Page 51 - AFL QUEENSLAND 2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

NEAFL GRAND FINAL
NEAFL NORTHERN CONFERENCE GRAND FINAL
BRISBANE LIONS 21-8 (134) DEFEATED NT THUNDER 10- 14 (74)
The Brisbane Lions Reserves completed a 373-
day retribution campaign that turned misery and embarrassment into pride and elation when they posted a 10-goal win over the NT Thunder in the NEAFL Northern Conference grand final at Yeronga.
On 16 August 2011 the Lions’ 2011 season had finished with
a 150-point loss to the
Sydney Swans Reserves
that sentenced the AFL
club to the first NEAFL wooden-spoon with a dismal 4-1-13 win/draw/loss record.
They’d kicked only four goals in a lamentable showing which left things at the second tier level of the AFL club as low as they could get.
But on 16 September 2012
it could not have been any different. They finished with 13 more wins after they beat the Thunder 21-8 (134) to 10-14 (74) in the grand final to complete a 17-4 campaign.
The Lions won the right to travel to Canberra to play ACT club Queanbeyan for the overall NEAFL premiership after Queanbeyan surprised the Sydney Swans Reserves by 30 points in the Eastern Conference grand final in the national capital.
In warm and occasionally windy conditions in front of a crowd of almost 3000, Lions midfielder Claye Beams
was best afield to win the Joe Grant Medal from Thunder fullback Jason Roe and retiring Lions
veteran Amon Buchanan.
Jordan Lisle (five goals) and Beams (four goals) almost matched the Thunder tally themselves as the Lions, with 18 listed
players, had 10 different goal-kickers and six multiple goal-kickers.
Not insignificantly, 13 of their 21 goals were kicked by players who had played in the AFL side in the
last game of the season.
The Thunder had a season- low four different goal-
kickers as they suffered their first loss of 2012 outside the Territory and their third-biggest loss
overall since joining the competition.
The Lions’ rags-to-riches pennant was their second at State League level and
AFL Queensland
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