For a half, Brisbane had control. On the scoreboard, they didn’t.
That gap told the story.
The Brisbane Lions set the tone early at Brighton Homes Arena, but a run of missed chances — and a five-goal third quarter from Port Melbourne — flipped the game hard, the Boroughs running out 89–44 winners in Round 5 of the 2026 VFL Premiership.
Fast Start, No Damage
Brisbane couldn’t have opened it better.
James Tunstill struck twice inside seven minutes, putting the Lions on the front foot and keeping the ball in their forward half.
But the damage never came.
Coleman missed first. Fullarton couldn’t convert. Mathieson and Sharp added behinds. Even the rushed scores pointed to pressure without polish.
By quarter time, Brisbane had control — but not separation.
Second Quarter Drift
The pattern held.
Deven Robertson snapped truly early in the second to extend the margin, but again the Lions couldn’t build. Fullarton missed again. Coleman added another behind. Reville and Michael both pushed chances wide.
Tunstill’s third late in the half should have given Brisbane breathing room.
Instead, it kept Port Melbourne within reach.
The Shift
Brisbane struck first in the third through Coleman, but the response came fast.
Port Melbourne worked through Abberley, then Weidemann, then Szust, before Signorello added another as the Boroughs built a run through the middle of the quarter.
The Lions found moments — Coleman again, Fullarton finally converting after multiple misses — but they couldn’t stop the flow.
Every time Brisbane scored, Port Melbourne answered.
By three-quarter time, the game had turned.
Chasing Too Late
Mathieson snapped one early in the last and gave Brisbane a brief lift.
It didn’t last.
Briskey responded. Manton extended the margin. Coleman’s third came with the result already slipping away, and O’Sullivan’s late goal only trimmed the final margin.
Port Melbourne didn’t surge late.
They controlled it.
Where It Slipped
Brisbane had early control and enough chances to build a lead.
They didn’t take them.
Port Melbourne stayed close, then built their run through the third quarter — five goals that shifted the game and held.
That was the difference.
Published 26-April-2026
