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And so, it is done. After a false start that sent a mighty scare through Brisbane, the Lions recovered \u2013 overhauling Carlton in the second quarter, putting a gap on them in the third, and holding them out in the last to book their spot in a grand final.<\/p>\n
The Blues\u2019 extraordinary run deep into September is over.<\/p>\n
Brisbane 11.13 (79) defeated Carlton 9.9 (63).<\/p>\n
This grand final has been a long time coming for Brisbane, and not just because it\u2019s been 19 years since their last appearance in 2004, the last gasp of Michael Voss\u2019s champion team. For coach Chris Fagan, it\u2019s vindication, after dragging a broken group of young men from the bottom of the ladder and into consecutive, ultimately unsuccessful finals tilts since 2019.<\/p>\n
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That winning feeling: Brisbane are into the grand final.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n But this, as has been apparent for some time now, is a different, better balanced, more disciplined unit. Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale was good, but he wasn\u2019t the driver of this victory. Running defender Keidean Coleman, hard-edged midfielder Josh Dunkley and ruckman Oscar McInerney all had bigger says.<\/p>\n Voss has now coached Carlton for two years, and the unlikeliest of finals dreams is over. But the combination of resilience and dare that the coach, his players and club have shown in recovering from 15th on the ladder after round 15 to reach the last four should be a watershed for this storied, proud, often vexatious club. Their fans, and their coach, should be proud.<\/p>\n Early on, Carlton looked more switched on and more desperate. When Lion Jarrod Berry was pinged for running too far in the opening minute, Matthew Cottrell found himself running into an open goal at the other end in the blink of an eye \u2013 Sam Walsh, the Blues\u2019 best player again, winning the vital stoppage on the wing.<\/p>\n A moment when the Brisbane Lions surged.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Channel Seven<\/cite><\/p>\n The Blues quickly established dominance in the air, Tom De Koning, Mitch McGovern and Harry McKay all taking important marks. McKay\u2019s gave him a shot of much-needed confidence; when he won a free kick in the 10th minute, he curled in the set-shot snap from 35 metres without a blink. Blues fans \u2013 and they were the equal of the Lions\u2019 \u2013 went berserk.<\/p>\n The upset was on. Eric Hipwood was mown down in a tackle, Brandon Starcevich gave away 50 metres, and Jack Martin had the Blues three goals up. They were more desperate, more physical, and for 10 minutes, the Lions went to water. A huge Charlie Curnow pack mark from a clean centre clearance had the scoreline 30\u20131 Carlton\u2019s way.<\/p>\n It took a late goal to Hipwood to give the Lions a pulse. They started to win some one-on-one balls, and found their run: Coleman, Dayne Zorko and Conor McKenna all began to pierce the corridor, and Carlton\u2019s wall. Cameron Rayner gave them an extra physical presence at the stoppages, and soon the turnovers started to come their way.<\/p>\n Of course, there was Joe Daniher. Just as Harris Andrews helped steady the ship in defence for Brisbane, Daniher\u2019s leadership and influence was equal, whether relieving in the ruck or in attack. His second goal \u2013 the last in a Lions flurry equal to the Blues\u2019 burst \u2013 saw the home side up by a point late in the first half.<\/p>\n The Blues went without a goal in the third quarter. After such an explosive start, now they finally looked like they had lead in their shoes, having been playing in the equivalent of elimination finals since June. Patrick Cripps \u2013 blanketed again by Dunkley \u2013 gave away 50 metres at the first bounce of the third quarter, and a second goal to McInerney.<\/p>\n The Blues could scarcely afford that. The Lions didn\u2019t quite put them away in the third quarter, but they had survived the early scare, and players that had looked anxious, like Hipwood, were now assertive. Charlie Cameron had been controlled by Adam Saad, until he wasn\u2019t. Country Roads<\/em> rang out around the ground.<\/p>\n A 20-point lead was always going to be next to impossible for the exhausted Blues to run down. Lincoln McCarthy \u2013 another who had important moments throughout \u2013 made it 28, and the match was done, bar a couple of last flutters. Next week \u2013 20 years since they last faced off \u2013 it will be the Brisbane Lions versus Collingwood again.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n