Conor McKenna’s Brisbane Lions produced their best away performance of the season to demolish Port Adelaide 73-152 in round 15 of the AFL season at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
The Lions have been a shadow of the team who were leading last year’s Grand Final with only four minutes remaining but have now won four of their past five matches.
With eight rounds of the regular season remaining, Brisbane in ninth place is just two points outside of the top eight finals spots and six points off the top four.
McKenna was consistent across the four quarters with a match tally of 20 disposals (18 kicks & 2 handballs), 7 marks, and he gained an impressive 493 metres, second only to teammate Darcy Wilmot.
Also on Saturday, Callum Brown played for Greater Western Sydney who lost their second derby of the season to the Sydney Swans 75-102.
The Giants finals hopes are hanging in the balance.
They are only one win outside the top four in fifth place on the season ladder, but they are one of a logjam of nine sides separated by only one win. Brown finished with 13 disposals (8 kicks & 5 handballs), 2 marks, and 3 tackles.
On Friday, Geelong’s season plummeted into a full-blown crisis following their 138-75 hammering by Carlton at the MCG.
The Cats in sixth spot have an 8-6 record for the season and are one win off reigning premiers Collingwood in fourth but four defeats in their past five matches does not augur well for the finals hopes.
Portlaoise veteran Zach Tuohy collected 15 disposals (8 kicks & 7 handballs), 2 marks, and a goal.
Kerry defender Mark O’Connor collected 9 disposals (7 kicks & 2 handballs), 3 marks, and 2 tackles.
Meath’s Oisin Mullin came off the interchange bench in the third quarter but didn’t make a big impact with 3 disposals (2 kicks & 1 handball) and 3 tackles in defence.
Tyrone defender Aidan Corr was in action for the North Melbourne Kangaroos in their 70-67 defeat to Melbourne at the MCG on Saturday.
The Kangaroos remain rooted to the bottom of the ladder with one win for the season, but they appear to have turned the corner with more competitive performances in recent weeks.
Corr finished with 12 disposals (11 kicks & 1 handball), 8 marks, and 2 tackles.