It wasn't exactly the fist through the wall Clarko style, but JL left his mark at the GABBA, in more ways than one. Time to Restump Podcast Freo's felling of the former ferocious felines.

He usually aborts his bouts of irritation inspired ire at the precise moment before impact, but JL's emotional reactions are evolving. A couple of annoyance fuelled batters of the beam above head at round 12, we wonder will windscreens O'Brien be required by seasons end? Is it a pressure outlet? A sign of a how real it has become? Suddenly we've genuinely got something to lose! Or, more likely, are we just theatrically highlighting something entirely insignificant for a moment of semi-comedic value?

What a way to bring up 11 wins on the bounce against a rampaging Lions outfit. Yeah, wait a minute... rampaging, really? Who are we kidding... the Lions were all Aslans, they never came out of the wardrobe!

The reality is though any time you beat Brisbane at the GABBA it's a big achievement and you have to play seriously good footy to do so. Having said that, what has happened to these now somewhat lethargic lions? They gave us so much space through the corridor, Elon wants to launch rockets into it!

After two consecutive premierships has the hunger for the 3-peat waned? There were expectations they'd flick the switch after their previous two losses, but the wiring must be faulty because there's seemingly a disconnect there.

But that's the extent of us being bewildered by Brisbane! 

Our all-round game, our strategies and defensive structure suffocated them. Our individuals’ willingness to perform their roles our system depends on, never gave the Lions a look in.

Paddy Voss, Josh Treacy and Jye Amiss functioned like a well-oiled machine. They're three vastly different roles which, when they work in harmony, all produce the same substantially beneficial outcome.

And hasn't Matty Johnson stepped up with opportunistic permanent midfield minutes and in the absence of a couple of colleagues. To step in and destroy Hugo Garcia last week was big, but to back that up by nullifying Lachie Neale, was something else. Hopefully the ice on the hamstring was more cautionary awareness than strain or tear.

We're 11 straight, we're top of the tree, we passed the Hawthorn test, we weathered St Kilda's pressure and now we’ve dispatched Brisbane on their home turf. If we scale the Sydney summit, the last true test box to tick, holy smokes, the potential big dance nerves will well and truly kick in!

We’re not a soap opera drama but we’re Home and Away this week, playing North Melbourne away at home in Bunbury. However, before then, there’s no time for Lion down! We still need to dissect last Saturday’s successful safari hunt. In the Gabba jungle, the mighty Gabba jungle was the Lion sleeping that night? Or were we simply the purple Lion tamers? Let’s chat it out on the pod. 

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