After leading at every change and heading into the final term with a 19 point lead, Brisbane put on five goals to Fremantle’s solitary one in the fourth quarter to pull away for the win.
Small forward Ashley McGrath ended with five goals for Brisbane, while Fremantle pair Matthew Pavlich and Chris Tarrant each booted three.
With temperatures hovering around the 30 degree mark, Antoni Grover was given the job on Brisbane spearhead Jonathon Brown and held him well across all four quarters. It was late into the third term before Brown kicked his first of two goals after earlier kicking two behinds and an out of bounds on the full from his previous set shots.
Brown was in the action in the opening minute but failed to capitalise from his first shot on goal, spraying it across the face and out of bounds. But Brisbane’s midfield and roving forwards made up for Brown’s inaccuracy as Joel Patfull, Luke Power and McGrath each goaled to see Brisbane post the opening three majors of the match.
Fremantle responded with the next three goals as Matthew Pavlich, Troy Cook and debutante Rob Warnock each kicked truly to reduce the margin to one point late in the first term.
Fremantle took the lead early in the second term thanks to a brilliant left foot check-side effort from the boundary line from Des Headland and Peter Bell splitting the middle from 50m. When Shaun McManus curled the ball nicely to a leading Pavlich, who maintained the upper hand in his battle with Jarred Brennan, the Fremantle skipper had his second goal and the margin stretched to 11 points in the visitors favour.
Defender Roger Hayden was resolute across half back, filling space in front of Brown and providing a safe avenue to set up the rebounding offence.
Skill errors from Fremantle and impressive midfield performances from Simon Black and Nigel Lappin allowed Brisbane to capitalise late in the term as Chris Johnson, Power, McGrath and Irishman Colm Begley kicked four straight goals to give the Lions a 14 point lead heading into the main break.
The third term offered just five goals as the battle of the midfields stepped up. The efforts of Brisbane’s Black, Power and Lappin were equalled by McManus, Headland and Heath Black, who played a strong hand in helping Fremantle rebound from the back half.
Fremantle could have regained the lead heading into the final term but was unable to capitalise in front of goal, kicking 2.6 compared to Brisbane’s 3.5.
Brisbane’s classy midfield again raised the bar in the final term as they worked the ball forward with high-quality disposals that fed their forwards well.
McGrath showed he had recovered from a neck injury he sustained in the third term to add two goals in the final term to see the Lions home.
BRISBANE LIONS: 5.5, 9.10, 12.15, 17.18 (120)
FREMANTLE: 4.5, 7.8, 9.14, 10.15 (75)
GOALS: Brisbane Lions: McGrath 5, Brown 2, Johnson 2, Power 2, Sherman 2, Begley, Patfull, Stiller, Rischitelli
Fremantle: Pavlich 3, Tarrant 3, Warnock, Headland, Bell, Cook
BEST: Brisbane Lions: Black, Power, Adcock, McGrath, Merrett
Fremantle: Pavlich, Black, Mundy, Tarrant, Bell
UMPIRES: James, Nicholls, Wenn
CROWD: 27,175 at the Gabba
