In warm conditions, Brisbane enhanced its well-deserved reputation to deliver when it counts by holding back an Adelaide outfit that looked, at times, capable of taking the match. Unfortunately for the South Australians, those periods were all too brief, the Lions ending the evening in triumph 18.16 (124) to 12.10 (82).
It sets up a preliminary final contest at Telstra Stadium in the western suburbs of Sydney next Saturday night against a Swans outfit that has beaten it in their two meetings this season, something skipper Michael Voss alluded to immediately after the game when he said his team would be entering the contest as the underdogs.
The Lions rose to the challenge Adelaide presented via their skipper Voss, who was truly inspirational, a second-half effort from Jason Akermanis and six goals from 35-year-old Alastair Lynch.
For Adelaide, Brett Burton and Mark Stevens finished the match as their club’s leading forward with four goals apiece, while skipper Mark Ricciuto and Simon Goodwin worked tirelessly through the middle.
A semi-final heralds the end of the season for the loser and both coaches, recognising the fragility of that position, opted for a policy at the start of deny first, score second.
The Lions put through the first when Lynch out-muscled Ian Perrie, but the Crows were able to kick the next three courtesy of Stevens.
But the intervention of the Brisbane skipper turned the contest. In a surprise, the Lions captain started the match on interchange, entering the field of battle as the match ticked into time on in the first quarter and his side 13 points adrift.
When he left the field with 34 seconds remaining in the half, Voss has 12 possessions to his name and the Lions were 17 points ahead. The contrast from last week, when Voss sat helpless as his team succumbed to Collingwood, was enormous.
On this occasion, nothing was beyond him. Deliver a well-weighted handball from a tight situation to Akermanis on the run that would eventually result in a goal to Ashley McGrath. Done. Take the footy from a centre bounce and stream forward. Done. Inspire your team with a bone-jarring tackle. Done.
It was a dominant second term by the home side, with the drive starting out of defence. The pairing of Mal Michael and Justin Leppitsch at full-back and centre-half back respectively nullified Wayne Carey, who had only two disposals to half-time and Mark Stevens, who didn’t add to his three-goal, four-touch opening term.
But despite holding the ascendancy, Brisbane was not able to put clear water between itself and Adelaide, putting through three behinds and two out on the full in a 12-minute period between Lynch’s second and third goals.
The Adelaide fitness staff’s ability to rejuvenate the Crows was tested at the main break, with the recorded temperature at the interval a still-warm 27 degrees. But whatever happened in the relative cool of the changing rooms – tactics aside – the Crows began the second half in wonderful fashion.
Coupled with a lift in intensity, Adelaide’s renowned strength – its capacity to break free from the stoppages – was back. Burton was the first, latching onto a footy at half-forward and making no mistake.
Andrew McLeod finally found space – the dual Norm Smith medallist had only six touches to the long break – at a stoppage and booted the next one before Matthew Bode snapped truly with his left foot after being front and centre at half-forward.
The three goals gave the Crows the lead and the manner in which they did it would have sent tremors through the near-capacity crowd. But one of their favourites – Akermanis – soothed jangled nerves. An exquisite one-handed gather and left foot snap was followed by a pass to Lynch.
The Brownlow Medallist got his hands to the footy eight times in the third or premiership quarter, helping stem an Adelaide charge that threatened to take a firm hold on the match.
Brisbane ended the term with the last three goals and started the final term with two more that ultimately put Adelaide’s premiership ambitions on ice for another season.
BRISBANE LIONS: 3.3, 6.9, 11.12, 18.16 (124)
ADELAIDE: 3.2, 4.4, 10.7, 12.10 (82)
GOALS: Brisbane Lions: Lynch 6, Brown 3, Akermanis 2, McGrath, Lappin, Black, Power, Johnson, McRae, Copeland 1.
Adelaide: Burton, Stevens 4, McLeod 2, Shirley, Bode 1.
BEST: Brisbane Lions: Voss, Lynch, Power, Johnson, Michael, Black, Hart, Akermanis, Copeland.
Adelaide: Burton, McGregor, Ricciuto, Hart, Goodwin, Massie, Shirley.
INJURIES: Brisbane: Ashcroft (twisted knee).
REPORTS: None.
UMPIRES: Allen, McBurney and Rosebury.
CROWD: 32,432 at Gabba
