For 436 days Keidean Coleman was ‘out of sight, out of mind’ as he recovered from a knee reconstruction. But it took Lions fans all of about two minutes on Sunday to remember what they’d missed so badly.
With his first touch in his comeback game against Melbourne at the Gabba he fired a 50m bullet across his body back into the corridor to set up a Lions score.
It was vintage Coleman, and although there was some predictable ‘rust’ his return was one of few positives in a disappointing Brisbane loss, when they squandered a 24-point third quarter lead to go down by eight points.
With a lot of players seeming to be found wanting a little for hunger and effort in the wake of their 2024 premierships, Coleman will be a key addition as he runs towards full match conditioning.
And if you need to be reminded why, just go back to the 2023 AFL Grand Final, when Brisbane lost by four points to Collingwood.
Coleman was runner-up to Collingwood’s six-goal hero Bobby Hill in the Norm Smith Medal, and would most likely have won it if the Lions had got over the line.
In Norm Smith Medal voting, in which five judges votes on a 3-2-1 basis, Coleman was the only Brisbane player to poll. It was Hill (15) from Coleman (5), Nick Daicos (4), Tom Mitchell (3), Jack Crisp (2) and Scott Pendlebury (1).
The votes from coaches Craig McRae and Chris Fagan were an even stronger endorsement of his game. They voted Hill (15) from Coleman (11), Nick Daicos (6) and Crisp (6), Mitchell and Pendlebury (3) and Brisbane’s Joe Daniher (2).
In one of the great finals performances by a Queenslander, Coleman had a team-high 26 possessions, behind only to Nick Daicos’ 29, and recorded 761 metres gained – the game’s best by a long way from Collingwood’s Jeremy Howe (591) and Brisbane’s Conor McKenna (488). No other Brisbane player topped 400.
Coleman’s 23 kicks was a game high, five up on Howe, and his eight marks was less than only Howe and Brisbane co-captain Harris Andrews (9). His six intercept possessions was bettered only by Andrews (8), Howe (7) and Crisp (7).
That was 593 days ago on 30 September 2023. Since then he’s played 56 minutes’ football in the 2024 Opening Round clash with Carlton at the Gabba before limping off with a bad knee, and 85 minutes against Melbourne on Sunday.
His 68% game time in his return was lower than all but Kai Lohmann, Darcy Gardner and sub McKenna, yet still he had 19 possessions and 475 metres gained – behind only Dayne Zorko (571) and the Demons’ Trent Rivers (563).
So, in a Round 10 that was spread over for days and in which the Queensland sides had vastly contrasting results, Coleman was by the biggest and best Queensland story.
Zorko had 27 possessions and nine score involvements for the Lions, Jaspa Fletcher picked up 22 possessions and a goal after being pushed from half back onto the wing to accommodate Coleman, and Jack Payne continued his good form deep in defence.
Will Ashcroft had 30 possessions – his fifth game of 30-plus in 10 games this year – and is now the Lions’ #1 possession-winner. He has 271 to lead Zorko (269) and co-captain Lachie Neale (263).
While the Lions fielded a season-high nine Queenslanders against Melbourne, the home-grown content in the Suns side for the second leg of their Darwin trip against Hawthorn fell to a season-low three.
This was after Lachie Weller and Will Graham (injured) and Jake Rogers and Connor Budarick (omitted) were left out of the second that had beaten the Western Bulldogs in Round 9.
Sam Closehy, back to something like his best after starting the year in the VFL, had 23 possessions in the Suns’ eight-point win, while Bodhi Uwland had 22 possessions and Jed Walter four possessions, a goal, and a Mark of the Year contender.
Mabior Chol kicked three goals for the Hawks to take his season tally to 20 – 13th in the League.
In other Queensland news to emerge from Round 10, Jack Bowes enjoyed Geelong’s 76-point slaughter of Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval – but spent much of it on the bench.
He was one of four players in the game forced off behalf halftime with hamstring problems.
Post-game reports from the club indicated Bowes had suffered the worst of the four and faces four-six weeks on the sideline.
Aliir Aliir had 20 possessions and battled hard for the Power.
Bailey Scott saw only 60% game time for North Melbourne for his five possessions but was happy to bank only the 14th win of his 108-game career.
Fremantle’s Corey Wagner had 13 possessions as Fremantle broke through for a much-needed win, beating GWS by 34 points at Sydney Showground, and Adelaide’s Ben Keays (seven possessions) had a quiet one in the Crows’ eight-point loss to Collingwood at Adelaide Oval.
SUBMITTED BY PETER BLUCHER