Updated May 21, 2011 22:59:00 Jonathan Brown produced another comeback to remember on Saturday night to inspire the Brisbane Lions to their first win of the AFL season.
Brown kicked four second-half goals in the wet at the Gabba to lead the Lions back from a 19-point deficit late in the third term for a 10.13 (73) to 8.11 (60) victory over North Melbourne.
In his first game back from multiple facial fractures suffered in round one, the Brisbane skipper was not in the same class as when he kicked eight against Essendon in his return from suspension in 2005, but his mere presence and muscle were crucial to the drought-breaking triumph.
"[The boys are] absolutely ecstatic - it's like winning the final I think," he told Grandstand.
"The pressure's been on everyone and [it was] certainly frustrating for myself, watching the boys you just want to get out there and help.
"It's certainly a big relief but we'll have to reset ourselves and hopefully string a couple together."
The Kangaroos appeared to have all the running on a wet night in front of the Lions' smallest crowd of the year of 18,404, until Brown combined with fellow veteran Simon Black.
Well held by Scott Thompson and first-gamer Luke Delaney in the first half, Brown broke free after half-time and kicked two goals in four minutes to have the Lions within five at the last change.
Kangaroos coach Brad Scott was livid when Scott McMahon mindlessly conceded Brown's third goal with a 50-metre penalty.
Scott's patience was tested further when Brown was gifted the first goal of the last term to tie the scores at 8.10 when Thompson also gave away 50m after the Brisbane skipper had marked beyond his range.
The Lions then over-ran the visitors with Todd Banfield scoring in highly controversial circumstances from 50 metres after a blatant throw by Black, before Jack Redden iced the win.
Besieged Lions coach Michael Voss admitted he was a relieved man after the tense win.
"We've been fighting pretty hard for this," he said.
"It's only one win isn't it, but it's an important one for our club."
Voss paid tribute to Brown's leadership as much as his impact in the pivotal third term.
"It's what he draws. Even if he kicks no goals tonight he'll have an impact on the players around him through his presence and how he organises, and people walk taller with him out there," he said.
Scott was full of praise for Delaney's efforts on Brown, pointing out he would have been held to two goals if not for the "ill-disciplined" acts by McMahon and Thompson.
But Scott was otherwise furious with his players for wasting a golden chance for a second straight win, and third of the season.
"We had a game that was in our grasp and we let it slip," he said.
"Brisbane really lifted in the second half and we couldn't match their intensity.
"They lifted and we just stopped to a walk in the last quarter."
Scott also bemoaned a poor conversion rate in the first half when his side had control of the game.
"We just didn't convert our opportunities well enough," he said.
Brown had managed just one behind from his only set shot from five first-half kicks.
In contrast, North Melbourne forward Aaron Edwards continued his marvellous accuracy in front of goals this season by kicking three straight in the second term for a 14.0 record this season.
Coming off a six-goal haul against Melbourne last week, Edwards propelled the Kangaroos to a 13-point half-time lead.
The quality of play in the opening term matched the terrible conditions with neither side able to master the wet.
"It wasn't real dry in the second half [either] but I just think we were a bit cute with the ball in the first half," Brown said.
"Vossy [coach Michael Voss] was a bit disappointed with that and just thought we had to drive it a bit, be more predictable and drive it in deeper and put the North Melb defence under pressure.
"Eventually the dam wall broke and we got the job done in the end."
It took until the 16-minute mark for Kangaroos skipper Brent Harvey to finally snap the first major, but the Lions took a two-point lead into the quarter-time break through goals to Bryce Retzlaff and Mitch Clark.
Drew Petrie epitomised North's up-and-down display with a brilliant mark on the back of Matt Maguire's inside 50, but inexplicably played on and kicked out on the full under pressure.
Brisbane: 10.13 (73) - J Brown 4, B Retzlaff, J Redden, L Power, M Clark, S Sheldon, T Banfield
North Melbourne: 8.11 (59) - A Edwards 3, D Petrie 2, L Thomas 2, B Harvey
- ABC/AAP
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, qld, brisbane-4000 First posted May 21, 2011 22:18:00
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