1. Carlton can nearly lock in the wooden spoon
The battle of the bottom-placed teams started so promising for Carlton. The Blues looked strong in the first quarter and were unlucky to go into the first break two points down after dominating the inside 50 count 15-7. But from there they fell apart. Coming into the match Carlton was the worst second-quarter team in the League and that poor run continued against the Lions, with a rushed behind its only score to the Lions' 5.6 (36). The Blues never recovered and have now inched closer to the wooden spoon and the prized No.1 pick, which could be used on highly rated South Australian forward Jack Lukosius.
Sam Petrevski-Seton capitalises on some indecisive play from the Lions. #AFLLionsBlues pic.twitter.com/1QjK6ogK3k
— AFL (@AFL) July 7, 2018
2. Lions go back to back for the first time since 2015
The Lions' big 65-point win was the first time they've won consecutive matches since rounds 6-7 in 2015. It's also the first time they've achieved the feat under coach Chris Fagan and the win means they have jumped Gold Coast to take 16th spot on the ladder. It continues the Lions' strong form against the Blues, having now won six out of their last seven matches against Brendon Bolton's men. After losing so many close games early in the season, can the Lions now string together a few late-season wins?
3. Team effort gets Lions home
The Lions backed up from last week's win with a dominant display in all positions against the Blues. Eric Hipwood led from the front and put in a career-best six goal performance for Brisbane, but was arguably pipped for best on ground by Dayne Beams' 40-disposal effort. Dayne Zorko worked his way back into the game after being held to just one touch at quarter-time to finish with 25 disposals, while Luke Hodge put in another strong Gabba performance and Cameron Rayner showed why he has been compared to Dustin Martin with a fantastic 'don't argue' on Darcy Lang in the second quarter.
WATCH Career-high six for happy Hippy
Party time for the Lions!#AFLLionsBlues pic.twitter.com/tHsaUVRfkc
— AFL (@AFL) July 7, 2018
4. No breather for big Blue
Spare a thought for Carlton ruckman Matthew Kruezer, who had to battle his way against Stefan Martin without much of a rest on a warm Brisbane afternoon. Fellow Carlton big man Andrew Phillips went off in the first quarter and didn’t come back due to a hamstring strain, leaving Kreuzer to ruck one-out for most of the match. He fought hard to have Carlton only narrowly lose hit-outs 34 to 35, but Stefan Martin and Oscar McInerney had a considerable advantage thanks to their ability to share ruck duties.
LIONS BATTER BLUES Full match coverage and stats
5. Beams in career-best form
Dayne Beams continued his hot run of form with a best-on-ground 40-disposal game. Fresh from demolishing Fremantle last week, Beams propelled the Lions forward when the game was close early and at half-time had 25 disposals and a great long-range second-quarter goal to his name. He continued to be a steady hand in the second half and finished with 40 possessions (20 contested), nine marks and eight clearances. While it's been a personally tough year for the Lion following the death of his father, Beams is in arguably career-best form.
WATCH Brilliant Beams at full steam