AFL grand final quick hits: Will Ashcroft wins Norm Smith Medal, Eric Hipwood channels Jason Akermanis, and Dayne Zorko gets his moment

The Ashcroft identify returns to the premiership podium with Will’s Norm Smith win, Eric Hipwood channels Jason Akermanis and constant servant Dayne Zorko lastly will get his second.

Listed here are the short hits from the Brisbane Lions’ dominant victory over the Sydney Swans within the 2024 AFL grand last.

1. No man like Lohmann

In keeping with his profile on the Brisbane web site, Kai Lohmann “can be seeking to develop into a daily for the Lions in 2024”.

After his play this season, that was nicely and actually secured. After his efficiency within the preliminary last in opposition to Geelong, he was a fan favorite. After his begin to the grand last, Gabba curators may need to start out clearing area for a statue.

Ahead-line veterans Charlie Cameron and Joe Daniher missed set photographs from inside 50 earlier than Will Hayward and Tom Papley, so the 21-year-old took it on himself to get his crew again on the right track.

A gradual set shot from an analogous spot the place Cameron missed adopted by a composed effort on his left within the area of a minute bought the Lions on high.

He added the primary objective after the break to verify of the lead and solely a tight-angle miss stored the Lions followers from blowing the roof off the MCG, though the response to a high-flying fourth-quarter mark gave it a nudge.

2. Lions ignite in second quarter

Instantly after potting his first objective of the sport halfway by way of the second time period, Joe Daniher out-muscled Brodie Grundy within the ruck and snapped straight to Callum Ah Chee, who nailed his shot from simply outdoors the 50m arc.

Three kicks for 12 factors. Sixteen kicks later, the Lions had three extra objectives.

Hayden McLean had an opportunity to wrest again some momentum for Sydney on the different finish, however after he missed from 40 metres out and proper in entrance, Brisbane stormed up the opposite finish and 19-year-old Logan Morris slotted the Lions’ sixth straight.

All informed, the Lions kicked seven objectives to Sydney’s one within the quarter as an eight-point quarter-time lead grew to become 46 by the lengthy break.

3. Hipwood channels Aker

All the things was going proper for the Lions within the second quarter and maybe nowhere was that extra evident than in Eric Hipwood’s objective.

The red-hot Kai Lohmann selflessly gave the ball up within the ahead proper pocket, and it seemed like Hipwood may need wasted the generosity as he slipped over.

However the lanky ahead regained his toes, ran himself into an impossibly tight angle, chucked it on his left boot and it someway by no means seemed like lacking.

He spun round to the group, put one hand over his mouth and the opposite on high of his head.

Instantly Lions followers have been transported again to 2005, when membership legend Jason Akermanis celebrated the second of two worldies in opposition to Geelong with the identical gesture.

The objective won’t have been fairly pretty much as good, however the second could not have been larger.

4. McDonald ultimately succumbs

Regardless of the comfy win, younger Sydney star Logan McDonald ended the preliminary last in opposition to Port Adelaide with a thousand-mile stare on the bench.

The hefty ice pack on his left ankle informed the story as to why.

The 22-year-old did all he wanted to do to line up within the grand last however, unable to influence the sport in a dominant first half from Brisbane, McDonald needed to admit defeat at half-time.

The Swans have been compelled to activate sub Braeden Campbell and issues simply bought worse from there.

5. Rayn-maker

Regardless of the utter dominance from the Lions, we arguably did not get the definitive spotlight of the sport till deep within the third quarter.

Joe Daniher put his booming left boot by way of the ball from the midfield and Eric Hipwood settled right into a contest with Tom McCartin underneath the ball close to the objective sq..

However Cam Rayner noticed his second and soared as he has completed so many instances previously, utilizing McCartin’s again as a ladder to the clouds and ignoring the late-arriving Nick Blakey to drag down a surprising mark.

And, maybe most significantly, he put an exclamation mark on the play by snapping house the objective because the rampage continued.

6. Daniher celebration

The sport was determined lengthy earlier than Joe Daniher snapped house the ultimate objective of the match to make it a 60-point lead contained in the final 2 minutes, however the way in which he celebrated, you’d swear he’d simply kicked the match-winner.

His teammates additionally ran from all components of the bottom to hug the large 30-year-old.

Contemplating the rumours of an impending retirement, it felt like an additional particular second for the previous Bomber.

7. Ashcroft makes historical past

In such a dominant efficiency throughout the sphere, choosing the most effective on floor turns into a mission in private opinion.

Do you reward the efficiency within the first half when the sport was nonetheless up for grabs? Do you award additional factors for the gamers who broke it open? Do you recognise the defenders who stored the opposition from ever actually threatening?

Callum Ah Chee and Kai Lohmann may have simply been named Norm Smith medallist for his or her four-goal efforts, so too may Lachie Neale for an additional composed efficiency throughout the bottom, or his co-captain Harris Andrews or Brandon Starcevich for constructing a brick wall within the defensive 50.

As an alternative, voters selected nearly unanimously that Will Ashcroft was their man, with 4 of 5 judges giving him their three votes for his one-goal, 30-disposal, five-clearance efficiency.

And similar to that, historical past was made as 20-year-old Ashcroft, the son of three-time premiership participant Marcus, grew to become the youngest man to have Norm draped round his neck.

8. An honour for probably the most trustworthy of servants

The Brisbane Lions have been hailed for his or her recruitment as they rebuilt the crew from the darkish days within the 2010s to a premiership pressure.

However one presence as fixed because the maroon, blue and gold by way of all that has been Dayne Zorko.

The diminutive midfielder debuted in 2012 and endured seven straight seasons ending between twelfth and 18th, however the five-time membership champion caught it out in Brisbane and by no means stopped making an attempt.

Because the Lions celebrated their first second with the premiership cup in 20 years, coach Chris Fagan made a degree of calling Zorko as much as raise the trophy alongside captains Lachie Neale and Harris Andrews.