The Ashcroft name returns to the premiership podium with Will’s Norm Smith win, Eric Hipwood channels Jason Akermanis and loyal servant Dayne Zorko finally gets his moment.
Here are the quick hits from the Brisbane Lions’ dominant victory over the Sydney Swans in the 2024 AFL grand final.
1. No man like Lohmann
Kai Lohmann slotted twice in a minute to cancel out Will Hayward and Tom Papley’s opening goals. (Getty Images: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)
According to his profile on the Brisbane website, Kai Lohmann “will be looking to become a regular for the Lions in 2024”.
After his play this season, that was well and truly secured. After his performance in the preliminary final against Geelong, he was a fan favourite. After his start to the grand final, Gabba curators might have to start clearing space for a statue.
Forward-line veterans Charlie Cameron and Joe Daniher missed set shots from inside 50 before Will Hayward and Tom Papley, so the 21-year-old took it on himself to get his team back on target.
A steady set shot from a similar spot where Cameron missed followed by a composed effort on his left in the space of a minute got the Lions on top.
He added the first goal after the break to make sure of the lead and only a tight-angle miss kept the Lions fans from blowing the roof off the MCG, although the reaction to a high-flying fourth-quarter mark gave it a nudge.
2. Lions ignite in second quarter
Callum Ah Chee was a constant presence early for the Lions. (Getty Images: Robert Cianflone/AFL Photos)
Immediately after potting his first goal of the game midway through the second term, Joe Daniher out-muscled Brodie Grundy in the ruck and snapped straight to Callum Ah Chee, who nailed his shot from just outside the 50m arc.
Three kicks for 12 points. Sixteen kicks later, the Lions had three more goals.
Hayden McLean had a chance to wrest back some momentum for Sydney at the other end, but after he missed from 40 metres out and right in front, Brisbane stormed up the other end and 19-year-old Logan Morris slotted the Lions’ sixth straight.
All told, the Lions kicked seven goals to Sydney’s one in the quarter as an eight-point quarter-time lead became 46 by the long break.
3. Hipwood channels Aker
Eric Hipwood’s (right) celebration was a clear homage to Lions great Jason Akermanis (left). (AFL.com.au/Getty Images)
Everything was going right for the Lions in the second quarter and perhaps nowhere was that more evident than in Eric Hipwood’s goal.
The red-hot Kai Lohmann selflessly gave the ball up in the forward right pocket, and it looked like Hipwood might have wasted the generosity as he slipped over.
But the lanky forward regained his feet, ran himself into an impossibly tight angle, chucked it on his left boot and it somehow never looked like missing.
He spun around to the crowd, put one hand over his mouth and the other on top of his head.
Immediately Lions fans were transported back to 2005, when club legend Jason Akermanis celebrated the second of two worldies against Geelong with the same gesture.
The goal might not have been quite as good, but the moment couldn’t have been bigger.
4. McDonald eventually succumbs
Despite the comfortable win, young Sydney star Logan McDonald ended the preliminary final against Port Adelaide with a thousand-mile stare on the bench.
Logan McDonald (top) carried an ankle injury into the grand final. (Getty Images: Michael Willson/AFL Photos)
The hefty ice pack on his left ankle told the tale as to why.
The 22-year-old did all he needed to do to line up in the grand final but, unable to impact the game in a dominant first half from Brisbane, McDonald had to admit defeat at half-time.
The Swans were forced to activate sub Braeden Campbell and things just got worse from there.
5. Rayn-maker
Despite the utter dominance from the Lions, we arguably didn’t get the definitive highlight of the game until deep in the third quarter.
Joe Daniher put his booming left boot through the ball from the midfield and Eric Hipwood settled into a contest with Tom McCartin under the ball near the goal square.
But Cam Rayner saw his moment and soared as he has done so many times in the past, using McCartin’s back as a ladder to the clouds and ignoring the late-arriving Nick Blakey to pull down a stunning mark.
And, perhaps most importantly, he put an exclamation mark on the play by snapping home the goal as the rampage continued.
6. Daniher ices it
The game was decided long before Joe Daniher snapped home the final goal of the match to make it a 60-point lead inside the last 2 minutes, but the way he celebrated, you’d swear he’d just kicked the match-winner.
His teammates also ran from all parts of the ground to hug the big 30-year-old.
Considering the rumours of an impending retirement, it felt like an extra special moment for the former Bomber.
7. Ashcroft makes history
In such a dominant performance across the field, picking the best on ground becomes a mission in personal opinion.
Do you reward the performance in the first half when the game was still up for grabs? Do you award extra points for the players who broke it open? Do you recognise the defenders who kept the opposition from ever truly threatening?
Callum Ah Chee and Kai Lohmann could have easily been named Norm Smith medallist for their four-goal efforts, so too could Lachie Neale for another composed performance all around the ground, or his co-captain Harris Andrews or Brandon Starcevich for building a brick wall in the defensive 50.
Instead, voters chose almost unanimously that Will Ashcroft was their man, with four of five judges giving him their three votes for his one-goal, 30-disposal, five-clearance performance.
And just like that, history was made as 20-year-old Ashcroft, the son of three-time premiership player Marcus, became the youngest man to have Norm draped around his neck.
8. An honour for the most faithful of servants
Dayne Zorko (second from right) has played for the Lions since 2012. (Getty Images: Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos)
The Brisbane Lions have been hailed for their recruitment as they rebuilt the team from the dark days in the 2010s to a premiership force.
But one presence as constant as the maroon, blue and gold through all that has been Dayne Zorko.
The diminutive midfielder debuted in 2012 and endured seven straight seasons finishing between 12th and 18th, but the five-time club champion stuck it out in Brisbane and never stopped trying.
As the Lions celebrated their first moment with the premiership cup in two decades, coach Chris Fagan made a point of calling Zorko up to lift the trophy alongside captains Lachie Neale and Harris Andrews.
