Lions bounce back from shock loss to beat Crows in Jordan Dawson's emotional return
The reigning premiers Brisbane were shocked last week by a surprise loss to the Melbourne Demons, but they came out swinging as they hosted the Adelaide Crows at the Gabba.
Brisbane put on a dominant display from start to finish, securing a comprehensive 52-point victory with a final score of 19.13 (127) to 11.9 (75).
"17 teams will be watching this now with a bit of trepidation," commentator Anthony Hudson noted of the Lions' return to form.
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In the Adelaide camp, it was a deeply emotional return to the field for captain Jordan Dawson following the tragic death of his brother recently.
In a display of sportsmanship, Brisbane players made a point to cross the field and embrace the skipper after the final siren.
Dawson provided a highlight on return during the second quarter when he successfully put one through the posts, unselfishly set up by veteran teammate Tex Walker.
Tex Walker and Jordan Dawson embrace. Fox Footy
"It's a fantastic moment, well done to Tex Walker. He understands the situation, the opportunity to be selfless, to give one to the skipper," Nick Dal Santo said at half-time.
"That says a lot, it speaks about how much people are loved within football clubs and how special places and people can be within those four walls."
Speaking post-match, Brisbane forward Zac Bailey reflected on his team's response to their "embarrassing" defeat the previous week and the adjustments that fuelled their home-ground performance.
"I think coming off last week, we were pretty embarrassed with that effort, so the theme for this week has just been embrace the contest, and we did that tonight with our contest, our clearance," admitted Bailey.
Lachie Neale and Josh Dunkley smile after their victory. via Getty Images
"Players like Lachie Neale and Will Ashcroft just dominated in there and set the scene with that, so it was a really good win tonight.
"We look at a thing called fight to win, which is basically all those stats, the things you do without the ball, and it just wasn't good enough last week, so I think the stats will show tonight that we're pretty good in that area."
The Lions effectively put the game to bed in the third term, hammering home seven straight goals to carry a commanding lead into the final moments.
While Adelaide shifted into preservation mode for the final quarter, they could do nothing to break Brisbane's relentless rhythm.
Jordan Dawson and Tex Walker of the Crows celebrates his goal. AFL Photos via Getty Images
The Crows play Port Adelaide next Friday and the Brisbane Lions play Essendon next Saturday.
