HANLEY RUNS RIOT
Just one week after having his colours lowered by Fremantle tagger Ryan Crowley, Pearce Hanley responded in devastating fashion against the Kangaroos with his best performance for the season.

Hanley collected an equal career-high (and game-high) 34 disposals, took six marks, had six clearances and laid five tackles in a best-on-ground display.

The Irishman also covered plenty of ground and gave the Lions drive from both ends of the field, as highlighted by his six inside 50s and six rebound 50s.

He had a clear game-high 816m gained throughout the match, with North Melbourne skipper Andrew Swallow second with 455m gained.

Hanley was particularly damaging in the second term, when he had 16 disposals and 439m gained, which led the Herald Sun’s Chief Football Writer Mark Robinson to claim that: “in many respects, it was the best individual quarter of the season”.

STEF STACKS UP
It’s been four weeks since Stefan Martin was first called upon to should the Lions’ ruck duties in the absence of injured pair Matthew Leuenberger and Trent West.

And it’s fair to say that he’s risen to the challenge.

Martin was at his competitive best against North Melbourne, with 20 disposals – equalling his Club-high that he set last week against Fremantle – 36 hitouts, six marks, four clearances, four inside 50s, and three tackles.

He also produced a clutch contested mark which proved critical in the late stages of the game.

In the past four weeks, Martin has gone head-to-head against some of the AFL’s elite ruckmen in Todd Goldstein (Kangaroos), Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle), Will Minson (Bulldogs) and Shane Mumford (GWS Giants), and he’s not taken a backwards step.

In fact, he’s posting near career-best figures and despite given away considerable height, has statistically taken the honours against his more fancies opponents, as shown in the table below:
 

RISING STARS?
James Aish and Lewy Taylor have made a profound impact at the Lions in their first season at AFL level, and it was never highlighted more than last Saturday night.

The exciting pair combined for 46 possessions, 19 marks, 14 tackles, two goals, and two goal assists against the Kangaroos.

With both still just 19 years of age, they present just a couple of reasons why Lions fans can be excited about the Club’s on-field future.

STRONG IN DEFENCE
In recent weeks Joel Patfull has reclaimed the form that has seen him win consecutive Merrett-Murray Medals as the Club’s Best and Fairest player.

Patfull was as important as ever in defence against the Roos on Saturday night, even though stats don’t paint an accurate picture of exactly how valuable he was.

His strong marking in wet conditions – particularly in those dying stages – was certainly a feature of his game, along with that match-saving smother in the final minutes.  

BEWICK ON BOOMER
Rohan Bewick was given the big job of running with North Melbourne veteran Brent Harvey for the majority of Saturday evening, and proved he could match it with the best.

Despite collecting 23 disposals and kicking a last quarter goal, ‘Boomer’ Harvey didn’t have anywhere near the same influence as he did against the Lions six weeks earlier when he was best afield.

Bewick, meanwhile, did some damage the other way by gathering 24 possessions, taking seven marks, and providing plenty of run.

It was the second highest possession-count of Bewick’s career, second only to the 30 touches he had against the Bulldogs in Round 12.

GREEN CLOSES IN
The Lions will have a first-time Club leading goal-kicker in 2014, with Josh Green in the box seat to take out the honour.

Jonathan Brown still leads the way with 21 goals this season, but his retirement means that the champion centre half-forward is unlikely to hold for a sixth goal-kicking title.

Green’s three goals against the Roos gives him 19 for the season – just two shy of Brown – while fellow ‘Mozzie Squad’ member Dayne Zorko is ranked third with 11 goals.

Should Green stay fit, you would expect he will become just the eighth person since the 1997 merger to be the Lions’ leading goal-kicker in a single season.

AFL FANTASY TOP FIVE
1. James Aish – 140 points
2. Pearce Hanley – 133 points
3. Jack Redden – 123 points
4. Tom Rockliff – 122 points
5. Lewy Taylor – 115 points

WHO WAS BEST?
Afl.com.au listed Hanley, Aish, Bewick, Taylor, Green and Martin as the Lions’ best, but who do YOU think were the team’s three best players?

Vote now online for the Club Player of the Year