A potent Brisbane outfit has shot the lights out against Collingwood in an MCG epic on Saturday night, defeating the 2023 premiers by 27 points.

The Lions led at every interval in the Round 21 blockbuster, returning serve on the Magpies’ second-term surge to win 14.8 (92) over the home side’s 10.5 (65).

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Second-year emerging star Logan Morris bagged a career-high six goals in the clash, with three in each half pulverising the Collingwood defence all night long to suddenly resurrect their hopes of a double chance this upcoming finals series.

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Morris’ career-best is the first time that any Lions player has kicked half a dozen goals in a game at the ‘G since Jonathan Brown all the way back in Round 19, 2007. Additionally, he’s the youngest player since Lance Franklin in 2006 to kick six at the ‘Sporting Colosseum’.

The Pies threatened a final-term comeback through super sub Bobby Hill in his return to AFL football, but it was star Zac Bailey who sealed the game’s fate with just over three-and a-half-minutes to play.

For Collingwood, Nick Daicos was monumental in the first half with 17 disposals, four inside 50s, two goal assists and a major before the main break, but slowed down as the Lions took control once more.

Inclusions Jordan de Goey (tactically subbed in third quarter) and Bobby Hill (starting substitute) importantly looked to get through the match unscathed.

Brisbane key defender Ryan Lester was unfortunately not as lucky, and was subbed out with concussion before quarter time.

“(That was) definitely one of the better wins I’ve been involved with since I’ve been at the club,” Lions premiership coach Chris Fagan told Fox Footy’s Super Saturday Live post-game.

“I loved the way we attacked the game tonight, we played bold footy … every time that they came at us, we were able to respond and stay steady.”

Collingwood goalkickers: Sidebottom 2, Schultz, N.Daicos, McStay, Membrey, de Goey, Elliott, Mihocek, Hill

Brisbane goalkickers: Morris 6, Smith 3, Rayner, Bailey 2, Wilmot

Fagan chuffed after huge win over Pie | 11:04

THE 3-2-1… (with Jack Jovanovski)

3. ‘HOLD MY DRINKS’: SHOCK LIONS ‘CURVEBALLS’ PROVE DIFFERENCE IN SUPER SCALP

Logan Morris was the front man, and Henry Smith was his unlikely companion, combining for nine goals on Saturday night as the Lions upstaged the ladder leaders on their home deck.

Morris, 20, booted a career-high six goals to become the youngest player since Lance Franklin in 2006 to boot six majors on the MCG. He also became the first Brisbane Lion to do so on the hallowed turf since club icon and Fox Footy’s own Jonathan Brown.

Morris kicked two goals in the opening quarter and could have had a third; threatening in the early stages.

Then it was Smith’s turn to assert himself as a key-position target ahead of the ball, booting his first and second career goals in the space of just over three minutes.

Hugh McCluggage was the one for Brisbane orchestrating the side’s threatening forward chains, recording three score involvements with nine disposals and two clearances in the first term.

“McCluggage has been outstanding in this first quarter. He’s had a year and a half. I tell you what, if he’s not All-Australian this year, you would be horribly surprised,” Lyon said on quarter-time.

The Lions capitalised with three goals from turnover to Collingwood’s none in the opening 30 minutes — but their defence suffered a key blow.

Reliable stopper Ryan Lester was subbed out of the game early in the second quarter with concussion, as Bruce Reville entered the action earlier than anticipated.

“It was late in the third quarter, he went up into a marking contest and he just copped a little bit of a stray elbow from (Dan) McStay,” Geelong great Cameron Mooney reported from the boundary line.

“It really looks like there wasn’t much in it, but it was enough obviously for the Brisbane Lions to make sure that he wasn’t going to come back on.”

Meanwhile, incredibly, Smith kicked his third goal of the night — again a dead-straight set shot — halfway through the second term, presenting as an unlikely sparkplug for the raring Lions.

“This is an amazing win,” Dunstall said of Smith’s eye-opening return in just his fifth career AFL game and first of this season.

But the Lions then had to withstand the Pies’ pressure, which went up a notch from halfway through the second quarter, as the visitors’ ball movement game stalled at the hands of the league’s stingiest defence.

“Coming out of the back half now, the pressure is great (from Collingwood), I understand that. But they’ve got to find a way to use the ball short, break it up, and try and get some run back through the corridor. Banging it long to Cameron, Moore, whoever else, isn’t working,” Lyon said.

It was a five-goal-to-two second stanza from the Pies, who narrowed Brisbane’s lead to one single point at the main change.

Triple Richmond premiership star Jack Riewoldt sang the praises of Brisbane’s emerging duo.

“They’ve been held together by a couple of young key forwards; Logan Morris and Henry Smith have both kicked three to throw the Collingwood backline a few curveballs,” he said.

Morris booted his fourth and fifth goals of the evening early in the third, both with snaps.

For the third time this season, Morris had five majors to his name.

It was a four-goal-to-one premiership quarter by the Lions, who took a handy 19-point lead into the final change.

“A lot of talk has been about ‘do the Lions miss Joe Daniher?’ Well, young Logan Morris said ‘hold my drinks, everybody, I’ve just snagged five at three-quarter-time’,” Mooney said at three-quarter-time.

“One or two more, and this man might drag his team over the line.”

It’d been an 18-year wait for another Brisbane Lions player to kick six goals on the MCG since 2007 when Brown did it — but cometh the moment, cometh the Morris.

The 38-gamer snapped home his sixth, on his left foot, at the 13-minute mark to extend the Lions’ buffer to a game-high 27-point lead.

Lachie Neale and McCluggage wound up combining for a whopping 70 disposals, 19 clearances and 12 score involvements.

Pragmatic McRae not worried despite loss | 08:11

2. ‘BIGGEST MIGRAINE IN THE GAME’ NOT ENOUGH AS PIES LOSE TOP-TWO GRIP

Not even the brilliance of Nick Daicos was enough to drag the Pies over the top on Saturday night, as Collingwood was outmuscled by a Brisbane outfit set on making amends for its Round 6 defeat at the Gabba.

Daicos finished with a team-high 29 disposals, a game-high nine score involvements, six clearances and a goal.

The 22-year-old superstar was played out of the goalsquare for a period during the opening term, and on a lead he was the recipient of a precise Pat Lipinski inside-50 entry for the Pies’ second goal.

“This is what they love; get it in there, keep it in there,” Lyon said of Collingwood’s territory intent late in the first quarter.

Daicos had three score involvements in the opening stanza, but his Magpies trailed by 20 points at the first change, with the hosts -7 for inside-50s.

But the Pies indisputably got the game on their terms in the second quarter after a middling start, beginning to force repeat entries and paint the Lions into corners with their pressure.

“It looks like a Collingwood game, now,” Lyon said. “This quarter, it looks very much like a Collingwood game. Intercept marking from Darcy Cameron, ball goes back in, forward pressure.”

At the main change, the Pies trailed by just one point after forging a crucial five-goal-to-two quarter to ensure the second half virtually started again at 0-0 — and Daicos was the highest-rated player on the MCG after two quarters.

“You’ve got to acknowledge the number-one-rated player on the ground right now, Nick Daicos by a long way,” Lyon said.

“He’s had 17 touches. In that second quarter alone … he had four clearances in the second quarter; three of them from centre bounce, four inside-50s and six score involvements. He kicked a goal himself.

“It begs the question; I look at the scoreboard … just in the second quarter, I thought to myself, ‘you’re going to have to do something about him if you’re going to want to win the game’. That’s how significant he is; he’s a genius.”

Two-time Roos flag-winner David King added: “He’s the biggest migraine in the game, Nick Daicos. No one knows what to do with him, how to stop him, how to clamp him. We talk about minimising damage — I don’t even know how you do that. You’ve just got to cross your fingers and hope for the best.”

But Brisbane’s stoppage game was the difference as the game wore on, with the visitors finishing a comprehensive +17 for clearances and +22 for contested ball.

The result means Collingwood’s grip on a top-two spot has lessened; now outright second on the ladder with the Lions just half a game behind in third, and the Cats most likely to be just one game behind after Sunday’s action.

Next? A critical clash with fired-up Hawthorn at the MCG. Watch this space.

1. ‘CLEARLY DONE A POWER OF WORK’: STAR IMPACTS ON BIG STAGE IN RETURN

Jordan De Goey played in his first senior match since Round 8, and while he didn’t accumulate to any massive extent, his impact was palpable in Saturday night’s blockbuster.

De Goey was part of the Pies’ five-goal second-quarter resurgence, slamming home a goal from a long set shot, with Lyon singing the praises of the premiership star’s condition in his return game.

“He’s moving well, De Goey,” he said. “He’s clearly done a power of work. Hasn’t played since Round 8.

“He looks fit, he looks sharp. He’s hitting the packs really hard, running into space; it’s been a really impressive quarter and a bit — he looks progressive.”

The former Demons captain added of De Goey at half-time: “I thought his comeback to footy was really significant.”

Dual North Melbourne premiership player David King added: “He’s been terrific, hasn’t he? Moving beautifully, starting at centre bounce, then charging forward.”

After 12 disposals, four clearances and a goal in 64 per cent match time, De Goey was subbed out of the game halfway through the third quarter; with fellow returning star Bobby Hill inserted into the action.

Cameron Mooney informed the broadcast from boundary level that De Goey was expected to play 65-70 per cent game time in his return.

And Hill brought the Pies fans to their feet halfway through the final term right when his team needed him, rising over Dayne Zorko to mark and goal.

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