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The Brisbane Lions have scored their third win of the year, recording a remarkable upset over the Essendon Bombers.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Essendon Bombers 11.16.82
Brisbane Lions 13.12.90
The Essendon Bombers will be looking to bounce back quickly from their devastating loss to Sydney when they host the battling Brisbane Lions at Etihad Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and match updates from 1:10pm (AEST).
With every game crucial in one of the most even seasons in recent memory, time will tell whether the Bombers come to rue their one-point loss to the Swans even more than they already do.
Heading into the match in sparkling form, the Bombers stunned the Swans with a seven-goal burst that put them 18 points up deep into the last quarter, only for three late goals – including an after-the-siren winner from Gary Rohan – to sink them at the death and send them out of the top eight for the moment.
Despite their 6-7 record, the Bombers are only three games and percentage out of the top four, and a big win over the Lions could go a long way towards removing the “percentage” part of that equation.
It has become commonplace in 2017 to refer to Brisbane as “the only team that can’t make the finals”. And languishing two games and a sizeable percentage behind the 17th-placed North Melbourne with just two wins to their name, that moniker is accurate.
Yet despite their dismal winning record and some thumping losses, the Lions have certainly taken a step forward under new coach Chris Fagan, with some competitive performances giving fans some hope there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The loss of captain Dayne Beams with a serious shoulder injury is a devastating blow, however, and it will be up to his deputies Dayne Zorko and Tom Rockliff, alongside youngsters Hugh McCluggage, Rhys Mathieson and Lewis Taylor to pick up the slack in the engine room.
Prediction
This game really depends on Essendon’s mood. If the Bombers are seeing red after last week’s loss to Sydney, then they will come out here to prove a point and it’s difficult to see anything other than a pummelling occurring.
If, on the other hand, they are left flat and dejected after letting four points slip through their fingers, they may just go through the motions here expecting a win, and that will open the door for the Lions to snatch a victory.
In this season, it’s hard to say which Essendon we will get, so I might just tip safely in this one and go down the middle.
Essendon to get back on the winners’ list by 35 points
Harris Andrews has been a shining light for the Lions this season, taking a number of scalps in a defence constantly under siege, and in his 50th game, he has one of the toughest tests in footy on a rampaging Joe Daniher.
Can the Lions rise to the challenge and continue to show that in 2017, anything’s possible? Or will the Bombers rain more misery on the visitors?
Tune into The Roar’s live blog from 1:10pm (AEST) for all the match coverage and highlights, and don’t forget to leave us your thoughts in the comments section below.
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