Emerging forward joins Buddy Franklin in epic 19yr first as Lions outclass Collingwood

Courier-Mail

6 hours ago

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A potent Brisbane outfit has shot the lights out against Collingwood in an MCG epic on Saturday night, defeating the 2023 premiers by 27 points.
The Lions led at every interval in the Round 21 blockbuster, returning serve on the Magpies' second-term surge to win 14.8 (92) over the home side's 10.5 (65).
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Second-year emerging star Logan Morris bagged a career-high six goals in the clash, with three in each half pulverising the Collingwood defence all night long to suddenly resurrect their hopes of a double chance this upcoming finals series.
Morris' career-best is the first time that any Lions player has kicked half a dozen goals in a game at the 'G since Jonathan Brown all the way back in Round 19, 2007. Additionally, he's the youngest player since Lance Franklin in 2006 to kick six at the 'Sporting Colosseum'.
The Pies threatened a final-term comeback through super sub Bobby Hill in his return to AFL football, but it was star Zac Bailey who sealed the game's fate with just over three-and a-half-minutes to play.
Collingwood had no response to Logan Morris.
For Collingwood, Nick Daicos was monumental in the first half with 17 disposals, four inside 50s, two goal assists and a major before the main break, but slowed down as the Lions took control once more.
Inclusions Jordan de Goey (tactically subbed in third quarter) and Bobby Hill (starting substitute) importantly looked to get through the match unscathed.
Brisbane key defender Ryan Lester was unfortunately not as lucky, and was subbed out with concussion before quarter time.
'(That was) definitely one of the better wins I've been involved with since I've been at the club,' Lions premiership coach Chris Fagan told Fox Footy's Super Saturday Live post-game.
'I loved the way we attacked the game tonight, we played bold footy ... every time that they came at us, we were able to respond and stay steady.'
Logan Morris was the front man, and Henry Smith was his unlikely companion, combining for nine goals.
Morris kicked two goals in the opening quarter and could have had a third; threatening in the early stages.
Then it was Smith's turn to assert himself as a key-position target ahead of the ball, booting his first and second career goals in the space of just over three minutes.
Hugh McCluggage was the one for Brisbane orchestrating the side's threatening forward chains, recording three score involvements with nine disposals and two clearances in the first term.
'McCluggage has been outstanding in this first quarter. He's had a year and a half. I tell you what, if he's not All-Australian this year, you would be horribly surprised,' Lyon said on quarter-time.
The Lions capitalised with three goals from turnover to Collingwood's none in the opening 30 minutes — but their defence suffered a key blow.
Reliable stopper Ryan Lester was subbed out of the game early in the second quarter with concussion, as Bruce Reville entered the action earlier than anticipated.
'It was late in the third quarter, he went up into a marking contest and he just copped a little bit of a stray elbow from (Dan) McStay,' Geelong great Cameron Mooney reported from the boundary line.
'It really looks like there wasn't much in it, but it was enough obviously for the Brisbane Lions to make sure that he wasn't going to come back on.'
Meanwhile, incredibly, Smith kicked his third goal of the night — again a dead-straight set shot — halfway through the second term, presenting as an unlikely sparkplug for the raring Lions.
'This is an amazing win,' Dunstall said of Smith's eye-opening return in just his fifth career AFL game and first of this season.
But the Lions then had to withstand the Pies' pressure, which went up a notch from halfway through the second quarter, as the visitors' ball movement game stalled at the hands of the league's stingiest defence.
'Coming out of the back half now, the pressure is great (from Collingwood), I understand that. But they've got to find a way to use the ball short, break it up, and try and get some run back through the corridor. Banging it long to Cameron, Moore, whoever else, isn't working,' Lyon said.
It was a five-goal-to-two second stanza from the Pies, who narrowed Brisbane's lead to one single point at the main change.
Triple Richmond premiership star Jack Riewoldt sang the praises of Brisbane's emerging duo.
'They've been held together by a couple of young key forwards; Logan Morris and Henry Smith have both kicked three to throw the Collingwood backline a few curveballs,' he said.
Morris booted his fourth and fifth goals of the evening early in the third, both with snaps.
For the third time this season, Morris had five majors to his name.
It was a four-goal-to-one premiership quarter by the Lions, who took a handy 19-point lead into the final change.
'A lot of talk has been about 'do the Lions miss Joe Daniher?' Well, young Logan Morris said 'hold my drinks, everybody, I've just snagged five at three-quarter-time',' Mooney said at three-quarter-time.
'One or two more, and this man might drag his team over the line.'
It'd been an 18-year wait for another Brisbane Lions player to kick six goals on the MCG since 2007 when Brown did it — but cometh the moment, cometh the Morris.
The 38-gamer snapped home his sixth, on his left foot, at the 13-minute mark to extend the Lions' buffer to a game-high 27-point lead.
Lachie Neale and McCluggage wound up combining for a whopping 70 disposals, 19 clearances and 12 score involvements.
Originally published as Emerging forward joins Buddy Franklin in epic 19yr first as Lions outclass Collingwood