The Brisbane Lions Reserves have succumbed to a final quarter romp from the University of Western Sydney Giants at Giffin Park, their NSW counterparts kicking 5.4 to 1.4 to overrun the Lions 13.14.92 – 10.11.71.

Going into this match the Sydney teams held a duopoly atop the NEAFL ladder, the Swans and Giants sitting in 1^st and 2^nd place respectively. The Giants had won their previous three matches by over 100 points each, including a stellar 191-point annihilation of the Suns Reserves.

The Lions finals chances are now all but dashed, the loss placing them four games outside the top six with eight matches remaining.

A valiant Brisbane led the match up until the end of the third quarter against a UWS team featuring eight first round AFL draft picks, winning both the inside 50’s and clearances.

Kicking towards the Birubi Street end in the first quarter, the Lions largely held sway through the middle of the ground and rightly led going into quarter time. Sam Michael kicked the first two goals for the home side, capitalising on the Lions inside 50’s with some big grabs. Whilst the game was tight in the clinches, the Lions relished the open spaces with clean disposal, preferring to move the ball down the wings than the corridor. Despite the Lions’ momentum a goal just before the siren from UWS’s Barrett cut the Lions lead to 7 points.

The second quarter started as a tense affair, with the rain sprinkling down and the ball camped in the Giants’ forward half. But the Sydneysiders could not make the most of it, kicking just one goal in the opening ten minutes. The Lions finally managed to break the territorial shackles and move the ball forward, and a fumble in the Lions’ goalsquare allowed Uebergang to soccer the ball through off the deck. Neither side could break away from one another, and the Lions held a slender half time lead of four points.

James Rayner was explosive, providing the Lions with rough-and-tumble vigour around the contests, whilst Jack Crisp used the ball well and the trio of Freeman, Bourke and Michael were presenting well up forward.

The Lions hit the ground running in the third quarter, with goals to Freeman and Uebergang extending the lead beyond two goals. But UWS soon hit back, with goals to both McCarthy and Phillips. The Giants hit the lead for the first time in the match with three minutes left in the quarter, before a running goal from Crisp ensured that the Lions led at every change.

The fourth quarter was kick-started by goal of the day from Andrew Raines, with a deft right foot banana in the left forward pocket finding its’ target. However this kicked the away team into gear, as Giant Liam Sumner added a snapped goal of his own and a big set shot bomb from outside 50m to bring about the final lead change of the day.

The Lions had chances to hit back through Wagner (twice) and Bourke but failed to capitalise, and in the end the rampant Giants won the match by 21 points after a tense affair in the first three quarters. The Giants dominated both the clearances (8-5) and the inside 50’s (19-8) in the last quarter, proving to be too much for the inundated Lions defenders to handle.

Nick Robertson, Daniel McStay and Tom Cutler all performed strongly, whilst Jono Freeman lead the Lions’ goalkickers with 3 snags. Ash McGrath was good in patches in his second game of 2014, and may expect a call up to the senior team next week.

The Lions Reserves and all other NEAFL sides will have a bye next week to cater for the NEAFL’s representative match against a Tasmanian State League team at Blundstone Arena in Hobart. As no AFL senior or rookie listed players are available for this match, no Lions will be participating.

They will have to wait until June 28 to sink their teeth into the Aspley Hornets on Brisbane’s northside and hopefully improve on a positive performance against the Giants.

In a quirk of the 2014 NEAFL draw, this match was the first of three the Lions will play against UWS in the last nine rounds.

SCORE:
NEAFL Lions:       3.4           6.4           9.7           10.11 (71)
UWS Giants:        2.3           5.6           8.10        13.14 (92)

GOALS:
Giants: Boyd 2, Sumner 2, Barrett, Downie, Lamb, McCarthy, Phillips, Reid, Sumner, Stewart, Buntine, Addison.
Lions: Freeman 3, Michael 2, Uebergang 2, Bourke, Crisp, Raines.

LIONS BEST: Crisp, Rayner, Roberston, Freeman, McStay, Uebergang.