Live: Lions and Suns make Queensland footy history in epic knockout semifinal

For the first time in this second quarter the Suns are able to put some front-half pressure on the Lions, trapping the ball in the attacking area and forcing some Brisbane errors.

A slick chain of hands under pressure inside 50 gives Flanders half a chance to snap, which is all he needs. Big goal.

That is special from Rayner… but how in the name of all things holy is that not a free kick?

Rayner just bustled through two tackles in the middle of the ground and launched one forward from the centre circle. Bailey was outmatched about 25 from goal, so just shoved Collins over and made no play at all at the ball. Somehow that was given the all clear, so the ball trickled over the back and through for a 70 metre goal. The Lions are making their move!

There aren’t many better in the comp at that, the quick shark and snap in the middle of a forward 50 stoppage. He gets ball to boot so quickly, in such little space.

Only needed a half a yard from Anderson and Ashcroft was deadly. Fantastic goal.

You see holding like that at just about every stoppage in the game, but the umpire has decided that one was illegal. Dunkley has been doing a good job on Rowell so far, but if those are going to get called he’s in trouble.

The set shot was perfect though. Rowell has the ability to break this game over.

A 50-50 umpiring decision in the middle of the ground was so crucial there. Was Rayner caught high, or done holding the ball?

The umpire said the former, and as soon as Zorko took the advantage a shot on goal was inevitable. Cameron laced out the leading Morris, who snapped his set shot straight through the middle. The Lions lead it by seven.

Gold Coast made the early running, Brisbane took control by the end of the quarter. A one-point margin tells a story of a very tight opening term.

Crucially, Brisbane holds a decent lead in the contested ball battle which Chris Fagan said before the game would decide the match. It’s hard to argue, and if the Lions are to continue to be strong there they will probably end up winning the game.

But there’s a long way to go in this one. Good game so far.

It’s all-out attack at the Gabba right now. More chaos inside the Brisbane attacking 50, and the Lions are just that little bit cleaner in the congestion.

Morris’s squaring kick was really clever and fell in the lap of Berry, who made no mistake with his set shot. All square again.

Both teams are taking on the middle of the ground at every opportunity, and whoever wins the ball in there looks like setting up a score.

It travelled quickly through the guts this time, too quick for the Lions defence to settle. King got out the back of Gardiner and took a strong mark, before making no mistake with his set shot.

Again, it’s a corridor kick that opens the Suns up. The mark wasn’t taken this time, but Rayner got the crumb and with one long left-footed bomb in the Lions were away.

Ah Chee got the crumb and was tidy on his left foot. Nice goal. Good game early.

The goal comes from a sensational kick through the middle of the ground from Zorko, piercing through the Suns’ zone and opening the field up.

From there it was chaos inside the attacking 50. Will Ashcroft and Marshall were composed, and Morris’s snap while being dragged to ground by Rioli was so good. Lions on the board.

The ball was hot in the middle of the ground and Rowell just split the pack wide open, without even taking the ball. Davies forced it forwards, Miller dished off to Anderson and the skip was away.

He streaked to the edge of the centre square and unleashed. It’s a trademark Noah Anderson goal, and the Suns are off to a brilliant start.

Dream start for King and for the Suns! Good forward pressure forced repeat entries, and at the end of a long bomb to the hot spot was Ben King, ready to take a strong pack mark.

He sneaks in the set shot and the Suns are away. Promising signs.

Josh Dunkley is standing alongside Matt Rowell in the middle of the ground for what will be a very close checking role tonight, at the stoppages at least. The game will likely be won and lost in there.

Dayne Zorko has gone straight to Touk Miller. Amazing.

Doesn’t get much bigger than this. We’re away at the Gabba.

The teams are lined up across from each other for the Welcome to Country and national anthem, with bounce only minutes away.

An eruption of noise follows the anthem. The Gabba is ready.

Fireworks and smokeshows galore, and a pretty loud greeting for Gold Coast from the fans who have headed up the highway.

Not as loud as the mighty roar that met the Lions’ entrance though. They don’t lose many at the Gabba, and certainly not games of this magnitude. Expect the reigning champs to lift to the occasion.

Back in round 20, the Suns took the Lions apart in a 66-point win which felt at the time a bit of a turning point for Gold Coast.

It was a win built on a total midfield dominance, with Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson completely brilliant as they overpowered the Lions’ engine room – and that was a Brisbane team that included Lachie Neale.

Crucially, the majority of the Gold Coast goals came from mid-sized mobile forwards – Bailey Humphrey, Ben Long, Jy Farrar, Ben Ainsworth – who will also be crucial in tonight’s game. The Lions’ defence is so strong in the air, but at ground level the Suns might think they can get some joy again.

The Lions will have learned plenty from that game, played in horrible conditions, and no doubt are very well prepared to hit back tonight. But the Suns will know what they are capable of.

A rare bit of bad news for Hawthorn fans, and something that will disappoint just about every football fan. Luke Breust, who had already announced his retirement for the end of the year, has gone down with what looks to be a serious knee injury playing for Box Hill in the VFL today.

Breust has been a valuable emergency for the Hawks through their first two finals and has been a very handy ace up Sam Mitchell’s sleeve, but it looks as if his storied career is set for a premature conclusion. A sad way to end for a modern day Hawthorn great.

Kai Lohmann has been let loose with a pair of shearers, and those long blonde locks are no more.

Can Skinhead Kai become Brisbane’s semifinal wildcard?

Bailey Humphrey doing some code-hopping in the warm ups tonight. Reckon he would go alright as a rugby league convert too, better than most AFL players anyway.

The Broncos have a big final tomorrow night, so tonight in Brisbane is all about this game.