Labrador have never finished better than fourth in 14 years in the State League competition and were hell-bent on making a good start after playing in the fierce Darwin heat the previous week.
They jumped the Lions with a 6.2 to 2.4 opening term, led by eight goals at halftime and extended that to 75 points at the last break.
While the Lions could have laid down, they hit back with six goals to one in the final term to make the scoreline a more respectable 18.11 (129) to 11.12 (78).
“This was a danger game and it was pleasing we were so good for three quarters,” said Labrador coach Jarrod Field. “To be that far in front (at the last change) was a bonus because they came at us hard in the last quarter.”
While it has been the most difficult season of the Lions’ 12 years in the QAFL, they at least were able to jump one place into eighth by virtue of their strong finish and Broadbeach’s 142-point capitulation to the NT Thunder in Darwin.
The Lions finished with a 6-12 record.
Rookie list midfielder Claye Beams has enjoyed an outstanding year in the State League after playing just two senior games at Labrador last season and was again one of the Lions’ best against his old club.
Labrador used their best tagger Curtis Allen rotating on Amon Buchanan and Travis Johnstone and while he made the Lions earn their possessions, the duo did some good things for the reserves.
Tom Collier was the standout for the Lions with a hard-running display in defence that yielded two goals.
Irishman Niall McKeever has rarely been out of the Lions’ best player list and he again played with plenty of heart and determination in what has been a solid learning season for him.
Aaron Cornelius kicked four opportunistic goals and finished with 49 goals, to finish fourth on the QAFL goalkicking list behind Southport’s Cleve Hughes (74), NT’s Darren Ewing (72), and former Lion Tim Notting (53).
Notting kicked three goals in three quarters yesterday before having a rest in the final term, while another ex-Lions team-mate Aaron Shattock returned after seven weeks injured on the sidelines.
Labrador have earned the week off and will watch on as Southport host Morningside at Fankhauser Reserve next Sunday in the qualifying final.
Darryl White’s Mt Gravatt will play the Thunder in the elimination final at Giffin Park, Coorparoo on Saturday, although the fixturing won’t be confirmed by the QAFL until Sunday evening.
SCOREBOARD
Labrador 6.2 12.6 17.10 18.11 (119)
Lions Reserves 2.4 4.5 5.7 11.12 (78)
GOALS - Tigers: T. Notting 3, J. Howard 3, M. Vigus 3, R. Alleway 2, E. Wartuvo 2, C. Allen , T. Knobel , S. Paterson , T. Featherstone , F. Sleeth.
Lions: A. Cornelius 4, T. Collier 2, J. O''Brien , C. Malone , L. Russ , B. Retzlaff , N. Lancaster.
BEST - Tigers: S. Wrigley, M. Vigus, T. Knobel, T. Grayson, R. Alleway, S. Paterson. Lions: T. Collier, A. Buchanan, N. McKeever, T. Johnstone, C. Beams, J. Dyson.
FINAL LADDER
1 Labrador 18 14 4 0 0 0 1956 1496 130.75 56
2 Southport 18 13 5 0 0 0 1997 1346 148.37 52
3 Morningside 17 12 5 0 0 0 1976 1443 136.94 48
4 Mt Gravatt 18 12 6 0 0 0 1853 1549 119.63 48
5 NT Thunder 18 10 8 0 0 0 1909 1581 120.75 40
6 Redland 17 9 8 0 0 0 1764 1720 102.56 36
7 Aspley 18 7 11 0 0 0 1621 1872 86.59 28
8 Brisbane Lions 18 6 12 0 0 0 1647 1955 84.25 24
9 Broadbeach 18 6 12 0 0 0 1469 1839 79.88 24
10 Western Magpies 18 0 18 0 0 0 1037 2428 42.71 0
