FORGET about 'Gone in 60 seconds', this was gone in nine minutes.
By Brisbane's own admission, the first quarter of Saturday night's 37-point victory over Port Adelaide would be best described as scrappy, frustrating and imperfect. The second quarter, though, was anything but.
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Five goals in nine minutes after quarter-time blew an otherwise well-fought contest wide open, as the Lions used their sudden surge of momentum to sweep the Power aside on their way to a 12.13 (85) to 6.12 (48) win at the Gabba.
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Lachie Neale (29 disposals, seven clearances, one goal) and Jarryd Lyons (27 disposals) were at the heart of Brisbane's barnstorming second term, covering for the loss of fellow onballer Cam Ellis-Yolmen to an early calf injury with stellar displays at the coal face.
Hugh McCluggage (19 disposals, one goal) was also influential in the nine-minute burst, as the Lions continued to emerge as a genuine contender with their fourth consecutive victory since returning from the League's suspension period.
A wasteful opening term, where Port Adelaide spurned seven scoring opportunities in the quarter, and the lamentable period after the first change will undoubtedly play on the minds of Ken Hinkley's side.
Veteran midfielder Travis Boak (25 disposals) and his young protegee Zak Butters (18 disposals, two goals) were impressive, but their contributions counted for little as the Power's unbeaten start to the season was brought to an abrupt end.
Port's soul-destroying first quarter
What could have been for Port Adelaide? The visitors dominated the first quarter on Saturday night, leading inside 50s (13-9), clearances (11-4), contested ball (29-22) and tackles (16-9) at the first change. The only issue? They couldn't convert. The Power kicked six behinds and had one shot that failed to register a score in the first quarter alone, ultimately trailing by one point at the opening interval despite their control over the contest. Where they could have laid the foundations for a big win, they were instead left to rue their wasted opportunities. A six-goal second term from the Lions soon turned that one-point deficit into a 35-point half-time margin.
Tall Lions put Power defenders in their shadows
There's being too big and too strong, then there's whatever Brisbane's forwards were in comparison to their direct opponents on Saturday night. At times, with the frequency that the ball was travelling into Port Adelaide's defensive 50, you almost felt for the Power defenders. Tom Clurey (193cm) just couldn't cope with Eric Hipwood (204cm), Trent McKenzie (191cm) was overpowered by Dan McStay (195cm), while Tom Jonas (188cm) was battling against Oscar McInerney (205cm). The trio of Lions forwards combined for 18 marks and three goals across the course of the night in a dominant and influential collective display.
Midfield worries start to stack up
Having lost captain Dayne Zorko to a nagging calf complaint last week, the last thing Chris Fagan would have wanted to see on Saturday night was another midfielder go down. But, unfortunately, Cam Ellis-Yolmen also left the field with a calf injury. Ellis-Yolmen, who ranks second at Brisbane for clearances this year, lasted barely half a quarter at the Gabba before he was forced from the field. However, a Lions midfield that bats deep recovered from that early blow. Experienced duo Lachie Neale and Jarryd Lyons led the way and delivered commanding performances, while youngsters like Jarrod Berry and Hugh McCluggage continued to impress when asked to shoulder more of the responsibility.
BRISBANE 2.1 8.6 11.11 12.13 (85)
PORT ADELAIDE 1.6 2.7 4.10 6.12 (48)
GOALS
Brisbane: Rayner 2, McCarthy 2, McStay, Hipwood, Cameron, McInerney, Bailey, McCluggage, Robinson, Neale
Port Adelaide: Butters 2, Gray, Rozee, Marshall, Rockliff
BEST
Brisbane: Neale, Lyons, McCluggage, McStay, Andrews, J.Berry, Rayner
Port Adelaide: Boak, Butters, Houston, Ebert, Rockliff
INJURIES
Brisbane: Ellis-Yolmen (calf)
Port Adelaide: Nil
