On a dirty night for the Cats, Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel was also reported in the third quarter for a high bump on Luke Power.
The 16.12 (108) to 9.11 (65) loss was the first time since Round 6, 2007 Geelong have lost successive games and the first time the Lions have beaten them since 2005.
Geelong was missing seven players from last week’s loss to St Kilda, including late withdrawal Andrew Mackie, and simply had no answer for a ferocious Lions outfit.
In front of 34,274 fans, the home team took a little while to get going, but a seven goal second quarter tore the game apart and they extended the lead at every change.
The only sour note for the Lions was what looked to be a serious knee injury suffered by vice captain Jed Adcock in the fifth minute of the first quarter.
Adcock came off second best in a midfield collision and never returned.
But his team-mates were sensational, led by running half backs Ash McGrath (30 possessions) and Josh Drummond (29) who was playing his first game since Round 11.
McGrath’s run and carry from the back half set up a number of forward forays by the Lions, while Drummond’s laser-like kicking was a welcome sight for the home fans.
Up front captain Jonathan Brown comfortably won his duel with Tom Lonergan, taking 15 marks and kicking four goals, while his forward buddy Daniel Bradshaw kicked three.
In the middle of the ground Daniel Rich (32 touches) oozed class, his penetrating left boot leading directly to three first-half goals and his work in traffic superb.
Simon Black (34) and Luke Power (33) also knocked up getting possessions against a Cats team that struggled to find avenues to goal.
In a team missing Gary Ablett, Travis Varcoe, Matthew Scarlett, Darren Milburn, James Kelly and Cameron Ling from last week’s loss, Paul Chapman shone.
Chapman busted himself all night, but he had few mates as Bartel was blanketed by Cheynee Stiller and Joel Selwood struggled to run with Black.
Cameron Mooney tried hard all night in the forward line, while Joel Corey and Corey Enright also did their best.
Intensity was not a problem in the first quarter, although execution was for the first half of it.
Black showed surprising penetration with his set shot from 50m to open the scoring for the home team, but for the next 10 minutes both teams turned the ball over a number of times despite tremendous endeavour.
Geelong got on the scoreboard in the 13th minute when Max Rooke marked strongly and snapped on his left foot, before taking the lead with two more quick goals.
The second of which came through a superb team build-up that started with Bartel’s slick hands and ended with an open Ryan Gamble in the goalsquare.
However Rich put a raking 55m pass on Bradshaw’s chest for an easy goal, and Brown kicked his first after the siren and gave the Lions a two-point lead courtesy of a deft left footed pass from James Polkinghorne.
The home team blew the game wide open with a free running second quarter with seven goals to three.
The Lions’ midfield grew in confidence and the forwards took advantage with Brown, Bradshaw and Polkinghorne (two) all adding to their goal tally.
Rich had 15 touches in the quarter alone.
Brown’s relentless work was rewarded with a trademark grab midway through the term where he ran 30m with the flight of the ball before marking at the top of the square.
Geelong stemmed the tide with back-to-back majors from Shannon Byrnes and Rooke, but Polkinghorne’s terrific work was capped with a 50m goal late in the quarter.
They extended the lead in a dour third quarter that saw Bartel’s report for high contact on Power.
Brisbane Lion debutant Jack Redden lived every footballer’s dream when he kicked a goal in his first game after a 50m set shot snuck inside the right post.
Match details
Brisbane Lions 3.4 10.7 12.10 16.12.108
Geelong Cats 3.2 6.5 7.9 9.11.65
GOALS
Lions: Brown 4, Bradshaw 3, Black 2, Notting 2, Polkinghorne 2, Clark, 2, Redden.
Geelong: Rooke 2, Mooney, Hogan, Mumford, Byrnes, Hawkins, Blake, Gamble.
BEST
Lions: Power, Brown, Black, Rich, Drummond, McGrath
Geelong: Chapman, Corey, Enright, Wojinksi, Mooney, Hogan
INJURIES
Lions: Adcock (knee)
Geelong: Mackie replaced in selected side by Laidler.
Reports:
Brisbane: Nil
Geelong: Bartel for high contact on Luke Power in the 3rd quarter
Umpires: McBurney, Nicholls, Schmitt
Official crowd: 34,274 at Gabba
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs.
