Three Queenslanders enjoyed very special moments in Perth last Friday night as the Brisbane Lions completed the best travel season in AFL history.
Jaspa Fletcher, Sam Marshall and Bruce Reville were standout performers in the Lions’ 57-win point over Fremantle at Perth Stadium that clinched the club’s seventh consecutive finals campaign.
It gave them nine wins and a draw from 11 travel games this season, which betters Sydney’s 9-2 record of 2014 as the best in the League since the once 12-team Victorian competition moved to go national in 1987.
It bettered the previous best Brisbane travel record of 8-3 in Leigh Matthews’ first season at the helm in 1999.
The win was Brisbane’s second-biggest in 46 visits to Perth, and came in front of a sellout Perth Stadium crowd of 54,302 – a record for a game involving a visiting side.
And, with the Lions needing at least one win from their last two games to be assured of a finals berth, they locked that away to better the six-year run of finals appearances from 2019-24.
They will now play Hawthorn at the Gabba on Sunday night in the knowledge that another win will lock up a top four spot and the double-chance.
The young trio of Fletcher, Marshall and Reville, aged 21, 24 and 19 and playing their 63rd, 21st and 6th game respectively, were outstanding as a savagely depleted Lions found their best when it mattered most.
Fletcher had his first 30-possession game - a game-high 32 possessions to go with a career-best 17 marks, seven intercept possessions, seven contested possessions and two score involvements.
Marshall, starting in the match 22 for just the third time, had his first 20-possession game. He had 21 possessions, eight marks and six score involvements in his best showing at the level.
And Reville, starting at half back in only his third full game of the year, answered an SOS from coach Chris Fagan to more than adequately fill a hole in the Brisbane back half. He had 13 possessions and a game-high two goal assists, and barely made a mistake.
Despite the absence of the injured Jack Payne and Keidean Coleman, the Lions fielded nine Queenslanders, who stretched from one end of the age spectrum to the other.
Dayne Zorko (36) and Charlie Cameron (31) were at the top end with Harris Andrews (28) and Eric Hipwood (27), and Reville (24), Fletcher and Will Ashcroft (21), Marshall (19) and Levi Ashcroft (18).
Zorko had 27 possessions and six score involvements from defence, Cameron showed a good return to form with three goals, and Andrews, with 17 possessions, 13 marks and seven score involvements, shared best afield honors with Zac Bailey as he controlled completely the Brisbane defence.
The sad news was an calf injury to Eric Hipwood that will sideline him for month. He was originally scheduled to play his 200th game this week against the Hawks.
If the Lions beat Hawthorn on Sunday night they will finish at least third – and if Richmond were to pull off a massive upset and beat Geelong at the MCG on Saturday afternoon they would finish 2nd. A loss to Hawthorn will drop the Lions into the bottom half of the eight and into sudden-death territory.
The news for the SUNS wasn’t quite so positive after they were beaten by the GWS at People First Stadium, going down by 35 points to slip to ninth and outside the top eight for just the second time this year.
In positive news, the SUNS have two games still to play, due to their Opening Round match against Essendon being postponed earlier this year.
One win from games against Port Adelaide in Adelaide on Friday night and Essendon at People First on Wednesday next week will ensure they play finals for the first time. And two wins could get them into the top four.
Indeed, it’s not impossible for Brisbane and Gold Coast finish third and fourth.
There was mixed news, too, for other Queenslanders across the AFL.
Ben Keays is set for his first finals appearance with Adelaide after they beat Collingwood by three points at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
Jack Bowes was the substitute for Geelong in their 43-point win over Sydney at the SCG, playing the last five minutes for one possession, while Corey Wagner, returning to the Fremantle side after injury, was subbed out in the third quarter after 11 possessions and four clearances.
Aliir Aliir had 15 possessions, including six intercepts, in Port Adelaide’s 54-point loss to Carlton, while Bailey Scott enjoyed just the 15th win of his 112-game career as North blitzed Richmond by 48 points in their last game in Hobart. He had 17 possessions.
Oskar Baker continued his good run with the Dogs, picking up 16 possessions and two goals assists in their 94-hammering of West Coast at Marvel.