ON THE back of a Herculean Hugh McCluggage performance, Brisbane has overcome another huge scare at the Gabba to outlast Essendon by 18 points in Thursday night football.
The 13.12 (90) to 11.6 (72) victory momentarily moves the premier into top spot and ensures it will finish round 12 in the top two, but it wasn’t easy.
The Lions led by 32 points at quarter-time and were doing it with such ease the result looked a foregone conclusion. The Bombers had other ideas.
With Jye Caldwell and Nic Martin doing the midfield damage and emerging star Nate Caddy adding some spectacular highlights in the air and on the ground, Essendon hit the front early in the final quarter.
The Lions steadied with goals to Logan Morris, Kai Lohmann and Noah Answerth to notch their ninth win of the season. A spoil in the middle of the ground by Josh Dunkley that led to Lohmann’s goal from 50m was pivotal.
McCluggage continued his magnificent season with a career high 41 disposals, that included 12 score involvements, 11 marks, seven clearances and two goal assists.
When Brisbane did something constructive, he was often the architect, and when the Bombers were surging, McCluggage was pushing against the tide.
Kai Lohmann showed positive signs of a return to form after an injury-riddled start to his 2025 with three goals, while Will Ashcroft (30), Jarrod Berry (25) and Jaspa Fletcher (21) were also solid.
Unlike the match against Melbourne at the same venue less than a fortnight ago, the Lions were able to steady when challenged, despite coming off a five-day break.
Essendon was magnificent in defeat.
The Bombers looked off the pace in the first quarter, turning the ball over regularly and being punished by a slick Lions outfit the other way.
But with Peter Wright kicking two goals in the second quarter and Nic Martin starting to damage in the front half of the ground, the tide slowly turned.
Caldwell had a blistering 18-disposal third quarter to bring the Bombers right back into the contest, while Caddy’s aerial prowess came to the fore, matched by a spectacular overhead goal that levelled scores late in the term.
Despite missing a raft of tall players through injury, Brad Scott’s men ramped up the pressure after quarter-time and gave themselves every chance to snatch the four premiership points.
Cobra Kai finds form just when the Lions need it
After a disrupted start to the season, largely due to injury, Kai Lohmann made his first meaningful impact to a Brisbane win for 2025 – just when the Lions needed it most. The dynamic small forward has been stifled by ankle and shoulder injuries early in the season, and without a goal to his name entering round 12, was desperate to contribute. He kicked one off the ground from close range late in the first term to break his drought and then tellingly kicked crucial goals late in the third and midway through the fourth to finish with three for the night and have a major contribution to victory.
Caddy’s crazy goal
In the midst of a brilliant third quarter, Nate Caddy uncorked one of the great highlights of his young career with a thrilling goal over his head. Hemmed in the left forward pocket, Jade Gresham dribbled the ball across the goalmouth, where Caddy gathered and almost immediately threw it on the boot with his back to goal. The ball sailed directly over his head and split the sticks to tie the scores midway through the quarter.
BRISBANE 6.3 7.9 10.10 13.12 (90)
ESSENDON 1.1 4.1 9.4 11.6 (72)
GOALS
Brisbane: Lohmann 3, Morris 2, Wilmot, Rayner, Hipwood, Gardiner, Fletcher, Cameron, Ah Chee, Answerth
Essendon: Wright 2, Caddy 2, Martin 2, Setterfield, Gresham, Goldstein, Durham, Caldwell
BEST
Brisbane: McCluggage, Ashcroft, Berry, Lohmann, Fletcher, Neale
Essendon: Martin, Caldwell, Merrett, Roberts, Redman, Caddy
INJURIES
Brisbane: Nil
Essendon: Durham (ankle)
SUBSTITUTES
Brisbane: Deven Robertson (replaced Levi Ashcroft in the fourth quarter)
Essendon: Elijah Tsatas (replaced Zak Johnson in the fourth quarter)
Crowd: 26,441 at the Gabba
