ENGIE STADIUM -- The Brisbane Lions have pulled off one of the greatest finals comebacks in AFL history, storming from 44 points down to stun the GWS Giants at the death.
The Lions looked all but beaten midway through the third term of Saturday night's semifinal, before rallying home in dramatic scenes in western Sydney. Chris Fagan's side will now face Geelong next Saturday night at the MCG for a place in the 2024 Grand Final.
Here's four things we learned from the game:
Joe Daniher really is a big time, big game player
Brisbane had gallantly fought back in the second half, but remained desperate for a hero that would propel them into a preliminary final. Up stepped Joe Daniher, the often maligned, sometimes careless and erratic key forward, proving the difference at the death.
With four minutes to play, and the Lions trailing by seven points, Daniher was awarded a free kick on the boundary, 35m from goal, after GWS key defender Sam Taylor's slap to the line was pinged for insufficient intent. Daniher turned around and calmly slotted it, sending the travelling Brisbane fans into a frenzy.
Then, 90 seconds later, he clunked a contested mark 25m out directly in front of goal, beating Taylor in a one-on-one contest to set up what would be the go-ahead shot. Once again, no mistakes. Two goals in two minutes, and just like that, the Lions were in front.
Perhaps it was fitting Daniher was the one to win a contest on the wing in the dying seconds as the Giants were desperately searching for their own winner. He picked the ball up and swung his left boot through it, sending it Brisbane's attacking side of the centre circle and completing the most remarkable finals comeback.
Daniher's fulltime stat line read 13 disposals, four goals, and six score involvements. It wasn't a perfect game. As he's prone to doing, Daniher made some head-scratching errors at times, but when the game was there to be won, he grasped it with both hands and proved he is a man for the biggest of moments.
The Giants look to be mentally weak, and this finals series will haunt their offseason
Two weeks. Two truly heartbreaking losses. How do the Giants recover from this? It's the question that will be asked and pondered all offseason.
GWS held commanding positions in both its finals, leading for a staggering 90% of game time across the two clashes, and yet exit September with an 0-2 record.
The Giants held a 28-point lead against crosstown rival Sydney in their qualifying final, only to be overrun in the last term by the desperate Swans. It was déjà vu on Saturday night, this time from an even more dominant position. From the 19-minute mark of the third quarter, they were outscored 11 goals to three, watching a 44-point lead evaporate in what seemed like the blink of an eye.
Over the last eight days the Giants have proven to be mentally weak and unable to find the finish line in the biggest moments. It's meant they have choked away their chance of contending for one of the most wide-open premierships in recent memory.
Is that on coach Adam Kingsley? Is it on captain Toby Greene? How much falls on Brent Daniels for his mind-boggling decision to take advantage -- giving up a shot 10m out directly in front of goal -- by soccering a ball out of midair in the final 15 minutes? Every Giant has to take responsibility for this unceremonious finals exit. Every Giant will be feeling the pain over the course of what will feel like the longest offseason in footy history.
Every single club (including Geelong next week) should tag Lachie Neale
The Lions have match winners and game breakers on every line, but nobody does it with more regularity than co-captain Lachie Neale.
In eight days, Neale may well be presented with a third Brownlow Medal, becoming just the fifth player, and first in 53 years, to achieve the ultra-rare feat. There's a very real argument to be made he's the best player in the sport.
Neale is the fire starter for Brisbane. Always at the coalface. Always feeding the ball to the outside. No surprise, he's also the Lions' barometer. Since the start of 2022, Brisbane is a staggering 25-1 in games Neale has amassed at least 32 disposals. When he has 25 or fewer, their record is 12-12-1. When Neale has 15+ contested possessions, the Lions are 25-6. When he has 12 or fewer, they're 13-10. It's a similar story with his clearances. Brisbane wins 86% of games where he has 10+, compared to 62% when he doesn't.
The Giants are one of the few teams who consistently opt to tag the star midfielder. Toby Bedford had been given the job before and on Saturday night was rushed back into the side to do it again. And while the Lions still found a way to miraculously prevail, there was proof that your best chance to beat them is by shutting down their superstar midfielder.
Neale finished with 19 disposals, 12 contested possessions, and seven clearances, but nothing came easy for him all night. Everything appeared rushed and without much control. The Bedford tag was the right move by Kingsley, and if you play that game out from halfway through the third term 100 times, the Giants win 99 of them.
Geelong must put attention into Neale in next Saturday night's preliminary final. If they allow him to run amok on the MCG, the Lions will be heading back to the Grand Final. Stick that in a time capsule and open it in seven days.
Brisbane absolutely thrives when the pressure is off
Pressure. It's staggering how it makes the best teams buckle. It's equally remarkable how those same teams are able to perform when it's released.
Compared to many of their recent finals series, the pressure was off Brisbane in 2024. Sure, there's a desperation to make amends for last year's heartbreaking Grand Final defeat, but finishing the home and away season outside the top four meant they entered September with almost no expectation they'd be returning to the AFL's grandest stage.
And it might just be what helps take them over the edge for the first time in the Chris Fagan era. We know this side hasn't thrived under pressure in recent years. Entering this game, the Lions were 1-3 in away finals and 3-5 in win-or-go-home finals. Perhaps their greatest failure came in 2020 when they fluffed a golden chance to play a Grand Final on their home deck.
When Lachie Ash kicked a goal at the 18-minute mark of the third quarter, this semifinal felt all but over. The Giants were running rings around them, having opened up a seemingly insurmountable 44-point lead.
In a weird sort of way, the pressure of a do-or-die semifinal was released. Nobody gave them a chance from here. Nobody could have envisaged one of the greatest comebacks in finals history. Brisbane responded with five goals in the space of eight minutes, cutting the deficit to just 13 points in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, the 'Orange Tsunami' had dried up and the game was being played on their terms.
It was a similar story in the final term after the Giants kicked the first goal to open up a four-goal lead. But once again, the Lions responded, kicking five straight to complete one of the most unimaginable comebacks in finals history.
We know this team is good enough to beat anyone. After all, nobody boasts more wins than the Lions over the last five years. On Saturday night they proved it once more. You just cannot write this team off.