In a curious way Harris Andrews was destined to be a Lion. He was born in suburban Fitzroy in Melbourne in December 1996 exactly 101 days after the club which carried the suburb’s name played their 1928th and last game in the AFL.
But it wasn’t always that way because his father Wayne was a big Essendon man.
In July 1996 he’d observed the merger between the Bears and Fitzroy before his beloved Bombers were bundled out of the finals by the Bears in a one-point Gabba thriller.
When the merger became official and the Brisbane Lions were ‘born’ on 1 November 1996 it was inconsequential as he and wife Wendy awaited the birth of their first child on 11 December 1996.
Certainly, they didn’t realise at the time the significance of the football happenings of that year, and the impact they would have on his family.
Harris, who had become an Essendon fan like his father just because that’s how it was, moved with his family from Melbourne to Brisbane at four and began his education at Aspley State School and his football career at the Aspley Hornets.
Six when one day he filled in for his cousin’s Under-8 Hornets side to begin his football journey, he spent the next 12 years wearing Aspley’s brown and gold while also turning his hand to rugby league and soccer at primary school, and later rugby union, volleyball, basketball, cricket and swimming at Padua College in Kedron.
He’s recounted often his sporting journey, admitting he was ‘dreadful’ at the rugby codes, and has always noted that “footy was the constant”.
Andrews was also six when the Brisbane Lions beat Geelong in Geelong in Round 6 2003, and before he was drafted by the Lions in 2014 he saw the club lose eight times at the ‘Cattery’.
In his first five visits as a player he lost by 56 points in 2015, by 69 points in 2016, by 42 points in 2018, by one point in 2021 and by 10 points in 2022.
On Friday night last week, a 28-year-old Andrews at last tasted success at one of the competition’s toughest away venues as the Lions beat Geelong 14-8 (92) to 6-15 (51) to end their 22-year Kardinia Park hoodoo.
Playing without the injured Jack Payne, who had become with Andrews and Ryan Lester a fixture as the ‘talls’ in the Brisbane defence, and Payne’s first-choice replacement Darcy Gardiner, who was a late omission due to illness, Andrews delivered one of his great performances.
In his 227th game he had 16 possessions (10 contested), 10 marks, including a game-high four contested marks, 11 intercept possessions and five score involvements while playing 96% game time and going at 93.8% disposal efficiency. And making young Cats key forward Shannon Neale a non-factor.
His coolness, drive and leadership in the back half had a massive impact on the outcome as the defending premiers found their best after consecutive narrow losses to Adelaide (away) and GWS (home) due to poor kicking for goal.
Andrews shared top billing in the AFL coaches votes for the game with teammate Logan Morris, who kicked his consecutive back of five goals. Each received eight votes, while teammates Cam Rayner and Will Ashcroft picked up five votes, Hugh McCluggage two and Zac Bailey one, with the last vote going to Geelong’s Rory Atkins.
Despite the absence of Payne, who will miss the rest of the season, Andrews was one of eight Queenslanders in a Lions side that delivered a no-nonsense “don’t forget us” reminder to the rest of the competition.
It was a mix of those who hadn’t won in Geelong and those who hadn’t played there at AFL level. Andrews (0-5), Dayne Zorko (0-6), Charlie Cameron (0-5) and Eric Hipwood (0-2) were in the former category, while brothers Will and Levi Ashcroft, Jaspa Fletcher and Bruce Reville played there for the first time.
Zorko was another driving force from the back half with 33 possessions and seven score involvements, while the Ashcroft brothers combined for 51 possessions and two goals, and Fletcher had 23 possessions in a continuation of his outstanding form.
Importantly, too, after being below his best this year Cameron provided much of his old offensive spark and defensive pressure in what will be a big confidence booster.
It wasn’t quite the same joyous occasion for the Queensland members of the Gold Coast Suns side, which threw away what would have been a breakout win over GWS at the Sydney Showgrounds.
They gave up a five-goal lead in the second term and, after holding the Giants to eight goals in the first three quarters, conceded another eight goals in the last to lose by seven points.
Of the five Queenslanders wearing the new blue away strip, Lachie Weller had 14 possessions in his 150th game, Bodhi Uwland had 17 and Cam Closehy 13.
Only one other Queenslander played in Round 15 – Corey Wagner had 16 possessions two clearances and four score involvements as Fremantle beat Essendon by 41 points in Perth.
