LIONS 103 CATS 98 - territorystories.nt.gov.au › jspui › bitstream › 10070 › 246… · Cats...
1
www.ntnews.com.au Monday, June 24, 2013. NT NEWS. 19 PUB: NT NE- WS- DA TE: 24-J GE: 19 C LO- R: C M Y K Ash McGrath of the Brisbane Lions celebrates with teammates after kicking the winning goal against the Geelong Cats Picture: Getty Images Lions’ fantastic fairytale BRISBANE V GEELONG By GREG DAVIS LIONS 103 CATS 98 BRISBANE 3.2 5.4 7.8 15.13 (103) GEELONG 5.3 9.7 13.10 14.14 (98) Goals: Brisbane: A McGrath 3 B Moloney 3 D Rich 2 D Zor- ko J Adcock J Brown J Lisle J Patfull M Golby P Hanley. Geelong: T Hawkins 3 A Christensen 2 S Johnson 2 S Motlop 2 A Mackie C Guthrie J Murdoch J Podsiadly M Blicavs. Best: Brisbane: S Black A McGrath B Moloney D Rich D Merrett M Leuenberger. Geelong: J Selwood S John- son M Stokes T Hawkins J Bartel J Corey. Umpires: Chris Donlon, Stuart Wenn, Jordan Bannis- ter. Venue: Gabba. ASH McGrath celebrated his 200th senior AFL match with the ultimate football fantasy – kicking a goal after the full- time siren to hand Brisbane a five-point win over Geelong at the Gabba yesterday. McGrath, 30, marked with no time left on the clock and calmly slotted the set shot from 50m to complete a stun- ning Lions comeback and spark wild celebrations. Brisbane trailed by 52 points late in the third quar- ter but surged back into the contest with an eight-goal last term for one of the biggest up- sets of the 2013 season. The Lions seemed dead and buried. Not to mention hope- lessly outclassed. But Bris- bane fought back to record one of the best victories seen in recent club history. Simon Black had 33 dis- posals in his 320th senior match while Daniel Rich was also influential for the home side with 25 telling disposals. Dayne Zorko and Brent Moloney were also prime movers in the stunning come- back. It was Geelong’s second loss of the year and the Cats were made to pay for playing in fits and spurts. Coming off the bye when Cats players spread far and wide around Australia and overseas, Geelong swung from devastating to diaboli- cal. Jimmy Bartel, Joel Sel- wood, Steve Johnson and Matthew Stokes all had 31 possessions for the Cats while Tom Hawkins booted three goals for Geelong. But it counted for little as the Cats had no answer to Brisbane’s final-quarter surge. Hawkins put the Cats in front by one point in the dying seconds but Brisbane were able to move the Sherrin the length of the Gabba to find McGrath – a 2003 premiership player – who showed the poise of a 200-gamer to steal the four premiership points. Geelong threatened to tear the game wide open from the centre bounce and dominated the opening exchanges to es- tablish a 13-point lead through goals to Hawkins and Andrew Mackie. A fierce Steve Johnson bump on Pearce Hanley showed the Cats had come to play for a while at least. John- son could come under the scrutiny of the match review panel after appearing to make contact with Hanley’s head. He did not jump into Hanley and his arm was tucked close to his body but the head con- tact will ensure the incident goes under the microscope. Brisbane did not get the ball inside their attacking half for the first five minutes but worked their way into the match. The Lions then kicked the next three goals with Jordan Lisle, McGrath and Rich booting majors. The Cats wasted a host of scoring opportunities through poor disposal and poor decision-making when they had the Lions on toast but the visitors kicked into gear with Allen Christensen adding two quickfire goals to give the Cats a 13-point buffer at the main break. The sides went goal-for-goal early in the second term but just like the first quarter, Geelong pulled further away from the home side the longer the term went. A magical Steven Motlop goal from 50m out, hard against the bound- ary line, reinforced that the Cats had too many weapons for the Lions. The Cats led by 27 points at the main break with the four premiership points at their mercy. Bris- bane were still in the contest but only because Geelong were yet to put the pedal all the way to the floor. Another Motlop gem and goals to Hawkins, Johnson and James Podsiadly saw the Cats stamp their authority on the match in a scrappy third term. The Cats got out to a commanding 52-point lead.
Transcript of LIONS 103 CATS 98 - territorystories.nt.gov.au › jspui › bitstream › 10070 › 246… · Cats...
www.ntnews.com.au Monday, June 24, 2013. NT NEWS. 19
PU
B:
NTNE-WS-DA-TE:24-JGE:19 CO-LO-R: C-M Y-K
Ash McGrath of the Brisbane Lions celebrates with teammates after kicking the winning goal against the Geelong Cats Picture: Getty Images
Lions’ fantastic fairytaleBRISBANEVGEELONG
ByGREGDAVIS
LIONS 103
CATS 98BRISBANE
3.2 5.4 7.8 15.13 (103)
GEELONG5.3 9.7 13.10 14.14 (98)
Goals: Brisbane: A McGrath3 BMoloney 3 D Rich 2 D Zor-ko J Adcock J Brown J Lisle JPatfull M Golby P Hanley.Geelong: T Hawkins 3 AChristensen 2 S Johnson 2 SMotlop 2 A Mackie C Guthrie JMurdoch J Podsiadly MBlicavs.Best: Brisbane: S Black AMcGrath B Moloney D Rich DMerrett M Leuenberger.Geelong: J Selwood S John-son M Stokes T Hawkins JBartel J Corey.Umpires: Chris Donlon,Stuart Wenn, Jordan Bannis-ter.Venue: Gabba.
ASH McGrath celebrated his200th senior AFL match withthe ultimate football fantasy –kicking a goal after the full-time siren to hand Brisbane afive-point win over Geelong atthe Gabba yesterday.
McGrath, 30, marked withno time left on the clock andcalmly slotted the set shotfrom 50m to complete a stun-ning Lions comeback andspark wild celebrations.
Brisbane trailed by 52points late in the third quar-ter but surged back into thecontest with an eight-goal lastterm for one of the biggest up-
sets of the 2013 season. TheLions seemed dead andburied. Not to mention hope-lessly outclassed. But Bris-bane fought back to recordone of the best victories seenin recent club history.
Simon Black had 33 dis-posals in his 320th seniormatch while Daniel Rich wasalso influential for the homeside with 25 telling disposals.
Dayne Zorko and BrentMoloney were also primemovers in the stunning come-back. It was Geelong’s secondloss of the year and the Catswere made to pay for playingin fits and spurts.
Coming off the bye whenCats players spread far and
wide around Australia andoverseas, Geelong swungfrom devastating to diaboli-cal. Jimmy Bartel, Joel Sel-wood, Steve Johnson andMatthew Stokes all had 31possessions for the Cats whileTom Hawkins booted threegoals for Geelong.
But it counted for little asthe Cats had no answer toBrisbane’s final-quartersurge. Hawkins put the Catsin front by one point in thedying seconds but Brisbanewere able to move the Sherrinthe length of the Gabba to findMcGrath – a 2003 premiershipplayer – who showed thepoise of a 200-gamer to stealthe four premiership points.
Geelong threatened to tearthe game wide open from thecentre bounce and dominatedthe opening exchanges to es-tablish a 13-point leadthrough goals to Hawkins andAndrew Mackie.
A fierce Steve Johnsonbump on Pearce Hanleyshowed the Cats had come toplay for a while at least. John-son could come under thescrutiny of the match reviewpanel after appearing to makecontact with Hanley’s head.He did not jump into Hanleyand his arm was tucked closeto his body but the head con-tact will ensure the incidentgoes under the microscope.
Brisbane did not get the
ball inside their attackinghalf for the first five minutesbut worked their way into thematch. The Lions then kickedthe next three goals withJordan Lisle, McGrath andRich booting majors.
The Cats wasted a host ofscoring opportunitiesthrough poor disposal andpoor decision-making whenthey had the Lions on toastbut the visitors kicked intogear with Allen Christensenadding two quickfire goals togive the Cats a 13-point bufferat the main break.
The sides went goal-for-goalearly in the second term butjust like the first quarter,Geelong pulled further away
from the home side the longerthe term went. A magicalSteven Motlop goal from 50mout, hard against the bound-ary line, reinforced that theCats had too many weaponsfor the Lions. The Cats led by27 points at the main breakwith the four premiershippoints at their mercy. Bris-bane were still in the contestbut only because Geelongwere yet to put the pedal allthe way to the floor.
Another Motlop gem andgoals to Hawkins, Johnsonand James Podsiadly saw theCats stamp their authority onthe match in a scrappy thirdterm. The Cats got out to acommanding 52-point lead.
