Richmond hosts Brisbane at Hobart’s Ninja Stadium in a rare fixture on Sunday afternoon. Live updates below!
The Tigers (2-10, 60.4%), coming off their bye, are looking to rebound from their 114-point loss to Sydney in Round 12, while the Lions (7-6, 106.2%) got back to winning ways in convincing fashion in last week’s Q-Clash.
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Richmond, which moved its Marvel Stadium home games to Tasmania in 2026 and 2027, will unveil midseason draftee Kye Annand against the Lions.
Match details: Richmond vs Brisbane Lions from 1:10pm AEST at Ninja Stadium
Watch it live: On Fox Footy (Channel 504), and streaming on Kayo, from 1pm AEST
Follow our live coverage of Richmond vs Brisbane in our blog below!
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LIONS FLIP Q3 SCRIPT, OVERCOME ‘WORRYING’ FLAW
Third quarters have been problematic in Brisbane’s recent losing skid, but it proved the game-breaking period for the right reasons at Ninja Stadium.
Chris Fagan’s charges piled on seven goals in the premiership quarter to put the result beyond doubt on Sunday afternoon.
Leading by three points at half-time, the Lions took a five-goal lead into the last change before closing out their second-straight win.
But it wasn’t elementary in the first half, with the Lions forced to go long and wide due to the Tigers’ desperation to keep them out of the middle – a part of the game worked for the hosts.
They also looked vulnerable in defensive transition, which has been a consistent issue this season.
A broken Zac Bailey tackle in a second-quarter Richmond passage was labelled “really concerning” by Swans great Gerard Healy, given coach Chris Fagan has “seen this movie before”.
Triple flag-winner Jack Riewoldt said in the second quarter: “He’d be really worried about how Richmond are moving the ball with ease out of their own defensive 50.”
After Tim Taranto kicked Richmond ahead near half-time, Riewoldt said: “This is worrying signs for Brisbane … they are really hurting the Lions on turnover.”
Healy added: “He’d (Fagan) be really worried. Pressure is just a tick under 160, only two effective tackles for the quarter … and he’s right to be worried, because there are plenty of things to be concerned about.”
However, Brisbane’s stoppage work was always going to be where it thrived, and its ball movement going the other way was swift.
In the third quarter, dominant centre-clearance work paved the way to their first four goals of the term, with the Lions surging to a comfortable lead off the back of it.
“They have slaughtered them from centre-bounce this term – it’s been a clinic; it’s been great to watch,” Healy said.
Fox Footy caller Anthony Hudson added late in the third term that it’d been a “total domination (from clearance)… it’s like a different team has come out after the break”.
The Lions did concede three goals, too, but they looked a more settled side defensively after poor second-half efforts in losses to GWS and Fremantle.
EMOTIONAL MOMENT AS LUCKLESS LION’S 303-DAY DROUGHT ENDS
After an agonising 303-day hiatus between AFL games, Brisbane forward Eric Hipwood had his moment on Sunday afternoon in Hobart.
Hipwood, who hadn’t played in the seniors since Round 23 last year due to a partial ACL tear, kicked an emotional goal in his first game back.
In the midst of a dominant Brisbane third quarter, the left-footer got free inside 50 to mark, and finished his work with a clean set shot – immediately mobbed by his elated teammates.
“Missed the opportunity to win a second flag (last year) … (the Lions) have taken their time, decided that (he comes) straight into the seniors so he can reach his 200-game milestone,” Hudson said.
“His teammates love it – they come from every point in the compass to join in the celebration with Eric Hipwood.”
Hipwood snapped his second goal of the afternoon early in the final quarter to cap a pleasing return to the professional level.