Brisbane Lions v Adelaide player ratings: Fagan’s men who stood tallest after embarrassment against Swans

The Brisbane Lions lost their first final last year. What happened next? A barnstorming run through their semi-final and preliminary final, back to the big dance, and another premiership to top it all off.

They’re on track for a repeat dose this year after obliterating the Crows at the Gabba in what became Adelaide favourite son Taylor Walker’s farewell game.

Scott Spits (Brisbane Lions) and Steve Barrett (Adelaide) run their eye over every player in from the semi-final.

Brisbane Lions

(1) Kai Lohmann: He was creative for most of the match, kicking the opening goal after only 30 seconds. Just as importantly, he put a block on and allowed Zac Bailey to kick his opener after four minutes. 8/10

(2) Sam Draper: Tried and tried but was not among Brisbane’s best as the club’s second ruck. Had close to 60 per cent game time. 4.5/10

(3) Jaspa Fletcher: A good game by the 22-year-old, who is fast approaching 100 matches. He got plenty of early touches (seven in the first quarter) as Brisbane set up their impressive victory. 6/10

(4) Oscar Allen: There could be a “watch” on the former Eagle after tonight. He had just five touches by the final break and two behinds. The Lions will want a bit more out of him in their flag push. 4/10

(5) Josh Dunkley: One of the Lions’ best and typically strong at the coalface. He did the one-percenters regularly (no surprise there), and spent time on Izak Rankine and nullified his influence. He got plenty of the ball himself, too. 8/10

(6) Hugh McCluggage: Yet again, he didn’t get a lot of the ball for a player of his class. It was notable that Chris Fagan came to his defence during the week. McCluggage has had his injury woes this year, but importantly he was up and going early when the Lions stoned the Crows with five goals in eight minutes. 7/10

(7) Jarrod Berry: He finished with 19 touches and was a solid contributor. Unfortunately, Berry was off-line with an early shot at goal when the Lions were heaving. By that stage, Brisbane had 10 forward entries to Adelaide’s zero. 6/10

(8) Will Ashcroft: Despite their qualifying final loss, the Lions have again set themselves up perfectly for another flag push, and Ashcroft’s form reflects that. He got better and better as the match wore on, as the Lions found their groove ahead of next week’s preliminary final against the Hawks. The two-time Norm Smith medallist finished with 30 touches. 8.5/10

(9) Lachie Neale: The veteran star was not among Brisbane’s match-winners, but he still picked up 21 possessions as others lifted around him. That’s probably a good sign for the Lions as they eye off a hat-trick of flags, and needing a multitude of contributors 6.5/10

(10) Levi Ashcroft: Quiet by his standards, he spent time on star Crows skipper Jordan Dawson and was probably shaded by him. 5.5/10

(13) Logan Morris: He slotted a brilliant snap goal after eight minutes in the third quarter when he finally got on the board. It gave the Lions a 50-point lead – basically snuffing out any Adelaide hopes. He left the game in the final quarter with injury. 5.5/10

(15) Dayne Zorko: It was a strong game from the super-veteran. Zorko was the other Lion (aside from Zac Bailey) to re-sign during the week, and he showed why they still want him in the side. The 37-year-old kicked a ripping goal in the third quarter and led the Lions for metres gained. 7/10

(16) Cam Rayner: He was oozing with confidence throughout and was involved in plenty of key moments. By midway through the second quarter Rayner already had five score involvements. Go back and witness his goal – Brisbane’s fifth – when he took Alex Neal-Bullen on and kicked beautifully. It gave the Lions a 31-point lead and the tone was set. 9/10

(22) Ty Gallop: He came into the side to replace the injured Noah Answerth. He did his bit with at least 10 touches. 5/10

(23) Charlie Cameron: A non-factor in the Lions’ qualifying final loss to the Swans, in this sudden-death clash he proved his worth and much more. He had his first goal after 90 seconds (Brisbane’s second) and his second after 23 minutes. Cameron is clearly an “energy” player, and with a return of 5.3, the Lions and coach Chris Fagan will be rapt. 8/10

(26) Conor McKenna: He had a real crack but was in and out of the game. He finished with 13 touches and 1.2. Look back to his early “toe-poke” pass to Kai Lohmann for a goal. 5.5/10

(27) Darcy Gardiner: The big man was largely quiet but typically handy for Brisbane’s team defence. 5/10

(30) Eric Hipwood: I quite liked his game. He regularly gave the Lions something to kick to and played an important role with Morris and Allen both a bit hot and cold. He kicked a goal in the last quarter and finished with 2.1. 7/10

(31) Harris Andrews: He played an intriguing game. The star defender didn’t hit his usual heights, but with so many teammates in hot form against the Crows, that mattered less. He manned Riley Thilthorpe for much of the game and won on points. Strangely, Andrews picked up a shot at goal in the first quarter after a double 50-metre penalty. His rare chance to score was offline. 6/10

(32) Darcy Fort: Solid and dependable as Brisbane’s first ruck. He split the points with Adelaide’s Lachlan McAndrew. 5.5/10

(33) Zac Bailey: What a game by the newly re-signed gun. Ever classy by foot, he was nothing short of brilliant – ironically against the club that desperately wanted him. He had a stack of score involvements and was one of the five Lions to get on the board in the first eight minutes. He finished with 23 touches and kicked 3.3. 8.5/10

(35) Ryan Lester: A quality contributor, Lester was heavily involved in the win from the start. Witness a strong defensive effort on the wing (a punch from behind) that helped set the mood. Quirkily, like Andrews, Lester had a rare shot at goal in the first term, but missed. 8/10

(44) Darcy Wilmot: He did his bit. He got enough of the ball and was more than solid in defence and playing as a link player. Thumbs up for an important player in Fagan’s all-conquering side. 6.5/10