Brisbane defeated Carlton by 30 points at the Gabba on Sunday evening in a scintillating display of footy which gave the Lions their fourth victory of the season.
Aside from a shambolic third quarter in which the Blues showed signs of making a comeback, Brisbane dominated the majority of the match and played some its best footy under new coach Chris Fagan.
The usual suspects stood out for the Lions but more of the youngsters stood out, with both Cedric Cox and Alex Witherden also kicking their first goals in the AFL.
Here are five points worth discussing after the victory including the brilliance of the two Daynes, Zorko and Beams.
1. Dayne Zorko is the modern Akermanis
Jason Akermanis is my favourite Brisbane player of all-time and he was an absolute freak. "Aker" was a player capable of producing something out of nothing and scoring the impossible goals but he was also fortunate to have played in a dominant Lions team.
Zorko does not have the bleached hair or the arrogant attitude of Akermanis but he does have the X-factor that the premiership hero had. Unfortunately "The Magician" has played in a Brisbane team that has often struggled so he does not often earn the media plaudits that he deserves.
Out of his three goals scored against Carlton, Zorko's left-foot snap after collecting the ball from Josh Walker's hit-out was the best of the lot.
2. The Daynes are the Keys to Victory
The aforementioned Zorko as well as Brisbane captain Dayne Beams are the most important players in the Lions squad and the game against Carlton was once again proof of that.
Zorko had 26 disposals including 17 in the first half, gained 665 metres, made five clearances, laid five tackles, kicked three goals, and provided two assists while being on the ground for 75 per cent of the time.
Beams made two lacklustre mistakes in the defence in the third quarter otherwise he was another decisive player for the Lions. He had 30 possessions including 10 in the final quarter, took 10 marks, and kicked three goals. His best goal was the one he kicked from more than 50 metres near the end of the first quarter.
3. Brisbane's Lower Tier of Players and Youngsters Also Thrived
Although Zorko and Beams were the match-winners of this Brisbane side, it has been great seeing the lesser names or much-maligned players perform well as well as the abundance of youngsters coming through.
One of the most maligned footballers at the Lions is utility player Ryan Lester. The 24-year-old has not had a clear role in the team and has usually struggled for consistency but he was confident at both ends of the ground against Carlton. He collected 26 disposals, one shy of his career high of 27 against Sydney in 2013, took nine marks, kicked a goal, and had a disposal efficiency of 92 per cent.
Another player who is starting to find a role at Brisbane is Jake Barrett. The 21-year-old joined the club from Greater Western Sydney and despite only getting 16 possessions, he displayed great effort and intent, as personified but his crumbing goal in the final quarter.
This match will also be significant because youngster Alex Witherden and Cedric Cox kicked their first goals in AFL footy. The former touched the footy 22 times and once again showed composure when kicking the ball from the back.
4. Cox Needs to be Utilised More
Cedric Cox was drafted from North Ballarat Rebels in the 2016 AFL draft like fellow youngster Hugh McCluggage and Jarrod Berry but has only played four games so far in 2017.
The 19-year-old had 18 possessions with a disposal efficiency of 89 per cent, laid five tackles, made seven intercepts, and kicked a sensational goal. His goal came from a kick out of Carlton's defence from Kade Simpson, which he marked. Cox then played on and kicked a goal on the right side of the 50-metre arc.
The goal epitomised his play. Cox is a player who adds speed and directness to Brisbane's play and he can be a hard player to control once he gains more AFL experience.
5. Rockliff Nullified Gibbs
To stop Carlton from getting the four points, one of the players Brisbane had to stop was Bryce Gibbs. The Blues midfielder had collected more than 30 disposals a game in the last five rounds, including the win against Gold Coast in which he gathered 43 possessions.
Fagan assigned Tom Rockliff to tagging Gibbs and it limited the impact of the 28-year-old around the ground. 'Rocky' only had 10 disposals but laid five tackles and had four score involvements. Gibbs only had eight disposals and just three score involvements.
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