The Brisbane Lions won their fifth straight NEAFL game on the trot with an impressive 66-point victory over a valiant Redland Bombers’ side on Sunday afternoon.

Brisbane’s incredible run of form continued in the high scoring affair at Coorparoo, where they piled on the points to record 22.15 (147) to Redland’s 13.3 (81).

The Lions looked strong before they even took to the field, with 20 AFL-listed players in their side, and this dominance was proven true after the first siren sounded.

It took less than a minute for the boys from Brisbane to record their first goal, which came off the boot of Josh Walker when he was left unmanned by the Redland defenders.

This was a theme that continued throughout the game, with the Bombers’ lacklustre defence allowing the Lions to take control of the contest and move the ball freely from one end of the ground to the other.

An impressive individual performance by Matt Hammelmann – in the form of a first quarter hat trick – was all that kept the Bombers in touch at the break.

The Lions came out firing in the second term, setting up almost permanent residence in their forward half and effectively putting the game out of reach of the visitors.

Redland were restricted to only a single goal, while Brisbane booted an imposing 8.6 (54) for the quarter.

The half-time margin of 57 points could have been significantly worse had the Lions managed to improve their kicking accuracy even further, including Walker who kicked three consecutive behinds in three minutes.

The second half began in the same way as the first, as the Lions troubled the scorers after less than a minute gone on the scoreboard, thanks to the slick work of Connor Ballenden.

Redland, however, are never ones to lie down – particularly when facing their cross town rivals – and launched a return assault, with the sides trading majors in the last 10 minutes of the third term.

The fight back continued in the final quarter, as Redland emerged from the break full of fight and determination despite the match being all but won.

Most impressive was the newfound fluidity in their ball movement and kicking efficiency, which saw the Bombers’ record three consecutive goals for the first time in the game.

These extra efforts allowed them to win the final quarter 6.2 (38) to 4.2 (26) – an important consolation for a tough day on the field.

Irrespective of the end result, it was a day for individual brilliance on both sides of the contest.

For the Lions, Walker led from the front with a game-high six goals, six marks and 22 disposals to his name.

He was well supported by teammate Connor Ballenden, who arguably had the best game of his short NEAFL career, recording 18 disposals, six marks, 12 hit-outs and five goals.

On the other hand, Hammelmann has been the shining light for the Bombers so far this season and that trend continued on Sunday afternoon.

The sole goal scorer for Redland until partway into the third quarter, Hammelmann was responsible for five of the Bombers’ 13 majors.

The support cast of Tom Salter – 28 disposals, five marks, four tackles and seven clearances – and Matt Thomson – 19 disposals, eight marks, five tackles and nine inside 50s – will give Bombers’ fans some hope of what is to come for the rest of 2018 season.

Redland now face a crucial road trip south to take on the battling GIANTS, while the Lions will feel confident ahead of their match against the Sydney Swans.

Redland v Brisbane at Coorparoo

BRISBANE 4.3 12.9 18.13 22.15 (147)
REDLAND 3.0 4.0 7.1 13.3 (81)

GOALS – Brisbane: J Walker 6 C Ballenden 5 J Barrett 3 R Bewick 2 C Lyons A Smith J Allison T Bell B Starcevich R Lester. Redland: M Hammelmann 5 K Walsh 2 S Copland 2 J Paine A Christensen M Thomson L O’Sullivan.
BEST – Brisbane: R Lester J Walker C Ballenden C Cox L Dawson T Bell. Redland: M Thomson B Rees M Hammelmann P Yagmoor.