Brisbane defeat Gold Coast: AFL 2025 second semi-final - as it happened

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Geoff Lemon

Very satisfied interviews coming out of the Brisbane rooms tonight, they’re saying they tried not to take the Geelong loss too hard, and to trust in the fact that they had the double chance and they could get to the prelim another way. They’ll be feeling better about the world tonight.

That’s enough from us, I think. Brisbane to play Collingwood, back to the rivalry of the early 2000s, and Geelong to play Hawthorn, the best modern 21st century rivalry of all. Don’t miss preliminary final weekend. Until then.

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33 touches for McCluggage tonight, 28 for Will Ashcroft, a number surprisingly equalled by Touk Miller for the Suns although his use of the ball didn’t lead to much. Not his fault, just the way the Lions cut off any useful route up the field for Gold Coast, who couldn’t out-think the blockade on the run.

14 marks for Harris Andrews, who intercepted with such each. Three goals each for Lohmann and Bailey.

But most remarkably, Josh Dunkley laid 18 tackles tonight. Eighteen! Breaking the record for any final: that record was 16, set by Jimmy Bartel as Geelong won the flag in 2009.

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Lachie Neale is all smiles in the changing room, despite that injury. Is there the slimmest of chances that he could rehab enough in the remaining two weeks available?

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The Suns chair David Swallow off the ground after 249 games for the Suns across 14 seasons. He was there at the beginning in 2011, and stayed the course after so many left. How he would have loved to reach game 250 with a preliminary final next week, but those numbers don’t make his career any less admirable, with 111 goals and almost 5000 touches of the football.

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Brisbane win by 53 points

That, my friends, is that. Brisbane got doused last week, but they’ve bobbed back up and made another prelim final. By rights they should be hosting it, having finished above Collingwood on the ladder, but the AFL isn’t going to turn down the chance to get 90,000 in at the MCG two days running.

Brisbane were terrific in their approach tonight, despite having Lachie Neale watching on injured: they hassled and harassed and gave the Suns no space. There was a lack of polish in the forward line when it came to finishing off some moves, so that’s the main area that Brisbane need to fix up.

As for Gold Coast, this is clearly their best season after being the punching bags of the comp for so long. It’s really not surprising that they were flat, after making the longest trip in football the previous week, Brisbane to Perth, and not just that but beating Fremantle, winning their first final, and doing it in the dying seconds of the game. That’s a huge emotional experience to process. Hopefully they’ll come back better for the run next year.

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Q4: 4 minutes remaining: Brisbane 14.16.100 – Gold Coast 6.9.45

Cruising to the finish, Brisbane. Lohmann misses one chance, after Collins is corralled by McInerney on the boundary line and kicks it out on the full. Lohmann buries the snap into the goal post. But doesn’t miss his next chance, inexplicably marking uncontested 15 metres out from goal in the midst of one of the biggest packs you’ll ever see on a footy field. There was a gap, and nobody else went with him into it.

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Q4: 7 minutes remaining: Brisbane 13.15.93 – Gold Coast 6.9.45

After a number of misses themselves, including another Charlie Cameron point around the body on the run, Brisbane find the goals in the last quarter. It’s Bailey with the set shot after being found with a short pass.

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Q4: 9 minutes remaining: Brisbane 12.14.86 – Gold Coast 6.9.45

Finally, it’s a goal! Something for the Suns. Rowell is involved again, unsurprisingly, running through two players, bouncing off both, to snag a loose ball, spin back the other way, then deliver an educated kick from outside 50 to find Ainsworth in front. The shot from 40 is true.

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Q4: 12 minutes remaining: Brisbane 12.14.86 – Gold Coast 5.9.39

Kick to kick stuff in the last few minutes. Oscar McInerney has a flying shot but kicks a point. Humphrey has a long range shot but Harris Andrews marks on the line uncontested. All the energy is out of this game. Bruce Reville is on, the Brisbane sub activated, and he receives a handball to take a shot from 40 but misses.

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Updated at 07.56 EDT

Q4: 17 minutes remaining: Brisbane 12.12.85 – Gold Coast 5.9.39

A couple of forays forward from the Suns, but the Lions defence keeps picking them off. Rayner crashes into Collins, who was coming back with the flight, and Collins wins the free, but his kick forward would have hit the Docklands roof. Charlie Cameron misses a set shot, Bailey misses a snap.

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Three-quarter time: Brisbane 12.10.82 – Gold Coast 5.9.39

Since the Suns’ last goal halfway through the second quarter, they’ve scored five behinds while the Lions have put six through the middle. That’s about all the story you need.

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Q3: 1 minutes remaining: Brisbane 12.10.82 – Gold Coast 5.9.39

Mac Andrew throwing himself at the ball up forward, wins a holding the ball call, Swallow sends it back inside, but Ainsworth can only get one hand to it in the pocket. A late Suns goal would mean six more to get in the last, but they’re already spent. No energy out there. Except from Swallow, who barges through the traffic to take possession, generate another inside 50 after dipping past the paint, but Brisbane’s set up is too good, Harris takes King out of the contest so that Ah Chee can mark uncontested.

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Q3: 4 minutes remaining: Brisbane 12.10.82 – Gold Coast 5.9.39

Crazy mark from Ty Gallop. Gets the first touch in the pocket as he’s falling backwards, taps it again as he falls to ground, then finally holds the ball at the third attempt as he’s flat on his back. Goes back and drills his set shot around the corner to draw a roar from the crowd, his first career goal in his fourth career game.

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Q3: 5 minutes remaining: Brisbane 11.8.74 – Gold Coast 5.9.39

Another miss, summing up the Suns’ night. Touk Miller is given a shot, holding the ball paid against Brisbane 40 out from goal. Miller comes in on a straight line, then jinks to the right at the last minute and drags his kick left.

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Q3: 7 minutes remaining: Brisbane 11.8.74 – Gold Coast 5.8.38

Andrew Swallow is on as the substitute, the Gold Coast club champion, their last remaining foundation player. They could have used his composure from the beginning. Gets his first touch, searching for an option inside 50, but the Lions pick it off and rebound. Rayner kicks a point down the other end. Six goals the difference. Haven’t seen a polished Suns passage of play for a long, long time, Brisbane too good at breaking them up. Ethan Read was the player subbed out after four disposals, he looks pretty upset on the bench.

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Q3: 12 minutes remaining: Brisbane 11.7.73 – Gold Coast 5.7.37

Another missed set shot for the Suns. Humphrey goes around the corner from 30 out straight in front, and tugs it way too far around. Wastes a good pass from Read inside 50 after King left the ball for Read to mark 55 out. And again the Lions punish them, again through the middle, again Rayner breaking a tackle in the centre square, Ah Chee across the face of goal, and Bailey marks at the far side and puts through his kick around the corner! Suns have been nowhere after about the first quarter-hour tonight.

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Q3: 14 minutes remaining: Brisbane 10.7.67 – Gold Coast 5.6.36

Suns just can’t get out of defence. It takes them about 20 possessions and a couple of free kicks to work their way down the field, then kick it over the contest and out of bounds in the forward pocket. Nothing is working for them tonight. Lions back the other way. Charlie Cameron runs Jeffrey off his feet, turns this way and that so many times that Jeffrey’s boots give out underneath him. Long kick finds Ashcroft but his flying shot at goal misses. Mac Andrew has swung forward now, leads up to present as the Suns go the other way, but can’t take possession.

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Q3: 18 minutes remaining: Brisbane 10.6.66 – Gold Coast 5.6.36

Nothing has improved for the Suns after the break. Jy Farrar has an early set shot for Gold Coast but misses, and it’s an 11-point turnaround as Brisbane go straight down the other end, via another outrageous centre-square pass, and find the cue-ball Lohmann heading back towards goal. His set shot does the job.

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We’re starting the second half.

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Half time: Brisbane 9.6.60 – Gold Coast 5.5.35

Damien Hardwick will have to do an extreme makeover on his team at half time if they’re to mount a comeback. They’re just don’t look like they have a plan when they get the ball, which isn’t that much of the time. Brisbane playing the pressure game up forward, keeping possession, but they’ve also scored from half back several times, playing aggressively through the middle. It’s a game-high margin at half time.

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Q2: 1 min remaining: Brisbane 9.6.60 – Gold Coast 5.5.35

Yep, the Suns are cooked. A Brisbane mark on the half back flank, was that Noble who didn’t stand the mark when the umpire directed him? Either way, 50 metre penalty, takes the ball within 60 of goal, long ball to the goal square, down in front, Lohmann doesn’t even get tackled as he picks it up, runs laterally, hands it to Bailey who finishes.

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Updated at 07.06 EDT

Q2: 2 mins remaining: Brisbane 8.6.54 – Gold Coast 5.5.35

Long has had a filthy night. Drops another chest mark by the boundary line in the forward pocket. The Suns aren’t playing with any apparent system at the moment, just reacting to Brisbane and trying to throw themselves at contests without composure. Zorko’s seaching kick inside 50 is punched away from Dunkley. Suns defenders are working overtime but there’s nowhere to go once they break 50.

Finally, they work a good sequence, with Anderson calm enough inside 50 to find Noble with a pass, but he misses the set shot to the left.

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Updated at 07.06 EDT

Q2: 5 mins remaining: Brisbane 8.6.54 – Gold Coast 5.4.34

Rayner from full back, handballing on the rum, to Ashcroft, to McInerney in the centre square, long ball into the pocket, Lohmann marks on the approach, but was it touched? He’s shaved off his hair and he burns off his opponents, runs towards goal and kicks it low and straight! That break on the scoreboard has finally opened up.

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Updated at 07.05 EDT

Q2: 8 mins remaining: Brisbane 7.6.48 – Gold Coast 5.4.34

You feel like the floodgates are going to burst soon, but it’s still only a goal the difference. The Suns go running down the wing, looking good for a moment, but Brisbane choke up their space and force a turnover. Ball goes down the other end and spends an eternity in Brisbane’s forward line, the Suns defence clinging by their fingernails. Brisbane are the more assured team tonight by far. And finally the pressure tells. An attempted exit kick is mistimed, Will Ashcroft gets in the way to pick it off, and from just inside 50 he nails the set shot. Hardwick is mad.

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Updated at 07.06 EDT

Q2: 11 mins remaining: Brisbane 6.5.41 – Gold Coast 5.4.34

Quick reply from the Suns! In heavy traffic deep in their forward line, Sam Flanders snaps under pressure and just gets it through.

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Updated at 07.05 EDT

Q2: 12 mins remaining: Brisbane 6.5.41 – Gold Coast 4.4.28

What. The. Hell. Was. That. Cam Rayner has a kicked a goal from… 80 metres? From next to the centre circle! Not on the full, mind, he’s not Malcolm Blight, but he runs in to collect the ball, initiates contact with Mac Andrew, bounces off him, spins around, and roosts the Sherrin as far as he can… and it bounces before the contest at full forward, bounces over both their heads, and trickles on through between the goal posts.

Goodness me.

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Updated at 07.05 EDT

Q2: 14 mins remaining: Brisbane 5.5.35 – Gold Coast 4.4.28

Rowell is doing his best to lift the suns, crashing some contests. Mac Andrew marks strongly at centre half back. Free kick Suns on the half back flank, but Harris Andrews firsts it down to Rayner. To Berry, McCluggage, inside 50, Berry pumps it out of bounds by the behind post along the ground. Two ball-ins, and eventually those are too hard to defend. Will Ashcroft grabs the crumb, and a sensation snap on the move! Heavy traffic but he gets it high around the body and through.

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Updated at 06.27 EDT

Q2: 16 mins remaining: Brisbane 4.5.29 – Gold Coast 4.4.28

Two Rowell free kicks in a minute! One Rowell in the centre square, a couple of links until it’s out of bounds in the forward pocket. Then Rowell at the contest is being wrestled away from the rock before the ball has even been thrown in. Commentary reckons it’s fair enough? Umpire says it’s because Dunkley isn’t facing the ball. Hmm. Rowell has got the chance, and he kicks the goal.

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Updated at 06.26 EDT

Q2: 17 mins remaining: Brisbane 4.5.29 – Gold Coast 3.4.22

Almost a hanger from King after Miller’s long ball inside 50! Up in the forward pocket but the ball jars free on the way down. That was after a Cameron error on the wing. But the end it’s the Lions who benefit, coming out through a Cam Rayner free kick (ahem), Zorko grabs the loose ball after the whistle and is allowed to play on, it gets up forward via Cameron to Morris in the pocket, and he snaps truly from the set shot.

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Updated at 06.26 EDT

McCluggage and Anderson the lead possession-getters with eight apiece. Ben King the only multiple goal-kicker with two.

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Quarter time: Brisbane 3.5.23 – Gold Coast 3.4.22

A point the difference at quarter time. Ashcroft gets a shot after the siren for a defensive kick that went out on the full, but he’s kicking from outside the boundary line beyond 50, and can’t get the distance to even add a bonus point, the ball punched before it hits the padding at the base of the post. No score.

It was the Suns early, the Lions late, in that quarter. Gold Coast blew a couple of good chances in that later part, but they’re also lucky not to have been punished more severely by Brisbane on some of those counter bursts. Gold Coast looking the team in more need of gaining their composure during the short break, and getting focused on what they want to do and how they want to play. Brisbane have no doubt in their minds at all.

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Q1: 1 min remaining: Brisbane 3.5.23 – Gold Coast 3.4.22

Squared up by Brisbane, as Morris drops a mark near goal. Ball up, Rayner gets the ball, weaves through traffic, but his shot at goal goes across the face. Free kick as Fiorini kicks at half back and is whacked across the chops in the process, paid downfield, and the short pass inside 50 finds Ainsworth. His shot from deep in the pocket, 45 out, misses to the near side.

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Updated at 06.15 EDT

Q1: 3 mins remaining: Brisbane 3.4.22 – Gold Coast 3.3.21

Ty Gallop marks but misses his set shot, then another Lions point is bashed through, but Gold Coast rush to the other end in a good passage of play, Rowell and Anderson involved heavily, only to see the forward-pocket mark dropped in a good spot. Then Ben Long blows another chance after a slingshot play: doesn’t mark, has to grab the rebound, almost trips over his prone opponent, but inexplicably goes for a dribble kick along the ground from about 40 out instead of turning to face the goals and popping through a drop punt. The ball bounces the wrong way and it’s a point.

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Updated at 06.15 EDT

Q1: 8 mins remaining: Brisbane 3.2.20 – Gold Coast 3.2.20

Scores level again. Mac Andrew did alright near the boundary line to handball into a tiny bit of space, but his teammate’s defensive fumble lets the Lions pounce on that ball, handball out, then square a pass to Berry to mark 20 metres out. Berry kicks it.

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Updated at 06.15 EDT

Q1: 10 mins remaining: Brisbane 2.2.14 – Gold Coast 3.2.20

A couple of behinds rushed through at either end, but somehow out the back of that, Jeffrey gets an acre of space to stroll through the centre square, run about 40 metres, then weight the pass beautifully to Ben King’s advantage, over the back of the contest with King playing from behind. He marks standing tall, and goes back to kick the goal, which takes him past Tom Lynch with the most career goals for Gold Coast.

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Updated at 06.15 EDT

Q1: 12 mins remaining: Brisbane 2.1.13 – Gold Coast 2.1.13

A miss at one end from Ben King, then a second scrappy goal for the Lions! Charlie Cameron a long way from home at half back kicks outrageously to the centre circle. It’s Rayner in the centre square who gets in the right spot and collects a rebound from a dropped mark. Raking pass forward, McInerney can’t mark but fingertips it down, Ah Chee running by kicks to his own advantage, then picks it up and tumbles through the snap. Scores level.

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Updated at 06.21 EDT

Q1: 15 mins remaining: Brisbane 1.1.7 – Gold Coast 2.0.12

Haphazard in the forward line from Brisbane, but they’re on the board. Zorko’s pinpoint pass from half back into the centre sets it up, then follows up with the one-two. Kick inside 50 is spoiled, Cameron gets ironed out in the contest, the ball is knocked around via Ashcroft, little kick inboard isn’t marked on the full, Logan Morris gets the snap away as he’s tackled, but he gets enough purchase and it sails through.

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Updated at 06.20 EDT

Q1: 17 mins remaining: Brisbane 0.1.1 – Gold Coast 2.0.12

Two in 20 seconds! That was hot in the centre square, Rowell throws himself at the ball as it’s in dispute, knocks it free to Davies, to Miller, who gets the ball to Anderson running by with quick hands, and Anderson nails the running goal from outside 50.

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Updated at 06.20 EDT

Q1: 19 mins remaining: Brisbane 0.1.1 – Gold Coast 1.0.6

Brisbane go forward first, but punched through for a behind. Out of defence via Mac Andrew to a free kick for Witts on the wing, but Long drops the mark inside 50. Second time lucky for the Suns though, as the ball comes out of 50, goes long back inside, and Ben King takes the contested mark at full forward. Wobbly old set shot but he gets it through.

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Updated at 06.20 EDT

Now, let’s play…

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And here is Martin Pegan’s preview to get you prepped.

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Joe Hinchcliffe has written about the Queensland factor.

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The Suns are wearing the pink clash strip tonight, which will please fans of a bit of razzle dazzle. We have a Welcome to Country, then the national anthem.

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Teams

Brisbane

Full-back: Dayne Zorko, Darcy Gardiner, Ryan Lester

Half-back: Darcy Wilmot, Harris Andrews, Brandon Starcevich

Centre: Sam Marshall, Hugh McCluggage, Jarrod Berry

Half-forward: Charlie Cameron, Logan Morris, Zac Bailey

Full-forward: Oscar McInerney, Cam Rayner, Callum Ah Chee

Ruck: Darcy Fort, Josh Dunkley, Kai Lohmann

Bench: Jaspa Fletcher, Will Ashcroft, Levi Ashcroft, Ty Gallop

Gold Coast

Full-back: Wil Powell, Bodhi Uwland, Sam Collins

Half-back: John Noble, Mac Andrew, Daniel Rioli

Centre: Lachie Weller, Matt Rowell, Brayden Fiorini

Half-forward: Touk Miller, Ben Ainsworth, Bailey Humphrey

Full-forward: Ben Long, Ben King, Jy Farrar

Ruck: Jarrod Witts, Alex Davies, Noah Anderson

Bench: Sam Flanders, Ethan Read, Connor Budarick, Joel Jeffrey

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Updated at 07.19 EDT

As for the Lions, they’re in some strife. They got absolutely belted by Geelong last week: even after being given three gift goals by the umpires, they only mustered 74 points, and a stack of those came in the fourth quarter once the Cats had put the cue in the rack. After an arm wrestle until halfway through the second quarter, Brisbane got blitzed by three-quarter time. And in the process they lost their star Lachie Neale with a calf injury. It’ll be tough going.

That said, they’re the team that has been here before and will be less consumed by the emotion of it, where you could imagine Gold Coast players being so affected by the adrenaline of last week that they might struggle to refocus for week two. Perhaps. Their coach Damien Hardwick will have worked to squash the risk of that, given that he at least is somebody who has seen everything September has to offer, as a player and as Richmond coach.

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Preamble

Are you ready to QUEENSLAND?! Yes, we always said that this state was the true home of Australian rules football, and tonight is the night that proves it. On reflection, it would actually be better if these clubs were on opposite sides of the draw so they could end up in the first all-Queensland grand final, but we’ll settle for a dual-knockout final to see who goes into the prelim final against Collingwood at the MCG.

Brisbane and Gold Coast matches have not, let’s be honest, had much riding on them for most of their history given that at least one and often both clubs have been down the wrong end of the ladder. But now the Lions are reigning premiers, and the Suns, after so many years of being belted around the league, are not only playing finals for the first time, but won their first ever knockout despite taking the lead with nine seconds to go.

It was fun. Tonight could be even more so. Let’s do it.

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