Though Brisbane small man Shaun Hart thoroughly deserved his Norm Smith Medal, captain Michael Voss was inspirational over four quarters for the Lions.
Voss did it all – won the hard ball at the bottom of packs, fed the ball out to teammates with shotgun handballs and kicked perhaps the match-sealing goal midway through the final quarter.
The Lions showed a ton of character to fight back in the second half after the Bombers looked to have asserted their authority on the game in the second quarter.
After an even first quarter, the Bombers kicked five goals to the Lions’ two in the second quarter to lead by 10 points at half time. With both Lucas and Lloyd working their way into the game, the Bombers looked to have the more potent attack while the Lions had continually let themselves down in front of goal.
But the Lions turned the game around with a six-goals-to-one third quarter. With young guns Akermanis, Brown and Black gaining confidence as the game wore on, the Lions left the Bombers in their wake with hard running football – and straight kicking - with a game-turning performance in the third quarter.
Veteran Marcus Ashcroft got the Lions going with a goal five minutes into the quarter before one of the best passages of play of the game set up Power for a goal to reduce the margin to three points.
The Lions worked ball forward under immense pressure to Brown who fed the ball off with strength to Power.
Lloyd’s strong mark and goal at the 18-minute mark gave the Bombers some breathing space, but his effort was matched for strength and skill by Voss, who won the ball on the ground and whipped a handball out to Lappin for a great snapped goal.
Brilliant rebound football by Johnson set up Brown for shot on goal at 22-minute mark and the young star stood up to kick a difficult goal and give the Lions the lead.
When Pike roved the pack brilliantly and kicked truly at the 32-minute mark, the Lions had skipped to a 16-point lead right on three quarter time.
Suddenly the Lions looked unstoppable, running down every ball and forcing the ball forward at every opportunity. The Bombers would have been happy to hear the siren go at the 33-minute mark.
Brownlow medallist Akermanis, who was benched several times and had little influence on the game, busted out in the final quarter to drive the Lions home.
The Bombers held on for the early part of the quarter before Akermanis, Voss, Hart and Black ran riot in a ten minute burst that won the game.
With McDonald on top in the ruck, the Lions kicked four unanswered goals to take a stranglehold with a 32-point lead at the 20-minute mark.
Essendon scored some late consolation goals, but never looked likely to threaten again.
Like the preliminary final last week, the Bombers looked flat in the second half, but this week they couldn't shake off the Lions as they managed to do against Hawthorn.
With captain James Hird on and off the ground with a groin injury, the Bombers again lacked leadership around the ground.
Five goals to Lloyd and four goals to Lucas would normally signal a Bomber win, but they were starved of supply today.
Lions defender Chris Johnson not only shut out dangerous Bomber Dean Rioli, but set up several attacks with pinpoint kicking.
Johnson was the go-to man as the Lions countered Essendon's flooding with precision football.
He was joined by a band of Brisbane runners in the second half that made a lie of the 'Fab Four' Lions midfield.
It was an awesome eight or terrific ten today, that included Hart, Power, Ashcroft, Brad Scott, Tim Notting and several others.
Veteran forward Alistair Lynch and young gun Jonathon Brown kicked two goals each but they were also instrumental in the Lions' forward set up. They contested everything in the air with strength and brought the ball to ground for crumbing goalkickers Power, Akermanis Lappin and Notting.
