AFL 2024 round 16 LIVE updates: Lions savour victory after Gabba ...

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Kai Lohmann of the Lions celebrates with teammates.Credit: Getty Images

Never mind how they did it. The Lions are in the eight, and – for the first time this season – they could finish the round there, too, providing one of Geelong, Port Adelaide or GWS lose. With eight games still to play, that’s an amazing result for Chris Fagan’s men, who like premiers Collingwood have had to improvise on the run after an injury-riddled campaign. The adversity they’ve faced has unearthed some fine players from the fringe: Kai Lohmann gives them greater strength in the air, and energy at ground level; Bruce Reville is a keeper; and although subbed out after a quiet night, Logan Morris has been a revelation. But the lynchpin of their revival has been former captain Dayne Zorko, who at 35 has had one of his best years at half-back after the devastating round one injury to Keidean Coleman.

Hugh McCluggage had a quiet first half for the Brisbane Lions, with just nine possessions. For all the attention on dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale, the Lions look a much less potent threat when McCluggage is being sat on. In the third quarter, McCluggage went into the centre square and exploded, his creativity setting up numerous scoring opportunities and dragging the Lions back into a contest that looked all but lost. His last goal – taking a free kick after Alex Neal-Bullen inexplicably dived out of bounds like he was crossing a try line – sealed the deal for the home side.

For the first two quarters, Kysaiah Pickett was untouchable at the Gabba. The electric Demons forward opened his account with two behinds, but from there he couldn’t miss, kicking 4.2 for the half. His physical pressure, which at times has got him into trouble, was fair and intense, and although he cooled in the third quarter, his fifth goal was the best of the lot. It should have been enough to shut the gate on the Lions, too. Both teams had their chances to win this game – at times it seemed like neither wanted to finish the job – but Pickett remained the most dangerous player on the ground.

That’s all we have for you tonight.

Thanks so much for joining us and please come back tomorrow for our AFL Saturday blog which kicks off in the early afternoon.

Bye for now.

Lions coach Chris Fagan spoke to the media post game.

Probably not many wins like that in your time, it did not quite fell like you would get there?

It was a rollercoaster ride of a game, probably in the end it would have been unlucky if we had not got there, we had so many opportunities, some great ones we butchered and it looked like it would be a goal and the handball would go along or someone would fall over, but the good thing is, we found a way. Sometimes after you have those big wins like last week, you can get performances like that, and we started well but kicked three goals seven, and then they obviously had a massive second-quarter with a dominated asking contested possession and used the ball efficiently, so that was a disappointing quarter, but outside of that, the rest of the game was an acceptable standard for us outside our kicking for goal.

Chris Fagan addresses his team.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images

You must have been thrilled with your midfield response to the second half, you outplayed in the first half but then putting you back into it.

To be honest, I put Hugh, lucky and Dunkley stats on the board compared to the opposition and to their credit, they gave us a massive lift in the second half which shows you the character they have. They had been up and firing for three weeks in a row, and probably had a bit of a downer tonight but found a way in the second half and ended up being our best players.

What is the catalyst for you to pull the lever? I imagine it is not something you do all the time.

I very rarely do it, to be honest but tonight I thought it was necessary because what I do know about those lights, they do respond when you do that to them, particularly when you don’t use it as a method every single time things don’t work out. I thought it was appropriate and they responded.

There has been a lot of questions over Hugh’s goalkicking, what did you think when he had shot late?

Set shot kicking is not his forte, he is good on the snaps and things, and it has been a challenge for him but I thought again, great leadership, and he would have got a lot of confidence from that, you could not wipe the smile off his face after the game, because he probably has missed those historically but tonight he put it through the middle.

Lions superstar Lachie Neale revealed his side copped some stern words from coach Chris Fagan following Melbourne’s eight-goal second term.

The Lions turned things around in the second half to win with a late goal from Hugh McCluggage.

Joe Daniher of the Lions celebrates with teammates.Credit: Getty Images

“A crazy game, we were pretty poor even the first quarter - in the contested ball and clearance we were getting smashed, and forward half ground ball, they were beating us and at working us and got a bit of a clip from Fages at halftime which was deserved,” Neale told Channel Seven post game.

“We got to play the game in our term in the second half and got some looks. We did enough.”

When asked how the Lions decided to stop Jarrod Berry’s tagging job, Neale said they wanted to free up their midfield.

“I think it was halfway through the second, I might have been on the bench at the time and Fages said “we want to be proactive and start hunting”,” Neale said.

“We felt like we were second to the ball and letting them dictate stoppage so we wanted to make the stoppage more proactive and get at the ball.”

Kai Lohmann of the Lions celebrates with teammates.Credit: Getty Images

Never mind how they did it. The Lions are in the eight, and – for the first time this season – they could finish the round there, too, providing one of Geelong, Port Adelaide or GWS lose. With eight games still to play, that’s an amazing result for Chris Fagan’s men, who like premiers Collingwood have had to improvise on the run after an injury-riddled campaign. The adversity they’ve faced has unearthed some fine players from the fringe: Kai Lohmann gives them greater strength in the air, and energy at ground level; Bruce Reville is a keeper; and although subbed out after a quiet night, Logan Morris has been a revelation. But the lynchpin of their revival has been former captain Dayne Zorko, who at 35 has had one of his best years at half-back after the devastating round one injury to Keidean Coleman.

Hugh McCluggage had a quiet first half for the Brisbane Lions, with just nine possessions. For all the attention on dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale, the Lions look a much less potent threat when McCluggage is being sat on. In the third quarter, McCluggage went into the centre square and exploded, his creativity setting up numerous scoring opportunities and dragging the Lions back into a contest that looked all but lost. His last goal – taking a free kick after Alex Neal-Bullen inexplicably dived out of bounds like he was crossing a try line – sealed the deal for the home side.

For the first two quarters, Kysaiah Pickett was untouchable at the Gabba. The electric Demons forward opened his account with two behinds, but from there he couldn’t miss, kicking 4.2 for the half. His physical pressure, which at times has got him into trouble, was fair and intense, and although he cooled in the third quarter, his fifth goal was the best of the lot. It should have been enough to shut the gate on the Lions, too. Both teams had their chances to win this game – at times it seemed like neither wanted to finish the job – but Pickett remained the most dangerous player on the ground.

Lions match-winner Hugh McCluggage spoke to Channel Seven post game.

The match-winning goal, how do you describe that?

I thought it was going left but then it squared up, and we would have been disappointed if we did not get over the line that it is amazing.

Hugh McCluggage of the Lions.Credit: Getty Images

Talk us through the kick?

I didn’t have the ball, and I was like, “Joey [Daniher] , get out! It is good that everybody wants that moment and we have to win the close ones and building winning form.

What with the conversation at three quarter time? You kick 20 odd behinds, so it was just about making the most of the opportunities?

I think so, at half time, we spoke about the fact that our hunt was not there and in the third quarter we got it going and by three quarter time we had to stick with it and not worry about the scoreboard and that is what we did.

Good to have Will Ashcroft back out there.

He had some huge contests late, he is so strong and confident and he comes in and plays his role the whole year and for a 19 year old that is incredible.

The Lions took the lead and hung on for dear life battling out the final seconds to make sure of the win and another vital four points.

They will finish tonight in fifth spot although we will see how other results play out.

The Lions are on the march. That much is clear.

Kai Lohmann of the Lions celebrates with teammates.Credit: Getty Images