The Brisbane Lions have an ideal opportunity to cement their spot inside the top four when they host the West Coast Eagles, who haven’t got a lot of love from punters, to say the least.
The Lions (11-4, 127.2%) have won their past three games and 10 of their past 12 matches overall to sit third on the ladder and two games ahead of fourth-placed Melbourne.
The Eagles (1-14, 49.3%) showed some fight against St Kilda last week, only going down by eight points after leading by as many as 31. But the Eagles, according to PointsBet as of Thursday night, were $34 chances to win, compared to the Lions at $1.01.
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Pendlebury breaks AFL disposals record | 00:56
West Coast coach Adam Simpson said the match would be a key learning experience for the young side, especially with Luke Shuey and Shannon Hurn missing.
“It’s going to take a bit of time with what we’ve got there with our youth,” he told Fox Footy.
“We’re going to expose some of our younger players.”
“The best way we can defend is to keep the ball out of their 50,” he added.
“We’re going to lean on the veterans down back.”
There were no late changes for either team, with Tom Cole in the sub vest for the Eagles and Kai Lohmann the substitute for the Lions.
This match gets underway at 1.45pm (AEST) from the Gabba.
Watch it live on Fox Footy (Channel 504) from 1.30pm (AEST).
QUARTER-BY-QUARTER REPORT
Dayne Zorko thought he had the opening goal in the opening seconds, but it was overruled by the goal umpire for a touch from a defender, the decision upheld after a video review.
The opening five minutes of the clash saw a scrappy affair, with West Coast getting plenty of numbers around the contest to stifle the dangerous Brisbane movement.
But the Lions soon went coast-to-coast to stun the West Coast, racing down the ground from their own 50 to find Jaspa Fletcher, who laced the ball off just one step and split the posts for the first goal of the game.
Fletcher had enjoyed a hot start to the game, racking up five disposals and two uncontested marks in the first ten minutes before he nailed the first major.
Charlie Cameron’s recent lean run in front of goals – by his lofty standards – continued when he only managed a behind from 40 metres out a couple of minutes later.
But the Lions were settling into the contest and their ball movement began to stretch the Eagles’ defence, with Hugh McCluggage making it four goals for the season in the 15th minute.
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