick in a second-quarter scuffle. At the half-time interval, Wanganeen-Milera had accumulated a game-high 17 disposals, three clearances, and a significant 352 metres gained.
However, the Lions made a crucial adjustment at the break. Rather than continuing the intense focus on Wanganeen-Milera, Brisbane’s midfield was encouraged to concentrate on their own game. While Josh Dunkley was assigned to track Wanganeen-Milera at stoppages, the broader directive was to play with greater freedom and assert their own dominance.
“Nasiah had a fair bit of ball in the first half, but it wasn’t like overly effective,” Fagan explained. “So we just decided at half-time to free our mids up a little bit. Josh Dunkley sort of went to Nasiah at stoppage. But outside of that, we didn’t worry too much about him. I think we played better as a result of that to some degree.”
Fagan acknowledged the consideration that must be given to tagging a player of Wanganeen-Milera’s calibre, but ultimately believed the shift in focus was pivotal. “You’ve got to give tagging him a fair bit of consideration, because he’s a damaging and fantastic player. But no, I thought when we just got in there and went after the ball ourselves in that second half, I felt like that really helped.”
Despite Brisbane’s strategy, Wanganeen-Milera still finished with an impressive 29 disposals, 698 metres gained, and five clearances. St Kilda coach Ross Lyon conceded that the tagging effort, in his view, was ultimately ineffective. “I felt the tag was ineffective and he won that battle,” Lyon stated.
Ashcroft Ignites in the Final Quarter
A standout performer for Brisbane in the latter stages was Will Ashcroft. The two-time Norm Smith Medallist, who had a relatively quiet start to the game and the season, exploded in the final term. Ashcroft amassed 29 disposals and an impressive 11 clearances, playing a significant role in the Lions’ late surge.
“I had to give him a little bit of a poke at three-quarter time,” Fagan revealed. “I said ‘mate, it’s about time you got going’. And he said to me after the game, ‘did I get going? And I said: ‘you did mate, thanks for that.’ So he was terrific.”
Jarrod Berry also delivered an “influential” performance on the wing, contributing 31 disposals and 600 metres gained.
Injury Concerns and Suspensions Cast a Shadow
The victory, however, was not without its costs for the Lions. With an important clash against Collingwood on the horizon, Brisbane faces potential unavailability for Harris Andrews (suspension) and Hugh McCluggage (calf).
Compounding these concerns, key defender Darcy Gardiner sustained a “quite significant” right shoulder injury early in the final quarter. Furthermore, backman Noah Answerth was concussed by Alix Tauru, who himself was involved in a spectacular third-term mark.
St Kilda also experienced injury woes, with forward Cooper Sharman (three goals) suffering a concussion in the third quarter. Liam Ryan, who contributed three goals for the Saints, may also face scrutiny for an off-the-ball incident involving Berry in the second term.
An Entertaining but Inefficient Opening
The match was characterised by periods of inefficiency in front of goal from both sides. It wasn’t until late in the first quarter that Liam Ryan managed to dribble through the opening major. From there, the game evolved into an entertaining arm wrestle, marked by 11 lead changes.
Wanganeen-Milera moved into the midfield at the commencement of the final quarter, briefly helping St Kilda regain the lead. However, this proved to be a fleeting moment. As Brisbane launched their decisive run, with Wanganeen-Milera on the bench, the Saints were ultimately overwhelmed. St Kilda now faces a bye with a 1-3 record.
“I thought we were right in it at three-quarter time, did a lot right, and then they overwhelmed us in the end,” Lyon reflected on the Saints’ capitulation.
