The Brisbane Lions continued their impressive finals momentum with a dominant 107-64 derby (QClash) victory against the Gold Coast Suns at the Gabba on Saturday.
Conor McKenna’s team are now up to second on the season ladder after ten rounds of the 24-round home and away season. If the Lions continue their winning ways, they will secure a top four finish and an all-important double chance of winning the premiership in September’s finals series. Since 1997, only two AFL sides have won the premiership after finishing outside of the top four places.
McKenna collected 15 disposals (11 kicks & 4 handballs) and 5 marks for the hosts.
Portlaoise utility player Zach Tuohy and Kerry defender Mark O’Connor are the other Irish players in finals contention, despite Geelong losing 106-77 away to Fremantle at Perth’s Optus Stadium on Saturday.
The reigning premiers remain in seventh on the season ladder, and are now 5-5 for the season after consecutive defeats.
The late Jimmy Stynes’s former team, the Melbourne Demons, are in fourth spot, two wins ahead of Geelong, who need to quickly rediscover their top form to ensure they don’t slide out of the top eight finals places.
Tuohy collected 19 disposals (10 kicks & 9 handballs) and 2 marks whilst O’Connor, who tags the opposition’s best forward, chipped in with 11 disposals (8 kicks & 3 handballs) and 4 marks.
Tuohy, the veteran of 251 senior AFL games for Carlton and Geelong is aiming to play on for a 14th season in 2024 when he will have the opportunity to overhaul Stynes’s 264-game record as being the highest number of games for an Irish player in Australian rules history. It’s a feat he describes as akin to “shooting Bambi”!
“It would be an honour if it happens, it is stranger to think I have been around for that long,” Tuohy, 33, said.
“It doesn’t feel like it to me. I have said it before, it will be a bit embarrassing for me if I do get there because it feels like shooting Bambi a bit.
“He is a legend to everyone, me included. It will be an honour but it will feel strange being mentioned next to him in any way.”
On Sunday, Meath forward Conor Nash continued his career best AFL season for Hawthorn by being named as one of the Hawk’s best-on-ground players for the second time in as many weeks after their 142-26 demolition of rock-bottom West Coast Eagles at the University of Tasmania Stadium in Launceston.
Nash topped the disposal count for Hawthorn for his match tally of 30 possessions (16 kicks & 14 handballs) and 8 marks. The lowly Hawks are now up to 16th on the season ladder after notching only their second win of the season.
Tyrone-born Aidan Corr was unavailable for North Melbourne after receiving a one-match suspension for striking an opponent last week.
Derry defender Callum Brown was left out of the Greater Western Sydney Giants squad for their round 10 fixture in Sir Doug Nicholls round which is a celebration of Aboriginal AFL players.
