Four things to learn from Lions win

Aside from a burst late in the fourth quarter, Essendon never seemed to be in the game as a star-studded squad led by Lachie Neal (40 disposals, seven clearances, two assists) dominated the first three quarters for Brisbane.

McClurg (29 disposals, five clearances) and Will Ashcroft (30 disposals, three clearances, one assist) also played well, playing with great enthusiasm for large parts of the game.

“He (Neil) gets a lot of attention but he keeps improving. He played great tonight, Will Ashcroft played great tonight and the guys in the stoppage time played great,” said Fagan.

After winning nine straight games, the Lions were beaten back to square one two weeks ago against the Giants when they failed to continue their clear advantage, but this week they proved that they lived up to expectations with their strength.

Their advantage in clearing the field set the stage for their forward attack, where they cleared the field 45 times to the Bombers’ 25; they cleared the field 62 times inside the 50-yard line to the Bombers’ 47 times.

However, Lions coach Chris Fagan was once again forced to lament his side’s inaccuracy in front of goal – an issue that has plagued them in recent weeks and cost them a top-four finish.

“What was even more frustrating was that we had 32 shots and only kicked four, and the game shouldn’t have been that close,” Fegan said.

“I’m a little disappointed with what’s happened in the last three weeks because it’s cost us a chance of getting into the top four. But at the same time, we finished fifth, we’re in the home final and when you consider where we are mid-season it’s been a massive effort from the guys.

“We are in good shape so we should remain optimistic, but now we have to do something more difficult.”

“I’m not going to play the replay and show them the missed goal, but the good news is we didn’t lose confidence because of it. We kept playing well, which is what I wanted to see the most … until the last quarter and we did see that.”

Cameron’s performance is crucial to history

If the Lions are to find their feet heading into the final game of the season, they will need Charlie Cameron to continue his form in Brisbane.

The big forward started the game strong and ended the game with three goals, 13 disposals and one assist.

After squandering so many advantages in the previous two weeks, his left-footed goal early in the second period kept the team’s momentum going, a goal that was crucial.

Whether Cameron can break the deadlock with a winning move will determine whether the Lions can win the championship title that has eluded them for more than two decades.

If that is to be achieved, the 30-year-old’s form will need to mimic much of what he showed on Saturday night.

“I think he’s been working hard in practice and holding up under pressure. He’s been out a little more this year than usual and I don’t think there’s a huge difference in his shot count this year versus last year,” Feigen said.

“But he’s also a very good facilitator and I thought he did a really good job tonight. He looked confident and happy and back to his normal self.”

What will the Lions be facing?

Brisbane’s win confirmed they will win the knockout round at home, but who that opponent will be remains to be seen.

The Bulldogs, Carlton and Fremantle will all play on Sunday and the results of their games will determine who gets to step foot at the Gabba.

If all three teams emerge victorious, the Lions will face the Blues in a repeat of last year’s preliminary final.

The Dockers and Bulldogs are aiming for upset wins over Port Adelaide and Greater Western Sydney respectively, with results for both teams potentially having a real shake-up in the table.

But Fagan believes that no matter who the opponent is, if there is still a year that a champion can be born outside the top four, it is 2024.

“It feels like that, doesn’t it? Because it’s been an up and down year,” Feigen said.

“I believe if we play at our best we can get a good result. We didn’t go into the final thinking we had no chance, we believed in ourselves and I believed in our players.”