IF THE value of ruckmen is a perennial in modern football, this is the year the big men hit back. Todd Goldstein's form for North Melbourne is exhibit A.
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Exhibit B is what happens when you don't really have an effective one: see Essendon, for much of the year. And the Western Bulldogs, who are desperate to land one in the trade period.
In a bizarre, see-sawing and relentlessly entertaining contest at the Gabba, Stefan Martin (exhibit C) ruthlessly exposed the Bulldogs' weak link, dominating Jordan Roughead in the air and around the ground. He was the chief instigator behind an amazing Lions upset victory.
It will make no difference to the Bulldogs, who will play Adelaide at home regardless after the Crows' loss to Geelong at the Cattery. But it's not the way they would want to go into the finals. The ramifications were all at the lower end of the ladder, with the result all but ensuring that Carlton gets the wooden spoon.
In a match that featured more than a dozen lead changes, the best and worst of both sides was on display. Let's start with the worst, because no one would have thought the Lions were capable of turning this contest around after the first quarter, during which the Dogs kicked eight straight to open up a 31-point break.
Most of them came directly from gross unforced errors, with Dayne Zorko and Marco Paparone especially culpable. Paparone at one stage kicked backwards to the teeth of goal, to a contest, and managed to regain possession only to then send the ball straight to Liam Picken. The normally skilful Zorko gave away three goals on his own.
But in all other departments of the game other than the scoreboard, the Lions were in front. Their midfield ran rings around the vaunted Bulldogs all game, finishing with 441 disposals to 313. Clearances were 53-32, thanks largely to Martin, who finished with 32 disposals and 50 hitouts to be a clear best on ground.
It took 15 minutes and six goals, six behinds for the Lions to obliterate that deficit and turn the game on its head. At that point, 14 Bulldogs hadn't touched the ball for the quarter; uncontested possessions read an astonishing 55-7 in the Lions' favour. The Dogs may have paused to reflect on leaving so much experience back home.
Several Lions had their best games for the season. Where has the form that Daniel Rich, whose pinpoint kicking into attack was a standout, been all year? Jed Adcock, a former captain playing his last game for the club, kicked four goals, including a three-bounce effort in the last quarter. He may yet get an encore in new colours.
Pearce Hanley and Tom Rockliff had the ball on a string, both inside and outside the contest. Lewis Taylor kicked three crucial goals and was like a buzzing fly all game. The Lions moved the ball quickly - too quick, even, for one of the slickest units in the competition.
But the biggest difference between the two sides was efficiency, and that's why the Bulldogs still nearly managed to win. There was their accuracy in front of goal, for starters, that kept them in the contest up until the end. And there was the Lions' continued propensity to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with schoolboy errors.
They also had Marcus Bontempelli. It is hard to believe this 19-year-old prodigy is in just his second year of senior football, and he was probably the only winner for the Bulldogs. He floated all over the field, seemingly never settled in any position, yet able to play in all of them, except one: if only he could ruck.
BRISBANE LIONS 2.5 8.12 14.15 19.16 (130) d WESTERN BULLDOGS 8.0 11.2 13.6 19.8 (122)
Goals: Brisbane Lions: J Adcock 4, J Green 4, L Taylor 3, D McStay 2, P Hanley 2, A Christensen, B Evans, D Zorko, J Freeman. Western Bulldogs: J Stringer 4, J Redpath 3, J Macrae 2, M Bontempelli 2, B Goodes, C Daniel, J Roughead, L Dahlhaus, L Picken, M Honeychurch, S Crameri, T Dickson.
Best: Brisbane Lions: Martin, Hanley, Rich, Rockliff, Adcock, Taylor. Western Bulldogs: Bontempelli, Stringer, Dahlhaus, Wood, Wallis, Macrae.
Injuries: Brisbane Lions: H Andrews (knee), B Staker (hamstring) replaced in selected side by Z O'Brien. Western Bulldogs: S Crameri (knee).
Umpires: Justin Schmitt, Jacob Mollison, Jordan Bannister.
Official crowd: 15,434 at Gabba.
