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(7) Josh Daicos: It must be tough being the third-best Daicos in the family, but gee he was good in the first half. He wasn’t quite as good off half-back after the long break, but in the Pies’ best. 7/10
(8) Lachie Schultz: Did a lot of grunt work and threw himself at the ball, but someone needed to shut down the Lions’ rebound ace Darcy Wilmot and, to our eye, that looked like Schultz’s job. 4/10
(9) Dan Houston: Many thought this would be the stage for the boom recruit to finally display his wares. Sadly, he didn’t take the cues. The Pies needed him to provide drive but he was stuck in neutral. Put it down to first-year blues at his new club. 4/10
(10) Scott Pendlebury: It feels disrespectful to have to mark a champion of the game out of 10 when he was subbed out of the contest with a calf injury within the opening 10 minutes. So, we won’t. N/A
Scott Pendlebury was subbed out early – a massive moment in the match.Credit: AFL Photos
(12) Harry Perryman: Another Magpie defender who largely fulfilled his role, helping contain dangerous forward Kai Lohmann. But he lowered his colours when the game turned on its head in the last term. 5/10
(14) Darcy Cameron: If Tom De Koning is worth $1.7 million a year, this guy has to be worth $1.5m. He wins hitouts, plugs gaps, takes marks, and pushes forward. He’s close to Collingwood’s most important player – the Daicos brothers excluded, of course. 7/10
(17) Billy Frampton: Someone build this guy a statue as a monument to the Aussie battler. With his CV, he should be the weak link. Instead, the unsung backman held Collingwood together. Maybe they should have thrown him forward to stop the Harris Andrews marking fest. 6/10
Brody Mihocek, Steele Sidebottom and Brayden Maynard after the Pies’ loss.Credit: AFL Photos
(22) Steele Sidebottom: He showed his age. The nerves of Steele melted under pressure in the final term when he should have nailed a goal and butchered a pass instead. It was a very un-Sidebottom-like performance. He was outplayed and outclassed by Hugh McCluggage. 4/10
(25) Jack Crisp: He will be remembered as the record holder for most games played in succession, but, sadly, won’t be remembered for this game. He laid eight tackles, but it’s hard to know what his role is these days under McRae. Maybe he just needs a few weeks off. 5/10
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(28) Tim Membrey: We think he was helping Elliott find the ground in the first term (see Jamie Elliott entry above) because he didn’t rack up a stat in the opening quarter. He had a huge second term, but should have iced his third major at a crucial stage of the last term instead of passing to an under pressure Elliott. 5/10
(30) Darcy Moore: Statless in the first quarter – and that’s not what you want or expect from your skipper. The Lions forwards had done their homework and continually made him accountable. He was beaten by Logan Morris, who is hardly a household name, and also gave away a few scragging free-kicks. 4/10
(31) Beau McCreery: He’s an enigma. He looks so dangerous with the ball in hand because he’s got match-winning dash. But those hands simply don’t get the ball often enough. He laid five tackles. 5/10
(35) Nick Daicos: Anyone who says he doesn’t win his own ball can get in the bin. He was this game’s mini-Dangerfield in the first half, trying like hell to lift his team. Didn’t get any love from the umpires. 7/10
(38) Jeremy Howe: No hole was big enough for comeback kid Howe when he landed the first kick-in of the game in Josh Dunkley’s mitts for Brisbane’s first goal. Steadied the nerves and hit his straps for the next two quarters, but was cooked by the last term. 5/10
(41) Brody Mihocek: We don’t want to step on the big fella’s toes, or dislocated toe in this case, but his crook foot is holding him back. He looks a shadow of the great warrior who has carried the Magpies’ forward line in recent years. Missed a couple of early chances. 2/10
(44) Ned Long: The poster boy for perseverance fought hard for his position in the Collingwood team this year, gaining the selection nod over Tom Mitchell for his midfield grunt work (he laid nine tackles this game). But he tends to panic with the ball during these high-pressure games. 5/10
(46) Mason Cox: Part of the longest, and most anticipated score review in history when the guys upstairs finally ruled that his last-quarter toe-poke was a goal. Kicked two, but was no match for Andrews, who plucked 13 marks. 5/10
(No.45) Roan Steele (substitute): Must have got the shock of his life when he was subbed into the game after seven minutes, replacing injured former Pies skipper Pendlebury. Those are big shoes to fill, and he didn’t fill them. But mark it down as valuable experience. 5/10
Brisbane Lions
(1) Kai Lohmann: He brought good forward pressure early but faded through the second term. He missed a set shot in the third and later headed into the rooms. Fluffed a simple handball to Charlie Cameron in front of goal. An almost night. 4.5/10
(3) Jaspa Fletcher: Worked hard and played his role with discipline. A solid contributor who will be looking to add more run and spark off half-back next week. 6/10
(4) Callum Ah Chee: He showed brilliant intent all night and put in a crucial defensive act to save a goal in the first term on De Goey. Composed with ball in hand, he used it smartly at 100 per cent efficiency and proved a vital contributor to the Lions’ win. 8/10
Josh Dunkley and Will Ashcroft were key figures for the Lions.Credit: AFL Photos
(5) Josh Dunkley: Set the tone with the Lions’ first goal after pouncing on Howe’s turnover. A typically workmanlike performance, though he spent significant time on the bench in the third with a possible injury concern. Landed a huge tackle late and, as always, gave his heart and soul for the team. 7/10
(6) Hugh McCluggage: He was dominant early, beating Sidebottom in the opening quarter and racking up 22 touches by half-time. Brisbane’s standout performer, unstoppable at times and even hit the scoreboard. 9/10
(7) Jarrod Berry: Started well but dislocated his shoulder in the second quarter and took no further part. A blow for the Lions – he’s unlikely to play in the grand final. 4/10
(8) Will Ashcroft: Quiet by his lofty standards in the first half, but turned it on after the break with two classy third-quarter goals to create game-winning momentum for the Lions. 8/10
(10) Levi Ashcroft: Struggled to have his usual impact and gave away a costly 50-metre penalty in the second quarter. 5/10
(13) Logan Morris: Took the fight to Moore all night and made him accountable in the air. His neat kick to Charlie Cameron in the final term summed up his composure – it’s hard to believe he’s only 20. 7/10
(15) Dayne Zorko: A mixed bag. He ripped Cox’s glasses off, then gave away costly free kicks, including high contact on Schultz. His errors contributed to three Collingwood goals before half-time, but he responded well in the second half for the Lions and kicked the sealer. 5.5/10
Cam Rayner is one of the Lions’ big-game players.Credit: AFL Photos
(16) Cam Rayner: Kickless in the first half but turned match-winner after the break. He exploded in the third with 2.1, including a clever crumbed goal. He was a moments player who changed the game’s momentum. 7/10
(20) Sam Marshall: Honest and steady across the wing, he played his role without fuss. 5/10
(22) Ty Gallop: Kicked truly in the opening term and showed great composure, even selling some candy. He provided a strong contest and took a huge pack mark in the final quarter. Impressive for just his fifth AFL game. 7/10
(23) Charlie Cameron: Always lively inside 50 and capitalised on his chances to finish with a dangerous display. Five tackles showed his intent for the night. 6/10
(27) Darcy Gardiner: Strong early with three intercept marks in the first quarter, he held the Pies’ tall forwards in check with a typically reliable performance. 6/10
(31) Harris Andrews: Led from the back, getting space from Cox to impact contests. He was imposing in the third quarter with four intercept marks, and finished with nine intercepts and countless spoils. 9/10
(32) Darcy Fort: He struggled in the ruck and was often out-marked, and needed to compete harder against Darcy Cameron at times. 5/10
(33) Zac Bailey: Sparked the Lions’ surge with a clean crumb and goal to start the third quarter. He always looked dangerous in the forward half. 7/10
(35) Ryan Lester: Produced a goal-saving tackle on Mihocek in the first and kept up his trademark spoiling pressure across the night. He was fearless in the air. 6/10
(37) Brandon Starcevich: Kept Elliott quiet early, but the Pies forward lit up in the third with mark of the year. Responded with a huge courageous back-with-the-flight effort in the last. 5.5/10
(44) Darcy Wilmot: Electric in the first with 13 touches and plenty of drive. McCreery went to him after quarter-time and he gave away a poor 50-metre penalty, but still generated huge metres gained and finished with nine intercepts and seven inside 50’s. 7/10
(46) Oscar McInerney: Played mostly forward, he worked hard but struggled to have a huge impact. 5/10
(38) Bruce Reville (substitute): Subbed on in the second quarter for Berry and looked composed, playing his role effectively. 6/10
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