While the young bodies of the Lions recharged their batteries, the Northern Territory Thunder got the jump on the five other sides battling for the bottom two places in the top five.
The Thunder had to work hard to shake off Aspley by 23 points in Darwin, but it was enough to take them a game and percentage clear in fourth place.
The star for the NT was Grogan Medal co-favourite Cameron Ilett, who collected 32 possessions and booted seven goals.
The Lions remain in sixth place on five wins, just six percentage points behind Broadbeach.
While Broadbeach have the toughest contract of Round 12 this Saturday at Southport, Mt Gravatt - also on five wins - play second-placed Labrador on the Gold Coast.
So a win to the Lions at third-placed Morningside would be a huge fillip in breaking clear of the log-jam of teams around them.
Ruckman Broc McCauley is some chance of returning to QAFL action from groin soreness, and the Reserves may gain some senior experience if Jesse O’Brien is elevated for debut against Carlton on Saturday as suggested by senior coach Michael Voss in today’s Courier Mail newspaper.
Morningside is the ‘local’ club for many of the Lions players who live in the area, but there will be no favours given at Esplen Oval on Sunday.
The Panthers have experienced an injury curse of their own this season, although they showed their champion qualities by regrouping after Broadbeach floored them with six goals in the opening 12 minutes of the fourth quarter last weekend to snatch a three-point lead.
Morningside ruckman Jacob Gough then changed the course of the game, helping his side to six unanswered goals of their own in the next 12 minutes to sew up victory.
