Brisbane swiftly delivered a decisive blow to Carlton, yet tougher challenges lie ahead.

When Joe Frazier was punched by George Foreman, he once compared it to getting ran over by a Mack truck and having the driver reverse back over you ten times. On Saturday night, Carlton was dealt ten different variations of the same punch: they were pinned to the ropes, had to hack kick back to a wall of Lions, and had to watch as the ball flew back over their heads. Brisbane fights like way: they accumulate repeated entries and scrap like crazy to lock it in their forward line.

It was evident from Michael Voss’s opening remarks before the game that they would be taking chances. Despite their enormous odds of winning the championship, the Blues spoke as though they were all in.Sam Docherty took a chance with his knee. The soft tissues of Zac Williams and Adam Cerra were a risk. Hell, it was risky to tackle an accused auto thief.

Related: “Not over yet”: Sam Docherty lights up Carlton’s comeback game on a gloomy Brisbane night.

However, the Blues lost money when they hedged their bets. They left Tom De Koning fumbling with his headband on the bench, one of the few Blues who adds a little flair and unpredictableness. In a forward line of similar kinds, they left out Ashton Moir, a potential point of differentiation. Furthermore, they let Dayne Zorko, a dice-roller who always takes on and executes all the daring, angle-changing kicks, run wild in the first half because Alex Cincotta was also not chosen.

The Lions were in full Harlem Globetrotters mode for nearly an hour. They have such a great kicking group. They will prod, poke, and probe before thwacking and launching a lengthy ball. And then their forwards do their thing; tall, medium and small; swift or giraffe-like; airborne or on the ground; high up the pitch or surreptitiously out the back.

But the Lions are not a perfect team. Although they are quick openers, they have lost the double opportunity this year because they have lagged behind in the second half of games. They have suffered from both their delayed goalkicking and their incapacity to stop the momentum of the opposition. They don’t always have a backup plan, just like Big George.

Viewers were exposed to Campbell Brown MD’s orthopaedic skills (“he’s got a bit of claret”) when Jack Payne was hurt. The Blues, who at one point looked set to become the first team in the finals to go without a goal in the first half since players wore knickerbockers, had unexpectedly gone five games without a goal. The Lions were without a defender. However, the Blues were taken off guard when Oscar McInerney chipped a nine iron, the ball dropped into Kai Lohmann’s lap, and Carlton’s season was finished.

The fact that the Blues fans, who were in large numbers at the elimination final, had to endure a cacophony after each goal was one of their least favourite things. Although this columnist acknowledges that music is best enjoyed in the livelier Gabba and SCG, she is on record as being against it at the MCG. However, the last song you want to hear halfway through the second quarter when your team is behind by ten goals is “Hey Baby” by DJ Ötzi. Furthermore, they play longer pieces. The entire song is played. After 15 kicks, the Lions will be on their eighth, 25-meter chip, and John Denver will still have two verses left to sing.

It’s obvious that this Brisbane team is capable of doing significant harm. But the GWS Giants, who lost in one of the greatest championship games in recent history, will provide a significantly tougher challenge for them. This round was noteworthy for a number of reasons, including Hawthorn’s victory, Jeremy Cameron’s absurd goal, and Sam Docherty’s comeback. However, the Sydney Derby is a match that will stick in people’s memories for many years.

The crowd was captivated by Isaac Heeney’s amazing catch in the first half, but it was his long-range goal, his vertiginous plunge, his gut-busting running, and his Sergey Bubka imitation that elevated the game to new heights. When things weren’t going well, he’d managed to keep the Swans in the match.

Similar: Sydney pulls off an incredible comeback to overcome the GWS Giants and win the preliminary final

Heeney’s strategy ultimately involved sprinting slightly faster than the others in order to generate overlap and secure handball receptions. He ran for a long time without getting paid, but when it counted most, he was compensated.

That was the kind of battle that begs for a repeat, and one might very well take place at the MCG. However, the Giants must first get back up off the mat. Their games are consistently fierce. They make several demands of their opponents. They put tremendous pressure on you.

Brisbane, on the other hand, is a squad that aims for the early knockout and comes out swinging. However, they are still a team that is willing to give up, one that is vulnerable, and one that will face even greater pressure in their semifinal match than they did over the weekend.

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