First ball-up
Brisbane ruck Sam Draper and Adelaide big man Lachlan McAndrew lock horns in the centre circle as the AFL semi-final gets under way at the Gabba.
The Welcome to Country is complete. The national anthem is being belted out. And here are the two lineups as named wit the first ball-up a couple of minutes away:
Brisbane
FB: 22 Ty Gallop, 31 Harris Andrews, 35 Ryan Lester
HB: 44 Darcy Wilmot, 27 Darcy Gardiner, 15 Dayne Zorko
C: 7 Jarrod Berry, 8 Will Ashcroft, 33 Zac Bailey
HF: 23 Charlie Cameron, 13 Logan Morris, 4 Oscar Allen
FF: 30 Eric Hipwood, 16 Cam Rayner, 1 Kai Lohmann
FOLL: 32 Darcy Fort, 5 Josh Dunkley, 9 Lachie Neale
INT: 2 Sam Draper, 3 Jaspa Fletcher, 6 Hugh McCluggage, 10 Levi Ashcroft, 26 Conor McKenna
Adelaide
FB: 16 Max Michalanney, 35 James Borlase, 24 Josh Worrell
HB: 29 Rory Laird, 48 Mark Keane, 30 Wayne Milera
C: 6 Daniel Curtin, 12 Jordan Dawson, 15 Brayden Cook
HF: 8 Josh Rachele, 7 Riley Thilthorpe, 2 Ben Keays
FF: 4 Callum Ah Chee, 13 Taylor Walker, 32 Darcy Fogarty
FOLL: 42 Lachlan McAndrew, 23 Izak Rankine, 3 Sam Berry
INT: 28 Alex Neal-Bullen, 14 Jake Soligo, 19 Zac Taylor, 27 Luke Nankervis, 40 Hugo Hall-Kahan
Brisbane are now on the long road to an AFL premiership three-peat as they host Adelaide at the Gabba with a preliminary final clash against Hawthorn up for grabs. I went on a deep dive into how the semi-final between the Lions and Crows will be won – and lost …
The Lions’ woes this year have often started with defending their own turnovers and they are ranked in the bottom-four for points conceded from the source. With Lachie Neale – the No 1-ranked centre clearance player in the league – leading the onball brigade, they can usually rely on getting the ball going their way from the middle. But even the star-studded midfield misfired against the Swans as they were outscored 39-6 from centre ball-ups. Will Ashcroft, Hugh McCluggage and Neale were all well below their best and will be eager to respond.
The Crows have had recent troubles against the Lions with only two wins in 10 matches since 2018, and five losses from as many meetings at the Gabba in that time. But this is the first time the two teams have crossed paths in a final for 23 years, and Adelaide now have a defence made for finals as the second-best side for points conceded this year. Turning that reliable defence into regular attack remains a concern with the Crows ranked in the bottom-four for defensive-50 to inside-50 chains – just the weakness in the Lions’ game they should target after the Swans exploited it so well.
Related: AFL finals: where the Brisbane v Adelaide semi-final will be won and lost | Martin Pegan
Brisbane and Adelaide players are finishing their warm up at the Gabba with the first ball-up about 15 minutes away.
Brisbane host Adelaide in a semi-final at the Gabba tonight after losing their grip on a home preliminary final with a disastrous display against an undermanned Sydney last week. Jonathan Horn looked at how the Lions failed to heed the warning coming from their coach. And how Adelaide and their coach Matthew Nicks withstood the pressure raining down on the club.
Chris Fagan was seething on Saturday night. His team had lost for just the second time since May. They’d lost to a club whose chair had just a few weeks ago declared their season “torpedoed”. But Fagan has been around football long enough not to buy into that. He spent most of the buildup to the qualifying final warning his players and the commentariat that Sydney shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Fagan knows his own players inside out, and he knows they’re at their most vulnerable when the task before them seems straightforward. He can tell early whether the imperial Brisbane has turned up, or the complacent Brisbane. He says he can tell by their reaction times, by their energy and urgency at stoppages, by whether his defenders are on their heels or their toes. Sydney had six goals on the board before Lachie Neale had touched the ball, and Fagan’s careworn face said it all.
Related: The complacent Lions reappear as the Swans show they have spirit amid the turmoil | Jonathan Horn
Final teams are in with no late changes.
Brisbane resisted the urge to swing mass changes after their dismal display in the qualifying final defeat to Sydney. Defender Ty Gallop has been recalled, after making way for gun midfielder Hugh McCluggage to return to face the Swans last week, with Noah Answerth forced out with an ankle injury.
Adelaide has dropped Isaac Cumming with Zac Taylor returning after a quick recovery from a hamstring issue.
ICYMI: Geelong missing out on an 11th preliminary final in 16 seasons under coach Chris Scott was just the beginning of a weekend of bad news for the club with Zak Butters nominating Western Bulldogs as his preferred destination in a move from Port Adelaide. Butters had reportedly narrowed his choice down to the Bulldogs and the Cats before settling on the club he supported as a child. The 26-year-old has reportedly been offered a nine-year deal worth up to $2m per season to join Marcus Bontempelli and Ed Richards in a suddenly mouth-watering Dogs engine room.
The Power have the right to match the bid for the restricted free agent Butters and force the Bulldogs into a trade. But it would be a shock if the two sides don’t find some common ground and the Bulldogs were quick to confirm the three-time All Australian’s desire to move to Whitten Oval. “Port Adelaide midfielder Zak Butters has informed the Western Bulldogs of his desire to join the club,” the club said. “The club will work with Port Adelaide to facilitate a suitable outcome during the upcoming player movement period.”
We’ll be in for an absolute treat of a finals weekend if this semi-final between Brisbane and Adelaide can match what we saw last night at Optus Stadium. Jonathan Horn reported on Fremantle’s victory against Geelong in an all-time classic.
There’s been some pandemonic nights at Optus Stadium, but nothing that could match this. Fremantle is through to a preliminary final after a semi of the highest quality and the utmost tension.
It was simultaneously free-wheeling and nerve-jangling – both high scoring and high pressure. It activated Wharfie Time for just the second time this year, but it wasn’t really needed. The noise was cacophonous, the tension excruciating and the result ultimately just.
Related: Fremantle keep AFL premiership dream alive with win against Geelong in finals classic
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the AFL semi-final between Brisbane and Adelaide. The winner of this clash will face the Hawks at the MCG in a preliminary final where either the battle-hardened Lions will be hoping to reach a fourth consecutive grand final, or the Crows will be out to claim a spot in a first decider since 2017.
The Lions are still on the path toward a premiership three-peat though now taking a longer route after their shock loss to the Swans in a qualifying final last week. A home semi-final at the Gabba is not the worst of scenarios though Chris Fagan’s side would have been hoping – and, the coach suspects, some players were expecting – to host a preliminary final instead. But Brisbane have shown even during their current era of success that they can blow hot and cold at times – and they were almost exhaling ice last week at the SCG.
The Crows have momentum behind them after breaking through for a first finals victory since 2017 in a tense win against the Bulldogs. That triumph relieved some of the pressure after their straight-sets finals exit as minor premiers last season, as well as pushing away the clouds that were hovering over coach Matthew Nicks following reports that his reign was on a knife’s edge heading into the elimination final in front of home fans. Adelaide will of course want their season to continue beyond their trip to the Gabba, but the sense is that the pressure is now all on the two-time reigning premiers.
First ball-up will be at 7.35pm in Brisbane or 7.05pm ACST for those following from the Crows’ heartland. I’ll drop in the team news shortly. Meanwhile, shoot me an email with your thoughts and predictions. Let’s get into it!
