Flat Lions Survive Scare as Zorko, Ah Chee Shine Amid Forward Line Woes
Brisbane Lions 14.10 94 defeated West Coast Eagles 11.9 75 at The Gabba.
The reigning premiers, the Brisbane Lions, returned to their Gabba stronghold on a scorchingly hot and humid day to face the rebuilding West Coast Eagles—but things didn’t go quite as expected.
Given West Coast's dismal showing against Gold Coast in Round 1, most anticipated a comfortable win for Brisbane. However, the match was anything but straightforward. The Lions delivered a surprisingly lacklustre performance, falling well short of my expectations after the gritty and impressive standard they set against Sydney the previous week.
Despite the struggles, Brisbane managed to claw their way back in the third quarter and eventually secured a 19-point victory.
The unconvincing display may raise concerns about the team's prospects amongst some quarters of the Lions fanbase. With the Geelong Cats—still smarting from their preliminary final loss to Brisbane in 2024—heading to the Gabba next weekend, they’ll no doubt be eager to exact revenge. And if Brisbane plays like they did this week, they might just get it.
While those who watched the game will have their opinions on who played well and who didn’t, let’s see what the raw numbers say about Brisbane’s performance.
Zorko continues to destroy expectations
What will Brisbane do when Dayne Zorko eventually hangs up the boots?
At 36, the former captain continues to inspire and drive this side. Against the Eagles, he notched 19.1 player ratings points—seven above his career average.
Ratings points can be a bit of a dark art, but they still tell a story. Hugh McCluggage earned 19, which came as a surprise given his fumbly, off-kilter game from the eye test—but his nine score involvements show he still had an impact.
Lachie Neale bounced back after a quiet Round 1, leading all comers with 35 disposals and 8 clearances. Meanwhile, Callum Ah Chee continued his underrated run up forward, slotting three crucial second-half goals.
Figure 2 below shows the player rating differentials for the match (comparing a players game performance versus their long-term average), showing that Ah Chee, McLuggage, Zorko and Jaspa Fletcher actually performed better than usual, despite the Lions concerning victory.
Zac Bailey, who starred last week, struggled to find any rhythm, managing just 2 rating points—8.1 below his average. Oscar McInerney had a similarly subdued outing after his dominant showing against Sydney.
Sam Day's debut was forgettable, finishing 20th of 23 players on rating points, while cult figure Bruce Reville failed to make an impact and was subbed out in the third quarter.
A Daniher Shaped Hole
Perhaps the biggest worry for Brisbane is the lacklustre output from their forward line in the absence of Joe Daniher.
Aside from Ah Chee, the forwards failed to impose themselves. Eric Hipwood rated highest, but Logan Morris’s rating of 6.6 was surprisingly low given his three goals. Cam Rayner also struggled, joining Bailey and Day at the bottom of the rankings.
The result? A forward-50 efficiency of just 46%—four points below West Coast’s. That simply won't cut it against stronger sides.
If Brisbane hopes to go back-to-back in 2025, they'll need to find more polish—and a lot more punch inside 50.
