It was against the cellar dwellers, but the Brisbane Lions’ roar was deafening

July 12, 2026 — 7:56pm

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Bullying the competition cellar dwellers may not be the most emphatic of premiership flexes, but the nature in which the Brisbane Lions decimated Essendon was a signal that irrespective of the opposition, they would be out to make a statement.

But a fourth-quarter fade-out may have left coach Chris Fagan frustrated, and nearly cost them the chance to leapfrog into the AFL’s top four.

Spearheaded by the returning Dayne Zorko, the two-time defending champions edged themselves to the cusp of the top four – the 22.17 (149) to 8.11 (59) triumph their fifth on the trot as the scent of a title three-peat to rival the legendary Lions of the early 2000s becomes more potent by the round.

Fagan’s men cast aside a frustrating month in which their title credentials were called into question on the back of three consecutive losses, during which a backline missing Zorko due to a quad injury struggled to get in sync and direct traffic out of their own end.

But with the tireless veteran making his comeback on Sunday afternoon in lethal fashion, Brisbane were unstoppable against an Essendon outfit still waiting for their second win of the season – their lone success dating........

© The Sydney Morning Herald