Dominant Lachie Neale stars as Brisbane surge past Essendon to maintain perfect start to the season

Lachie Neale has delivered a star turn to help Brisbane overcome a flat start and beat Essendon by 22 points to maintain their unblemished start to the AFL season.

The 2020 Brownlow Medallist was clearly best on ground, racking up 41 disposals, two goals and 12 clearances as the Lions kicked away in the second half for a 15.7 (97) to 10.15 (75) victory.

In the process, Brisbane condemned a wasteful Essendon to a 0-2 start and ensured Joe Daniher had a happy homecoming in his first game in Melbourne against the Bombers since departing as a free agent at the end of 2020.

Daniher booted two majors and was one of four Lions to kick multiple goals, with classy winger Hugh McCluggage kicking three, while Dayne Zorko battled through a lower leg issue for 33 touches and 16 marks.

Essendon’s Peter Wright booted three goals and had 11 marks, midfielders Zach Merrett and Darcy Parish were typically industrious with 31 and 35 disposals respectively while Archie Perkins kicked three goals on his 20th birthday.

Wright started the game in ominous fashion, booting two goals, clunking eight marks and racking up a quarter-high 12 disposals to lead Essendon to a 22-point lead at the first change.

Lachie Neale finished with 41 disposals and two goals as the Lions dominated

Joe Daniher booted two goals in his first meeting against his former club 

The Lions reiterated their premiership credentials after beating Port Adelaide last week

Essendon’s lead could easily have been more, but for wasteful kicking and they would rue their inefficiency as Brisbane surged with six consecutive second-term goals.

Daniher was booed when he marked midway through the second term but silenced the crowd by levelling the scores and then teeing up Nakia Cockatoo to put Brisbane in front.

The game see-sawed in the third term until four minutes before three-quarter time, a slow-moving James Stewart appeared to rush Zac Bailey’s snap through for a point.

But on a score review, the key defender was ruled not to have touched the ball. 

Essendon slumped to a second consecutive defeat after their loss to Geelong in Round 1

Zach Merrett (middle) finished with 31 disposal in a typically industrious display

‘What is he [Stewart] doing?,’ said Fox Footy analyst Nick Riewoldt. 

‘Did he think it was touched off the boot? He must have and then, I don’t know was he nervous about rushing it? I’m trying to buy him excuses here.

‘The way he was approaching the ball, he’s clearly just had a brain explosion.

Hugh McCluggage led the Lions’ goalscoring charts, booting three majors against Essendon 

‘He hasn’t just missed it. He’s had a meltdown.’

Fellow pundit Garry Lyon echoed the feelings: ‘Either he’s the coolest player in the competition or he’s made an absolute meal of it.’

‘I can’t work that one out. I’m going brain fade right now until we hear otherwise.’ 

The Bombers lost Nik Cox to an ankle injury late in the fourth quarter on Saturday night

The goal extended Brisbane’s lead to 18 and Daniher slotted his second minutes later to deliver a four-goal lead at the final change.

It proved a deficit the Bombers couldn’t claw back, while Nik Cox (ankle) was helped off the ground in the dying minutes and Merrett also limped off late.

Essendon named Tex Wanganeen, son of Gavin Wanganeen, to debut as substitute but he didn’t get on the field, nor did Lions substitute Jaxon Prior.