The Brisbane Lions have farewelled retired champion Jonathan Brown in style, holding on for an emotional four-point victory over North Melbourne at the Gabba on Saturday night.
After hanging up the boots on Monday for medical reasons, Brown watched on from the grandstands with the rest of the Brisbane faithful as the Lions prevailed 10.10 (70) to 9.12 (66).
In a game marked by dramatic momentum shifts, the Lions saw a 33-point lead whittled down to less than a kick when Lindsay Thomas goaled for the Kangaroos with five minutes remaining. The visitors pushed hard to find another major, but a behind to Ryan Bastinac was all they could manage before the full-time siren.
The victory was only the Lions’ fourth of the year but arguably their most impressive under new coach Justin Leppitsch. Brisbane midfielder Tom Rockcliff, who exchanged heated words with North Melbourne veteran Brent Harvey after the siren, said Brown was in the players’ minds as they ran on the field.
“Brownie had obviously done so much for the footy club and there’s nothing more he can do,” he told Channel Seven. “To the boys’ credit, we came out tonight and showed some real fight and hung in their tough in the last five minutes, so it’s a good win for our group.”
The Lions set up their victory with a stunning second term that saw them turn a 16-point deficit into a 21-point lead by halftime. Youngster James Aish had a telling impact in the quarter, booting two goals and proving a headache for the opposition defence.
With their AFL top-four credentials under question, the Kangaroos started their comeback late in the third quarter when Drew Petrie kicked two goals in two minutes. Another six-pointer to captain Andrew Swallow early in the last term continued the North Melbourne assault, but the visitors ultimately left empty handed.
