Brisbane Lions List 2003

2003 Draws, Teams and Ladders

2002 Draws, Teams and Ladders

Round 19

Brisbane LIONS vs. Collingwood

at the MCG, Saturday afternoon, August 9th 2003, 2.10 pm AEST

Selected Team for Round 19 2003

Backs:	2. C.Johnson	15. M.Michael	22. C. Scott
Half Backs:	10. M Ashcroft	43. D Bradshaw	5. B. Scott
Centres:	12. J Akermanis	3. M Voss	1. B. Caracella
Half Forwards:	34. A Shattock*	16. J Brown	13. M Pike
Full Forwards:	6. L Power	11. A Lynch	4. C McRae
Followers:	Rck: 27. C Keating	Rkr: 20. S Black	Rov: 32. S Hart
Interchange:	19 J Charman*	30. R Copeland*	9. A McGrath*	8. T Notting

Emerg: J Gram, S Morrison, D White

* Eligible for the VLSG Best Young Player in Victorian Matches Award

Ins for Round 19: C.Johnson,

Outs for Round 19: D White

Not selected: Lappin, (inj), Leppitsch (inj) McGrath, B. McDonald (inj). Weller, Morrison (inj), Wright, Selwood, Hadley, McLaren, Merrett, Corrie, Raines (r) , Tandogac (r), Pratt (r), J. McDonald (r), Shelton (r)

Curtain Raiser: FITZROY REDS vs. West Brunswick 10.30 am MCG

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Brisbane LIONS vs. Collingwood

Round 19 Match Preview:

Grand Final Replay win vital for Lions!

The Brisbane Lions sitting sixth on the ladder this week will journey to the MCG to battle one of the inform teams of the competition, the Collingwood Magpies. This match has been billed as one of the most pivotal of the season, given that the outcome will shape not only the Final Eight, but also the respective fortunes of both teams for the season. A loss to the Lions will almost certainly see them drop out of Top Four contention, even with winnable matches against Sydney, Geelong and the Western Bulldogs to finish the home and away season. That may be enough to dash their hopes of a third consecutive premiership. Win....and a place in the Top Two beckons, with Port Adelaide likely to finish on top of the ladder. This Grand Final re-match is expected to be a duplicate of last year in mor ways that one with the same cold and wet conditions likely to prevail with a predicted top temperature of just 11 degrees.

SELECTION:
Nigel Lappin will miss again with a corked thigh, while Brad Scott has been named but will face a fitness test before the match. Chris Johnson is a welcome return to provide badly needed extra run out of the backline. Justin Leppitsch and Beau McDonald remain a fortnight away at least. The Magpies have named James Clement and Jason Cloke but both are also facing fitness tests, while key defender Simon Prestigiacomo is definitely out.

LAST TIME:
Round 4, 2003: Brisbane Lions 14-11-95 d Collingwood 11-15-81

Close mates Jonathan Brown and Tim Notting combined to lift their side to a thrill-a-minute victory in front of a qualifying rounds record crowd at the Gabba on Easter Thursday (April 17).

The Lions turned a 19-point deficit at the 21-minute mark of the second quarter into a 20-point lead at the final break, and then surged 33 points clear on the back of an 11-goal-to-two run. The Magpies collected three consolation goals in the last six minutes of the match to bridge the margin to a respectable 14 points, but the Lions’ 14-11-95 to 11-15-81 triumph was an emphatic one.

The crowd of 36,803 enjoyed a sensational debut by highly-skilled Jared Brennan (who currently has an injured hamstring), who cut the dangerous Chris Tarrant out of the game after halftime.

But it was Lion-hearted Brown who was the gamebreaker, working enormously hard all night and hauling in 10 marks, four of which were contested. His pack marking was a feature of the night and he set up several goals on top of the solitary goal he kicked to put the Lions in front midway through the third term.

Fellow knockabout boy-from-the-bush Notting booted two goals in the third term and finished with 3-1 for the second half after being moved to full-forward. He too marked the ball superbly under intense pressure.

The Magpies’ pace worried the Lions early, and Anthony Rocca kicked three first half goals, before Mal Michael worked his way on top in the second half.

Nathan Buckley, Paul Licuria, Tarrant and Shane Woewodin were the Magpies’ best, while Brown, Shaun Hart, Michael Voss and Chris Johnson were standouts for the Lions.

ON THE TUBE:
Collingwood v Brisbane Lions, live on Channel 10 in Brisbane from 2pm and replayed in Melbourne from 4pm.

ON THE AIRWAVES:
Radio 4AAA (98.9FM) in Brisbane and the National Indigenous Radio Service broadcasts up to four games every weekend, including every Brisbane Lions game.

TRAINING SCHEDULE:
Wednesday August 6 – Skills Training – Coorparoo – 3pm
Friday August 8 – Skills Training – Albert Oval, Melbourne – 3pm

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS:
Friday – Depart Brisbane QF617 at 11.50pm – Arrive Melbourne 2.10pm
Saturday – Depart Melbourne QF636 at 8.05pm – Arrive Brisbane 10.10pm

HEAD TO HEAD:
Lions 8, Magpies 1

ResultsRd/Year Res Lions Magpies Venue Margin
13/97 W 11-22-88 11-7-73 Gabba +15 (N)
14/98 W 19-21-135 12-11-83 Gabba +52
7/99 W 13-18-96 9-8-62 Gabba +34 (N)
22/99 W 13-16-94 8-4-52 Victoria Pk +42
9/00 W 22-14-146 18-9-117 Gabba +29
15/01 W 19-15-129 16-7-103 MCG +26
8/02 L 16-15-111 17-12-114 Colonial -3
GF/02 W 10-15-75 9-12-66 MCG +9
4/03 W 14-11-95 11-15-81 Gabba +14 (N)

(N) denotes night game.

LEADING BALLGETTERS:
(Top five from each side)

468 – Nathan Buckley (Magpies), av 27.5
435 – Simon Black (Lions), av 24.2
392 – Paul Licuria (Magpies), av 23.1
386 – Michael Voss (Lions), av 22.7
377 – Nigel Lappin (Lions), av 25.1
370 – Luke Power (Lions), av 20.6
368 – Scott Burns (Magpies), av 23.0
349 – Shane Woewodin (Magpies), av 19.4
345 – Brad Scott (Lions), av 19.2
313 – Shane O’Bree (Magpies), av 17.4

LEADING GOALKICKERS:
(Top five from each side)

53 – Alastair Lynch (Lions), av 3.8
43 – Chris Tarrant (Magpies), av 2.4
34 – Anthony Rocca (Magpies), av 1.9
26 – Alan Didak (Magpies), av 1.4
25 – Luke Power (Lions), av 1.4
22 – Craig McRae (Lions), av 1.5
20 – Michael Voss (Lions), av 1.2
20 – Scott Burns (Magpies), av 1.3
19 – Daniel Bradshaw (Lions), av 1.2
18 – Jarrod Molloy (Magpies), av 1.0

TALKING POINTS:
Collingwood has won six games in a row and the Lions were big winners last week. There are murmurings that the two ‘sleeping giants’ from last year are awakening.

WHY TO WATCH:
A grand final replay at the MCG – and even the weather forecast is similarly bleak to the 2002 premiership decider. It’s one of the games of the season.

DID YOU KNOW:
Quality Lions full-back Mal Michael and star Collingwood full-forward Chris Tarrant know each other well, being close mates in their days together at Victoria Park.

FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS:
Leigh Matthews, Andrew Ireland, Craig Starcevich, Graeme Allan, Nathan Buckley, Richard Osborne, Gary Pert, Doug Barwick, Len Thompson, Jarrod Molloy, Shane O’Bree, Brad Rowe, Matthew Ryan.

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Results and Match Reports

Round 15 vs. Hawthorn

Lion's heart beats strong
lions.com.au
Sun 13th July, 2003

BRISBANE LIONS: 4.4 6.7 10.9 14.9 (93)
HAWTHORN: 2.5 7.9 10.12 11.15 (81)

The skills and system might still need a bit of work, but the great heart of the Brisbane Lions still beats strong.

Despite playing under considerable duress, the Lions summoned plenty of courage and sheer doggedness to overcome Hawthorn by 12 points in a gripping encounter at the Gabba today.

The win put paid to the so-called Subiaco hoodoo, with the Lions becoming the first side this year to win after playing in Perth the previous week.

The Lions led by 19 points six minutes into the game, trailed by 20 points three minutes into the third term, and finished with a four goal to one final quarter to clinch a vital 14-9-93 to 11-15-81 victory.

In between they overcame a series of setbacks to remain within half a game of the top of the AFL ladder.

As if coping with a sore knee that is still recovering from surgery was not tough enough, inspirational skipper Michael Voss also carried the emotional anguish of having lost his grandfather yesterday.

The iron-willed Voss went about collecting a team high 27 possessions, team high five clearances and equal team high six inside 50s to take the fight right up to the tenacious Hawks.

Voss spent considerable time at half-forward, but every time the game was in the balance he went into the pivot and lifted his side. It was a super effort by the skipper, who wanted to win for his team, but also for his Pop.

Keith Lynn passed away in Orbost yesterday and Voss received the distressing news after training yesterday afternoon. “He was in the back of my mind when I was playing today…I wanted to win for him too,” a drained Voss said afterwards.

As exceptional as he was, Voss had centre-half-back Justin Leppitsch vying with him for best-on-ground honours.

Leppitsch was supreme in the key defensive post, thwarting numerous scoring opportunities with his 12 marks and providing plenty of dash downfield. He totally eclipsed a string of opponents including John Barker, Jade Rawlings and Simon Cox, and the Hawks even went ‘small’ at one state to try and drag him away from centre corridor, but to no avail.

As good as his 20 possessions, game high four contested marks, and five defensive rebounds were, one desperate effort late in the third term typified both his personal and his team’s effort on the day.

With the Hawks streaming forward in numbers, a handball was looped over to Richard Vandenberg, who was all alone at half-forward. Leppitsch sprinted at him at full speed from 30m away, wrapping up Vandenberg as he slightly fumbled the ball on the ground, and crashed him over the boundary line.

While Voss and Leppitsch were magnificent all day, full-forward Alastair Lynch proved to be the game-breaker.

Lynch was kept possession-less in the first half, while direct opponent Jonathan Hay was full of confidence, collecting seven kicks and four handballs and proving a real springboard out of defence. He constantly ran Lynch down the ground, although it was the clever defensive tactics of the Hawks in holding up the Lions a kick and a half from goal that made life extra difficult for Lynch.

Lynch kicked his first goal at the 11-minute mark of the third term was he was spoon fed perfectly by a Jason Akermanis pass – and then proceeded to kick his sides next three goals.

The final two – at the five and eight minute mark of the final term – put his side in front by 11 points. Both were brilliant efforts – the first a vice-like mark on the lead to a spearing long kick from Martin Pike, and the second a chest mark after a gorilla-like tussle in the goalsquare with Hay.

After Hawthorn narrowed the margin to three points at the 11 minute mark, Lynch made a long lead and marked in traffic at half-forward, then speared a pass into ruckman Jamie Charman who was streaming into the hole vacated by Lynch. Charman kicked a pressure angle goal from 35m and the Lions were nine clear again at the 20 minute mark.

Rawlings had a chance to get the margin to under a goal with two minutes remaining, but missed with a set shot from 50m, although it did bring the margin back to a round six points.

The Lions ran the ball out of defence through Nigel Lappin and some clever work by Luke Power netted a boundary throw-in in the forward pocket.

Fittingly, that man Lynch then won a crucial ruck knock to Voss, whose snap to the square was pounced on by Jonathan Brown to goal.

Like Lynch, Brown had struggled to get into the game in the first half with just two kicks, but he exploded in the third term. He was central to the momentum shift that saw the Lions claw back into the game, but clutched at his hamstring after taking a super strong pack mark in which he stretched every sinew, then had an opponent land on his back.

Brown hobbled off at the 20-minute mark, but returned early in the last quarter to collect another four kicks, including the sealing goal.

Hawthorn’s periods of dominance from the 15 minute mark of the second quarter until the four minute mark of the third term – when they booted five unanswered goals - revolved heavily around midfielders Sam Mitchell and Shane Crawford.

Crawford collected eight possessions to tagger Shaun Hart’s three in the opening term, but Hart was the clear winner at that stage. He had a role in each of the Lions’ opening three goals, while Crawford’s possessions were mostly snaps around the corner in defence.

However, Crawford went on the attack in the second term and was far more damaging, while Mitchell had a nine-possession term and was equally dangerous.

Hart and Lappin took turns at Crawford in the second half, with Lappin in particular gaining some crucial possessions attacking Crawford’s defensive side.

Half-back Adrian Cox also gave his side plenty of drive from half-back, in a similar way to the absent Chris Johnson for the Lions. Tallis did well to keep the lid on Simon Black for much of the day after an early roasting from Jason Akermanis, while youngster Nick Stone did some good things in defence.

The home side lost more leg speed when Akermanis – who started the game with the turbo-power firmly on – also went to the boundary with hamstring problems.
Akermanis had gathered seven possessions and a goal in the opening 15 minutes before feeling the nerve-related problem rear again.

He had been too clever for Tallis and then Vandenberg, who relished the absence of Akermanis to give his side plenty of drive late in the term.

The unsung hero – as is often the case – for the Lions was another speedy customer, Craig McRae.

The zippy forward pocket, whose defensive efforts go largely unnoticed by those outside the coaching staff, was dynamite early with two goals and a hand in the third.

When Hawthorn caught the Lions with two goals in the opening seven minutes of the second term, it was McRae who crumbed cleverly and then burst away with brilliant speed to goal against the run of play.

In fact, McRae booted four of the Lions’ first eight goals and proved a handful for a string of opponents that began with the much taller Mark Graham.

As effective as McRae was with his speed and skill, Brad Scott was equally good in the clinches with his non-nonsense approach at the ball. Scott held a team high five tackles plus collected 11 kicks and handballs, and worked desperately hard at both ends of the ground.

At one stage in the tense third term he put his head over the ball and charged through four different opponents, showing enormous strength to his feet and possession.

Power’s contribution was also sizeable, making a game high seven hard ball gets, booting the ball inside 50m on six occasions, and gathering 22 possessions in the midfield.

The durable Marcus Ashcroft was a great ally for Leppitsch in defence, as was tough full-back Mal Michael, while Chris Scott kept Ben Dixon in check allowing him just two goals.

Ruckman Clark Keating made an auspicious return, sharing the game time with Charman and producing a copybook palm to Voss from a boundary throw-in during the last quarter that resulted in a Lynch goal. He won 13 hitouts and collected three kicks and three handballs, and more importantly appeared to come through his first senior game since last year’s grand final without any problems.

“We found a way to win…last week we couldn’t,” said coach Leigh Matthews, admitting his side was still had room for improvement.

Matthews was captured on the television coverage pumping his fist after Brown’s late goal, a rare show of emotion during the regular season.

“We are in a position where we are fighting for as high a position as possible,” Matthews said. “We still need to win another two games to qualify for the finals, which is our first aim.

“It was a particularly important win...our season is on the line in terms of being able to finish right up there (near the top).”

The Lions were the beneficiaries of three deliberate out of bounds decisions that will no doubt prompt plenty of talk in Melbourne during the week.

While Joel Smith’s handball straight over the line was an obvious free kick, Jonathan Hay’s 35m kick across goal in the third term and Mitchell’s long kick from defence in the last – which ultimately resulted in goals to the Lions – were a hot topic after the game.

Matthews described the deliberate out of bounds as “having no purpose”, which he aligned with the advantage rule.

How they lined up:

B: Michael, C Scott
Thompson, Dixon

HB: White, Leppitsch, Ashcroft
Rawlings, Barker, Lekkas

C: Power, B Scott, Voss, Akermanis
Osborne, Hodge, Mitchell, Tallis

HF: McRae, Brown, Lappin, Copeland
Graham, Smith, A Cox, S Cox

F: Lynch, Bradshaw
Hay, Stone

R: Charman, Black, Hart
Campbell, Vandenberg, Crawford

I/C: McGrath, Pike, Charman, Shattock
Holland, Williams, Lonie, Ries

Goals, Lions: Lynch 4, McRae 4, Voss, Charman, Brown, C Scott, Akermanis, Shattock. Hawks: Crawford 2, Dixon 2, Mitchell, A Cox, Lekkas, Hodge, Thompson, Williams, Holland.
Possessions, Lions: Voss 27, Lappin 22, B Scott 22, Power 22, Leppitsch 20, Ashcroft 18, C Scott 16, Black 15, White 15. Hawks: Crawford 29, Mitchell 23, Vandenberg 19, Hay 18, Smith 18, A Cox 18, Tallis 17, Osborne 16, Graham 15.
Best, Lions: Voss, Leppitsch, B Scott, McRae, Power, Lappin, Ashcroft, Michael, Lynch, C Scott. Hawks: Mitchell, Crawford, A Cox, Tallis, Vandenberg, Hay, Stone.
Umpires: B Allen, S Wenn, D Goldspink.
At the Gabba
Crowd: 29,684

VLSG WEBSITE VOTES - Round 13 (please note these are the websites votes and not the official VLSG Award votes, voted on by members).

3. Alistair Lynch: 6 goals puts him third in the Coleman Medal

2. Simon Black. Another silky display from one of the Lions Fab Four.

1. Jason Akermanis : Back to his dynamic best.

 

PROGRESSIVE VLSG WEBSITE VOTES (after Round 13):

15 Nigel Lappin

14 Luke Power,

13 Michael Voss,

9 Alistair Lynch,

8 Shaun Hart

5 Chris Johnson

4 Simon Black, Blake Caracella

3 Brad Scott,

2 Jonathan Brown, Justin Leppitsch, Jason Akermanis,

1 Beau McDonald, Jared Brennan, Mal Michael, Martin Pike, Robert Copeland,

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2003 Brisbane Lions Draw and Results.

 

Fitzroy Reds