Swans v Lions player ratings: How the reigning premiers fared in their stunning Swans loss

September 5, 2026 — 7:07pm

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No one gave the Swans a chance. Winning a qualifying final against the two-time reigning premiers was a hard enough task, let alone doing it without the five first-choice players serving a club-imposed suspension.

What transpired at the SCG on Saturday afternoon was nothing short of remarkable, with the Lions dominated by 53 points and forced to enter a semi-final next week still licking their wounds.

Scott Spits rates every Lions player’s performance from a stunning game.

Brisbane Lions

(1) Kai Lohmann: He had a game to forget – a shocker, really. He didn’t bother the stats-markers until early in the second half and only had three possessions by the final break. 3/10

(2) Sam Draper: Very, very quiet. The big man couldn’t get in the game at all. A third-quarter goal saved a bit of face, but the Swans dominated around him that term. Draper badly misread a marking attempt in tough conditions in the second term. 4/10

(3) Jaspa Fletcher: Far from Brisbane’s worst, but he gave away an important free kick (for Sydney’s sixth goal) in the first quarter when he took the ball over the goal-line. 5.5/10

(4) Oscar Allen: The big man had a quirky kind of game. He did OK from limited opportunities and had three goals from three touches by the final break, and finished with four goals from six. 5/10

(5) Josh Dunkley: The midfield beast never stopped trying. He won plenty of the ball at the coalface, but had almost no one to turn to in the trenches with Lachie Neale and Cam Rayner among those well held. 7.5/10

(6) Hugh McCluggage: He just couldn’t get into the game and was largely ineffective. He had an early chance to kick the Lions’ first goal, but he was off-line. 6/10

(7) Jarrod Berry: He failed to have any real influence. Made one blunder in the second quarter when an errant handball went to Sydney’s Hayden McLean, who took his chance and booted a goal. 5/10

(8) Will Ashcroft: He largely battled in the first half but, to be fair, improved from there. There was one nice moment, in particular, in the first term when he stormed out of the centre and found Eric Hipwood. 5/10

(9) Lachie Neale: Beaten by James Rowbottom, he didn’t touch the ball until the 20-minute mark of the first term. It was a tough day for Neale (by his usual high standards) and his team. To his credit, he still finished with 18 possessions. 4/10

(10) Levi Ashcroft: He struggled for influence. He booted what looked like a stirring goal on the quarter-time siren when his effort from an angle split the big sticks. But it was a classic false dawn as the Lions never really rallied. 4.5/10

(13) Logan Morris: He didn’t really have an influence, managing two goals from 14 touches. Brisbane badly needed a focal point, but he couldn’t offer it today. 4/10

(15) Dayne Zorko: Did his bit as teammates went missing around him. The veteran got better as the game wore on and finished with a team-high 26 touches. He was easily Brisbane’s best performer with metres gained (822), much more than any other teammate. 7/10

(16) Cam Rayner: Emblematic for the Lions on a shocking day for the two-time reigning premiers. He struggled to even reach double figures with possessions. There was one delightful pass to Conor McKenna in the third term, however. 5/10

(23) Charlie Cameron: The match-winning forward was completely unsighted, finally getting his hands on the ball in the second term but missing his shot at goal. He didn’t even pick up junk stats when the game was gone. 1/10

(26) Conor McKenna: He tried hard but just couldn’t get going. Had two touches for the first term as the Swans jumped them and had a vital goal assist in the third quarter when he kicked one off the ground to Berry. He also booted a final-quarter goal. 5/10

(27) Darcy Gardiner: He got smashed by Charlie Curnow and had an equal team-low four touches. He just had a shocker and the Coleman medallist took complete advantage. 2.5/10

(30) Eric Hipwood: Showed a bit at different stages and gave the Lions a target to kick to. But he was badly off target with a shot deep in the forward pocket after just eight minutes that failed to trouble the scorers. That didn’t help his cause. 4.5/10

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(31) Harris Andrews: For one of the game’s best defenders, the leader of the Lions’ pack won’t look back on this game fondly. He was soundly beaten by Swan Logan McDonald, an opponent who had probably his best match and was a result-shaper. This one will burn for Andrews. 3/10

(32) Darcy Fort: He only played 50 per cent game time. He played a back-up role to Sam Draper in the ruck but just wasn’t a factor and got his hands on the ball just nine times. 3/10

(33) Zac Bailey: He scrapped his way to 21 touches and tried hard, but had a forgettable moment late in the second half when he didn’t allow for the wind with a shot at goal in the tough, swirly conditions. It was telling. 5/10

(35) Ryan Lester: He played a typically solid game. He was far from the Lions’ worst and did OK in defence, recording 21 touches. 6/10

(43) Noah Answerth: Did OK. He picked up eight touches but was off the ground in the first half with injury. 5.5/10

(44) Darcy Wilmot: He was one of the Lions’ better players when their regular stars largely went missing. 6/10

Swans ratings are still to come

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Scott Spits is a sports reporter for The Age.Connect via X or email.AdvertisementAdvertisement