THE Lions roared into a record fifth grand final as they hung on to a narrow win against the Geelong Cats on Saturday at Brighton Homes Arena. You could cut the tension with a knife after Shannon Campbell snatched the lead for the Lions but despite a lot of Geelong pressure, the vaunted Brisbane defence stood strong to deny the Cats at the final whistle.
Brisbane shot to an early lead with fire under their tails in the first quarter but Geelong came to play and gave as good as they got as the game went on. Trailing by 12 after a largely fruitless first term, the Cats pulled back to within five at the half, and snuck into the lead in a pulsating last quarter.
The Lions would not be denied though, with Belle Dawes a standout with 21 disposals and Orla O’Dwyer also catching the eye on the wing – often covering a defence that made the going very tough for a determined Geelong side.
There can be little doubt the Lions won the game with their hunger and willingness for the battle. They put on 21 more tackles and won 10 more contests than the Cats and got inside the 50 a dozen more times. These figures may make it sound as though the game was one-sided but that’s far from the truth, with the Cats creating sustained pressure and giving as good as they got for much of the game.
And as you’d expect from finals footy, there was plenty of crunching encounters, including one that saw Dakota Davidson limp off in tears. That wasn’t enough to dishearten the Ipswich Dancing Queen though, as the final hooter saw her join her teammates in celebrating a tough but well-deserved victory.
Now it’s on to the Grand Final, where North Melbourne await, at IKON Arena on Sunday.
Young Lion Belle Dawes has a knack of rising to the occasion of big games, and Saturday’s preliminary final win was no different. With 21 disposals, and career-best tackle and clearance counts, recording 14 and eight respectively, her constant movement at the contest made her tough to defend, bleeding into her ability to cover the ground. On her toes, jumping around her direct opponent when preparing for stoppages, bouncing with energy and a want to compete.
At the final siren Dawes could be seen in tears on the deck, embraced by Shannon Campbell.
PRELIMINARY FINAL
Brisbane Lions (6.2) 38
Geelong Cats (5.4) 34
