Brisbane recruit Lachie Neale has played a starring role in his first Queensland AFL derby, inspiring the Lions to a 49-point win over Gold Coast.
Mitch Robinson might have claimed the Marcus Ashcroft Medal as best on ground, but it was the ex-Fremantle midfielder who took the game by the scruff of the neck to lift the Lions to a 16.15 (111) to 9.8 (62) victory at Metricon Stadium.
In a third-quarter burst in which the Lions took a stranglehold on a scrappy game, Neale had a hand in goals for Charlie Cameron and Jarryd Lyons before kicking one of his own later in the term.
From then on, Saturday afternoon’s game was one-way traffic, with the Lions kicking a further five goals in the final term to move back into the top eight with a 4-2 record.
Neale ended the match with 28 disposals and six clearances as well as his goal.
Robinson, who was also influential in the match-turning third quarter, kicked three goals and tallied 25 disposals as well as eight marks.
Gold Coast had doggedly matched their Queensland rivals until a burst of three goals inside two minutes in the third term blew the match apart.
Cameron, ex-Sun Lyons and Robinson all goaled as the Lions took control.
Neale’s goal on the run minutes later was the Lions’ fifth of the quarter as they ended the term with a commanding 31-point lead.
The margins had been much tighter until that point as the Lions were punished for missing a series of gettable shots.
Cameron, Jarrod Berry and Dan McStay all missed efforts to enable the Suns to be within a kick at halftime.
Alex Sexton’s second of the match early in the third term levelled the scores but the Lions kicked the next six to open up an unassailable lead.
Cam Rayner booted three goals in a confidence-boosting display for the young Lion, while Cameron, Lyons and Lincoln McCarthy kicked two each.
The Suns, who slip to a 3-3 record, were led by in-form Brayden Fiorini (31 disposals, eight tackles) while Ben Ainsworth (21 disposals) was quietly effective.
Sexton, debutant Josh Corbett and tall Peter Wright booted two each for the Suns.
Brisbane host Sydney next weekend at the Gabba while the Suns are on the road against premiers West Coast.