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Not the worst: Stats hold up Beams' Brisbane claim

Skipper Dayne Beams says the bottom-placed Lions are no longer the easybeats of the competition, and the stats appear to back him up.

Brisbane and North Melbourne will bring their campaigns to a close when they battle on Saturday for the honour of not finishing 18th on the ladder.

While the Lions ended the last two years in 17th, they have not finished last since 1998.

The Kangaroos haven’t won a wooden spoon since way back in 1972, when a third 12th-place finish in five years closed the book on 13 consecutive seasons without a winning record.

North played finals last year but were a broken team by the end of the season, losing 10 of their last 12 matches.

Dayne Beams and company are on the up. Pic: Getty
Dayne Beams and company are on the up. Pic: Getty

Brisbane, meanwhile, could double their wins total from three in 2016 to six this year with a victory over the Roos.

Charged on by Chris Fagan, Beams told reporters on Tuesday that the first-year senior coach has been willing the players to compete on a quarter-by-quarter basis and month-to-month basis.

“We certainly don’t feel like our performances have indicated that we are the bottom side,” Beams said.

Saturday afternoon’s clash at the Gabba will condemn the loser to 18th but a closer look at the bottom five proves Beams right and serves to highlight the Lions’ in-season improvement.

An isolated ladder from the last 11 games shows Brisbane hold the best record, attack and percentage among themselves, North Melbourne, Gold Coast, Carlton and Fremantle.

The Lions are the only club in that group to have avoided a three-game losing streak in that period.

While all but one of Brisbane’s wins have come against fellow strugglers, they have also been competitive in winning five quarters against Melbourne, the Bulldogs and Richmond.

W

L

PF

PA

%

Brisbane.............

4...

7...

1016...

1174...

86.54

Carlton................

3...

8...

809...

977...

82.80

Gold Coast..........

2...

9...

811...

1113...

72.87

Fremantle.............

2...

9...

745...

1108...

67.24

North Melbourne...

1...

10...

887...

1186...

74.79

Numerous young Lions have shown their wares at the AFL level, highlighted by Rising Star nominations for Eric Hipwood, Hugh McCluggage and draft slider Alex Witherden.

The club earned just one nomination across the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

“The commentary around us has changed,” the skipper noted.

“That’s obviously the perception that you’re creating. We’re in a different position to what we were last year.

“There’s been a number of people who have had a role in that. It’d be nice to finish the season strongly and leave a sweet taste in our mouths.”