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AFL world stunned by 'insane' scenes as Brisbane surge after 'horrible' moment in grand final

The Lions left the Sydney Swans shell-shocked with a second-quarter blitz at the MCG.

sam goodwin
Sports Editor
·5-min read

The Brisbane Lions have left the Sydney Swans completely shell-shocked in the AFL grand final on Saturday with a stunning blitz in the second and third quarters. The match was turned on its head after the Swans were gifted a goal early in the second term when Dayne Zorko gave away a controversial 50m penalty that was widely slammed.

Zorko was deemed to have stepped over the mark after Robbie Fox caught the ball, and because he wasn't part of the marking contest Zorko was pinged for 50m. Fox was gifted a goal from right in front, but the call was widely panned by TV commentators and on social media. Replays showed that Zorko hadn't stepped over the mark at all, and if anything he was well behind it.

Dayne Zorko after giving away a 50m penalty in the AFL grand final.
Dayne Zorko was pinged for a 50m penalty in the AFL grand final, but replays showed he didn't infringe. Image: Channel 7

“That is not correct. Oh umpire … he got to the right spot!” Dermott Brereton said on Fox Footy. Brian Taylor said on Channel 7: “Oh that is rough. I’m not sure what he did wrong there.

“You’ve got to give the player time to get to the mark. You’ve got to give him a chance to man the proper mark … whether the umpire thought he came over the mark a little bit, that’s fair enough but gee, that’s tough.”

One person wrote on social media: "Zorko did not go over the mark then. Complete garbage." Another wrote: "Can't stand Zorko and want Sydney to win - still think that's close to the worst 50 of all time."

While a third commented: "The umpire would wanna be absolutely certain Zorko overshot the mark there… and he didn’t. Replay shows definitively that he pulled up short of it. Horrible decision in any situation, let alone a grand final."

The well-known Twitter account 'Has the umpire made A Bad decision?' added: "Yeah, that 50 on Zorko is a bad one. When not in the marking contest its 'no tolerance' if you go over the mark. But I don't think he's gone over the mark at all."

But the goal was one of just four the Swans kicked in the first half as the Lions produced an incredible second-quarter blitz. Brisbane went into the half-time break with an extraordinary 73-27 lead despite the scoreline being much closer at quarter-time.

The Lions kicked seven goals to just one from the Swans in the second quarter to leave Sydney shell-shocked. It marked the biggest half-time lead in a grand final since Geelong beat Port Adelaide in 2007.

And it didn't get any better in the third term as the Lions kicked away to lead 107-43 The Swans won the final term but it ended up 120-60, giving the Lions redemption after their loss in last year's decider to Collingwood. The stunning blitz from Brisbane left fans and commentators gobsmacked.

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Sydney had earlier named Logan McDonald in their starting 22 for the grand final despite lingering questions over the key forward's sore ankle. But it backfired when he had to be subbed out just after half-time in scenes brutally reminiscent of Sam Reid in the 2022 decider.

The Swans and Lions lined up as named at the MCG on Saturday, with Braeden Campbell (Sydney) and Conor McKenna (Brisbane) starting as the substitutes. McDonald kicked two goals in the Swans' 36-point preliminary-final win over Port Adelaide but was subbed out during the third quarter after rolling his left ankle.

Logan McDonald during the AFL grand final.
Logan McDonald looks on after being subbed out of the AFL grand final. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The 22-year-old, who was one of nine Swans to have played every game this season, had a light week of training during the build-up to the season decider. But after coach John Longmire dismissed concerns over McDonald's fitness during his pre-match press conference on Friday, he was forced to take him out after having no impact on Saturday.

Eric Hipwood after kicking a goal in the AFL grand final.
Eric Hipwood celebrates a goal with Brisbane teammates. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

McDonald's availability meant Sydney were unchanged from the preliminary final, with captain Callum Mills ruled out earlier in the week after failing to overcome a hamstring injury sustained at training.

Brisbane made one change from their preliminary-final win over Geelong, with Darcy Fort replacing Oscar McInerney. The ruckman twice dislocated his left shoulder against the Cats before he was subbed out during the third quarter.

with AAP