Brisbane maul Hawks in impressive MCG showing

In Chris Fagan's 200th game as head coach, the Lions reminded the competition that they are still on track to defend their premiership, with a solid 33-point win over the Hawks in front of 57,919 fans.

After an ordinary fortnight, where the Lions drew with lowly North Melbourne and then suffered a shock defeat against Melbourne, Brisbane took to the MCG as underdogs in a clash that had massive ramifications for the top 4 standings as the halfway stage of the season draws closer.

The Lions were looking to break a 5 game losing streak against the Hawks and did so with an explosive display of free-flowing football that left the Hawks shell-shocked and unable to answer the challenge in the Sir Doug Nicholls Round clash at the MCG.

The Lions started the contest the better in the first quarter, racing to a 13-point lead in the blink of an eye, scoring 3 times from 5 forward 50 entries, with young key forward Logan Morris the beneficiary with 2 goals.

The Hawks steadied after the early onslaught, through goals to Connor MacDonald and Josh Weddle that saw them take a four-point lead at quarter time, as momentum looked to have swung.

After a tight tussle for the early part of the second quarter, the Brisbane Lions blew the game apart with 4 goals in a five-minute burst that saw them race to a 23-point half time lead.

After a quiet start to the 2025 season, mercurial small forward Charlie Cameron lit up the MCG in the twilight conditions, kicking 3 goals in short succession during the second quarter as he showed the competition that there is indeed no hangover for the two-time All-Australian member.

Not only was he pivotal in attack for Brisbane, but his defensive efforts to get back and support his backline would have left Chris Fagan pleased with the work rate of the small forward.

Brisbane dominated the midfield battle against the Hawks, with Lachie Neale, Will Ashcroft and Hugh McCluggage all having a massive impact, as the Lions won the clearances and territory battle with ease, as the Hawks continued to struggle to deal with the loss of influential midfielder Will Day.

Neale, the two-time Brownlow medal winner, was at his blistering best throughout the round 11 clash, commanding the midfield, ending the night with 5 clearances and 5 score involvements from his 32 touches.

Hugh McCluggage continued his sensational form for the Lions, registering 11 clearances and 8 score involvements from his 24 disposals, while Will Ashcroft had 8 clearances and a goal from his 26 touches as he backed up his Norm Smith Medal performance from the last time he played on the MCG.

Key pillars Harris Andrews and Jack Paine held Jack Gunston and Mabior Chol goalless as they controlled the airways and repelled many of the Hawks' forward 50 entries.

Dayne Zorko controlled the backline for the Lions, where he was able to rebound at will, leading the disposals with 33 touches, 9 marks and a massive 996 metres gained as the Hawks struggled to contain his influence on the game.

For the Hawks, it was a game of missed opportunities, where they couldn't take advantage of their chances in the front half, while also struggling to withstand the pressure that was thrown their way by the reigning premiers.

In attack, the Hawks continually chose the wrong options when looking to enter their forward 50, with often one too many handballs or running too far before kicking to a target, while in defence their efforts were lacking, as they laid a combined total of 36 tackles for the evening, with 9 players failing to register a single tackle.

For the Hawks, there were not too many winners on the night, as the team struggled to live up to the hype of the favourites in the clash, and many players couldn't impact the game as needed.

Josh Weddle was the standout for the Hawks, helping to drag them back into the contest with his hard running and ability to take the game on, especially in the third quarter when the Hawks tried to rally a comeback.

He ended the night with 23 touches, 5 score involvements and a goal as he continued his role of playing across many different lines for the Hawks.

The experienced duo of Harry Morrison and key defender Tom Barrass were among the Hawks' best on the evening. Their performance will leave the Hawks' coaching unit with more questions than answers as they look to find the form that saw them storm into the finals in 2024.

The win sees the Lions jump to 8 wins, 2 losses, and a draw and are now a game and a half clear of 4th place ahead of the short turnaround before next Thursday evening's clash against the Bombers at the Gabba. The loss sees the Hawks fall back into the pack for a top 8 position as they look at a tough stretch of games with Collingwood, the Western Bulldogs, and Adelaide waiting before their mid-season bye.