Brisbane’s stars have been accused of lacking composure as damning footage showed players blow multiple moments late in their thrilling one-point Opening Round loss to Carlton.
And it’s not the first time the Lions have faltered in the dying stages, with statistics showing the side has now lost seven of their past 11 matches decided by 10 points or less – including last year’s grand final defeat to Collingwood.
On Saturday, Brisbane opened up a six-goal lead in the first term before being rundown by the Blues at the Gabba – their first loss at home in more than a year.
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Fox Footy’s Leigh Montagna, who highlighted Brisbane’s struggles late in games last season, questioned if the club had worked on finding a fix for 2024 after coughing up eight of the last 10 goals against Carlton.
“I would have thought their whole pre-season would have been focusing on the little attention to detail,” he said on AFL 360.
“They haven’t been able to finish the job when they’ve needed to – so what have they learnt from the premiers, Collingwood who are the best at it by a mile?
“I’m wondering have they learnt?”
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Montagna highlighted vision of Lions’ Jarrod Berry, Josh Dunkley and Hugh McCluggage all opting to play on late in the contest – despite senior teammates Charlie Cameron, Dayne Zorko and Harris Andrews all appealing for them to slow the play down.
Instead, all three produced turnovers.
And when Carlton’s Harry McKay marked late in the contest as Brisbane failed to have a spare man back, it was the Blues who took the lead and hung on for the win.
“You don’t need to ice the game for six and a half minutes,” Montagna said of the Lions’ turnovers.
“What Collingwood would do is value time. They’d take a minute, minute and a half off the clock, get their defenders set up behind the ball, get organised and seal the game from there.
“If they had of just been able to milk that time, there may not have been that opportunity (for McKay).
“Harry McKay has this big paddock in front of him (without the spare man back) and that’s the winning goal.
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“I’m thinking for a team at the pointy end of the competition for six years now, they should have this down pat.
“How to close out a game, what it should look like.
“They were just on a different page.
“I’d like to think on the field – you see Zorko (saying) slow it down, Harris Andrews (signalling) slow it down. But the players in that moment didn’t have the composure.
“They’ve got to improve that part of their game.
“Whether they like it or not, the numbers are stacking up now. They’ve won four of their last 11 games decided by 10 points or less.
It’s a trend.”
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Fellow AFL 360 panellist David King agreed the Lions need a better set up late in the contest.
“You need an understanding. They’ve played enough footy now to know,” he said.
“However they do it, they need to have an intercept marker directing everything.”
Last year, Montagna said Lions players appeared “confused” with what the plan was late in tight contests.
“It’s got nothing to do with their talent, nothing to do with their system. The question mark revolves around their leadership and whether they can get it done in the big moments,” he said after the club’s loss to Melbourne in July.
“I’m thinking to myself a team that’s been on top for five years that are trying to win a flag, that should be automatic what they are doing to save a game.”
Brisbane have now lost their opening game of the season for the ninth time since 2013.
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