Brisbane Lions focused on Suns, not top spot, says veteran Dayne Zorko
With five rounds of the regular season remaining, the second-placed Lions, on the back of four successive wins, are just two points adrift of competition leaders Collingwood, who have suffered back-to-back defeats.
If the Lions beat Gold Coast at People First Stadium on Saturday, and the Magpies lose to struggling Richmond on Sunday, Brisbane would be on top by the end of the weekend.
If both Brisbane and Collingwood win this weekend, top spot will be on the line on Saturday week when the teams meet at the MCG.
However, should the Lions lose to the Suns, Adelaide will move ahead of them with a win over Port Adelaide on Saturday night.
It's that scenario that Brisbane – who despite winning four premierships since the merger of the Bears and Fitzroy before the 1997 season have not won a minor premiership in that period – is most focused on avoiding, rather than being concerned about top spot.
'We found ourselves in a little bit of trouble earlier in the year when we started doing that,' Zorko told SENQ Breakfast.
'We looked where we were on the ladder and there was a fair bit of separation with us and Collingwood compared to the rest, and we felt as though our form started to fluctuate a little bit.'
The Lions won just two of six matches in a sub-par May-June period, which resulted in them dropping out of the top two.
'We put all that stuff aside. We just purely focus on what's important from week to week now,' said Zorko ahead of Brisbane's bid for a fifth straight win on Saturday.
'We want to try to finish up as high as we possibly can, but more importantly we want our game to still be in really good check.
'We want to keep improving and adjusting our style to make sure, heading towards that finals period, our game's in the best possible shape we can get it.'
Payney ���🩹� pic.twitter.com/cJssTMpM7C
— Brisbane Lions (@brisbanelions) July 22, 2025
Zorko, who has been cleared to play on Saturday after a positive outcome from scan results on a sore foot, expected the Suns to 'respond significantly' to their 61-point weekend loss to Adelaide.
'Their game's still healthy, they're in really good check,' Zorko said of the eighth-placed Suns.
'You have those losses. Collingwood beat us by a monstrous number (52 points) earlier on in the season, and you come back, you respond and you clean things up.
'I'm expecting them to do the same thing, which we'll be ready for.'
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Daily Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
AFL news: Melbourne Demon Steven May learns his fate for his divisive bump on Carlton forward Francis Evans
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Steven May has learned his fate for his hit on Carlton forward Francis Evans that fiercely divided the AFL fraternity and led to a hugely drawn out deliberation. May's act left 23-year-old Evans bloodied with a broken nose and a displaced tooth, graded by the Match Review Officer as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact. Referred directly to the Tribunal, the AFL was seeking a three-match ban for the incident and after taking well over an hour to make a call, the charge was upheld and that is the suspension he received. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. The Demons entered a not guilty plea to the rough conduct charge and wanted the case thrown out, listing nine reasons for that stance, including May's height, the unexpected bounce of the ball and the fact he didn't jump from the ground. They argued May's contact was not unreasonable as he accelerated towards a footy that was in dispute and the defender believed he would take possession first. Francis Evans was left in a bad way after the Steven May hit. Photos:The AFL argued 33-year-old May had breached his duty of care, however, and they got their way, with May to serve three matches on the sideline. Fox Footy's David Zita, who was at the hearing, reported May telling the Tribunal: 'It was sort of skimming across the surface, so I definitely thought it was my ball, given how the previous couple of bounces went. 'I was surprised Evans got to the ball first and did not try to bump him, maintaining the original line. 'I attempted to slow down, but it was too late. 'I just can't believe I didn't take possession. I thought I did everything right, so I'm just a bit shocked.' May was keen to see a replay. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos/via Getty Images) Evans at least had a smile on his face in the rooms after Carlton's win. Picture: Michael Klein The Demons were expected to strongly lean on the case of Fremantle captain Alex Pearce, who initially copped a three-game ban for his collision that concussed Port Adelaide's Darcy Byrne-Jones back in May. In that incident, the defender had his suspension overturned in what was widely considered a crucial test case for players contesting the ball in collisions which cause concussion. The verdict means May season is all but over, now missing games against St Kilda, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs, returning for the round 23 clash with the Hawks. There were a huge range of opinions over May's incident, which came in the third quarter of the Blues' eight-point win. Port Adelaide veteran Travis Boak conceded the outcome for his former teammate Evans was a terrible look, but wondered what else May could have done. 'In my view it's a footy act, in terms of he looked like he had a play on the ball,' he said on AFL 360. 'He went for the ball and the last minute his decision is 'oh no, I can't get the ball' and sort of braced and that's where the impact came from. 'I don't think there's much he can do here, he had a play for the ball until the very last second and has to make a split decision almost to protect himself. 'Unfortunately 'Frankie' gets hit in the head and the outcome looks really bad, there's a lot of blood and concussion and we don't want to see that. 'But it's a decision made at the last second so I'm not sure what else he could've done.' Evans is surrounded by teammates after the collision. (Photo by) West Coast premiership player Will Schofield told AFL Tonight: 'Maybe we see a one-week penalty because of the outcome, but I don't think this is an act we need out of the game. 'I thought he did everything right until he didn't and those sorts of accidental outcomes, I don't think we should be penalising.' Pies great Nathan Buckley took a different stance, telling Fox Footy: 'I don't know whether our game is capable of allowing that anymore.' Many fans took the same side as Boak, but there was still a cross section of opinions on social media. One wrote on X: 'Should be nothing, stop encouraging the continued destruction of the game.' Another tweeted: 'That is 1000% a footy action, contesting the football at all times. It's not even a bump.' A third offered: 'There is no duty of care towards the player and May contacts the head.' A fourth wrote: 'S**t that's terrible, should be 5 weeks.' 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Pearce's testimony was absolutely compelling, so Steven May … he will tell the truth. '(Melbourne's) position is that it would actually add confusion and indeed chaos if he was actually suspended, because we would be totally confused about where we're at, when we got a bit of clarity with Alex Pearce a few weeks back.' In the end, the AFL got its way and May will be out for three weeks. – with Fox Sports Originally published as AFL star Steven May learns his fate for divisive Carlton act
The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Under-fire Wallabies dismiss 'ridiculous' criticism
Wallabies winger Harry Potter has rubbished Clive Woodward's suggestion there is a "losing mentality" in Australian rugby ahead of the do-or-die second Test against the Lions in Melbourne. England's World Cup-winning coach Woodward criticised the Wallabies after captain Harry Wilson's decision to kick the ball out to end the first Test in Brisbane rather than chase another try. It might have come as some relief to Wallabies fans that their underdogs weren't mauled by the Lions in the series-opening 27-19 defeat. But Potter on Wednesday said Joe Schmidt's men aren't content with simply competing with the Lions. "It's pretty ridiculous to suggest that the 23 people who played on the weekend have a mentality of losing," Potter said at the MCG, which will host the second Test on Saturday night. "We went out there to win the game, and we didn't win the game. "But it was our intention very much and you could tell from every player in the team we wanted to win that game." He said it had been tough looking back at the first Test, in which the Wallabies were out-muscled by the tourists and trailed 24-5 after 42 minutes. Two late tries added some respectability to the scoreboard and gave the Wallabies belief they can turn the tables in Melbourne, with Potter urging his team to heed the lessons learnt. They could also take pointers from the aggressive performance of the First Nations and Pasifika team, which ruffled the Lions' feathers in a narrow 24-19 defeat on Tuesday night. "It felt like we didn't put our best foot forward, particularly in the first 50 or 60 minutes," Potter said of the Wallabies' first Test showing. "There were a lot of lessons to take out of that one. "They're an incredibly strong team and we know that we've got to come out better and start the game stronger. "But I suppose there were some positive signs towards the end of the game. "If we can string enough things together then we'll go a lot better than what we did." Potter said the Wallabies had no need to address the do-or-die nature of the second Test, as they seek to emulate the 2001 Australian side that recovered from 1-0 down to claim a famous 2-1 series win against the Lions. "Everyone's on the same page; you know you have to win this game to keep the series alive," Potter said. "Emotionally it's very simple this week and we all know the task at hand, so I don't think anyone's got any questions about what's at stake." Potter, who will head from Western Force to the NSW Waratahs in the next Super Rugby season, endured a frustrating night on a personal level in Brisbane. And former Wallabies captain, Michael Hooper, this week suggested Hunter Paisami be injected into the centres for the Melbourne Test, a move that would shift Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to the wing and bump Potter out of the side. The London-born 27-year-old lived a period of his youth in Melbourne and said it would be a dream to play at the MCG. "It's a mecca of sport, this place, in my eyes," Potter said. "If I can be out here on Saturday night against the British and Irish Lions, it would be a pretty special place to play the game." Potter was in the crowd the last time the Wallabies hosted the Lions in Melbourne, in 2013. Wallabies winger Harry Potter has rubbished Clive Woodward's suggestion there is a "losing mentality" in Australian rugby ahead of the do-or-die second Test against the Lions in Melbourne. England's World Cup-winning coach Woodward criticised the Wallabies after captain Harry Wilson's decision to kick the ball out to end the first Test in Brisbane rather than chase another try. It might have come as some relief to Wallabies fans that their underdogs weren't mauled by the Lions in the series-opening 27-19 defeat. But Potter on Wednesday said Joe Schmidt's men aren't content with simply competing with the Lions. "It's pretty ridiculous to suggest that the 23 people who played on the weekend have a mentality of losing," Potter said at the MCG, which will host the second Test on Saturday night. "We went out there to win the game, and we didn't win the game. "But it was our intention very much and you could tell from every player in the team we wanted to win that game." He said it had been tough looking back at the first Test, in which the Wallabies were out-muscled by the tourists and trailed 24-5 after 42 minutes. Two late tries added some respectability to the scoreboard and gave the Wallabies belief they can turn the tables in Melbourne, with Potter urging his team to heed the lessons learnt. They could also take pointers from the aggressive performance of the First Nations and Pasifika team, which ruffled the Lions' feathers in a narrow 24-19 defeat on Tuesday night. "It felt like we didn't put our best foot forward, particularly in the first 50 or 60 minutes," Potter said of the Wallabies' first Test showing. "There were a lot of lessons to take out of that one. "They're an incredibly strong team and we know that we've got to come out better and start the game stronger. "But I suppose there were some positive signs towards the end of the game. "If we can string enough things together then we'll go a lot better than what we did." Potter said the Wallabies had no need to address the do-or-die nature of the second Test, as they seek to emulate the 2001 Australian side that recovered from 1-0 down to claim a famous 2-1 series win against the Lions. "Everyone's on the same page; you know you have to win this game to keep the series alive," Potter said. "Emotionally it's very simple this week and we all know the task at hand, so I don't think anyone's got any questions about what's at stake." Potter, who will head from Western Force to the NSW Waratahs in the next Super Rugby season, endured a frustrating night on a personal level in Brisbane. And former Wallabies captain, Michael Hooper, this week suggested Hunter Paisami be injected into the centres for the Melbourne Test, a move that would shift Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to the wing and bump Potter out of the side. The London-born 27-year-old lived a period of his youth in Melbourne and said it would be a dream to play at the MCG. "It's a mecca of sport, this place, in my eyes," Potter said. "If I can be out here on Saturday night against the British and Irish Lions, it would be a pretty special place to play the game." Potter was in the crowd the last time the Wallabies hosted the Lions in Melbourne, in 2013. Wallabies winger Harry Potter has rubbished Clive Woodward's suggestion there is a "losing mentality" in Australian rugby ahead of the do-or-die second Test against the Lions in Melbourne. England's World Cup-winning coach Woodward criticised the Wallabies after captain Harry Wilson's decision to kick the ball out to end the first Test in Brisbane rather than chase another try. It might have come as some relief to Wallabies fans that their underdogs weren't mauled by the Lions in the series-opening 27-19 defeat. But Potter on Wednesday said Joe Schmidt's men aren't content with simply competing with the Lions. "It's pretty ridiculous to suggest that the 23 people who played on the weekend have a mentality of losing," Potter said at the MCG, which will host the second Test on Saturday night. "We went out there to win the game, and we didn't win the game. "But it was our intention very much and you could tell from every player in the team we wanted to win that game." He said it had been tough looking back at the first Test, in which the Wallabies were out-muscled by the tourists and trailed 24-5 after 42 minutes. Two late tries added some respectability to the scoreboard and gave the Wallabies belief they can turn the tables in Melbourne, with Potter urging his team to heed the lessons learnt. They could also take pointers from the aggressive performance of the First Nations and Pasifika team, which ruffled the Lions' feathers in a narrow 24-19 defeat on Tuesday night. "It felt like we didn't put our best foot forward, particularly in the first 50 or 60 minutes," Potter said of the Wallabies' first Test showing. "There were a lot of lessons to take out of that one. "They're an incredibly strong team and we know that we've got to come out better and start the game stronger. "But I suppose there were some positive signs towards the end of the game. "If we can string enough things together then we'll go a lot better than what we did." Potter said the Wallabies had no need to address the do-or-die nature of the second Test, as they seek to emulate the 2001 Australian side that recovered from 1-0 down to claim a famous 2-1 series win against the Lions. "Everyone's on the same page; you know you have to win this game to keep the series alive," Potter said. "Emotionally it's very simple this week and we all know the task at hand, so I don't think anyone's got any questions about what's at stake." Potter, who will head from Western Force to the NSW Waratahs in the next Super Rugby season, endured a frustrating night on a personal level in Brisbane. And former Wallabies captain, Michael Hooper, this week suggested Hunter Paisami be injected into the centres for the Melbourne Test, a move that would shift Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to the wing and bump Potter out of the side. The London-born 27-year-old lived a period of his youth in Melbourne and said it would be a dream to play at the MCG. "It's a mecca of sport, this place, in my eyes," Potter said. "If I can be out here on Saturday night against the British and Irish Lions, it would be a pretty special place to play the game." Potter was in the crowd the last time the Wallabies hosted the Lions in Melbourne, in 2013.
The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Walters embraces 'lifetime' chance to coach Australia
Kevin Walters won a World Cup final for Australia with a famous pass as a player and now is "proud" he gets to coach the Kangaroos on the three-Test tour of England. Walters, 57, replaces new Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga in the role on a 12-month contract and said he had put aspirations to coach in the NRL again on hold in 2026. "Certainly. At the moment, my focus is the Kangaroos," Walters said. "I want to do a great job there with the Ashes series. It's a big job. "It's a 12-month contract so it's the opportune time for me to come in and get some hard work done and then prepare these guys for what will be a very tough series. "When that phone call came to ask if I would be interested in coaching the Kangaroos, the hairs on the back of my neck really stood up and bristled. "As a kid, you dream about ... playing for the Kangaroos, which I was fortunate enough to achieve, and now to be given the opportunity to coach them, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Walters coached Queensland to two State of Origin series wins out of four and was at the helm of Brisbane when they reached the 2023 grand final before being sacked at the end of the following year. If successful on the Ashes tour there is a strong chance he would be retained for next year's World Cup to be hosted in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Walters played 12 Tests for Australia and was a hero of the 1992 World Cup final at Wembley Stadium. The Kangaroos were trailing 6-4 when Walters came off the bench to throw a classic "out ball" to his Brisbane teammate Steve Renouf who scored the match winner in 10-6 win. Former NSW coach Brad Fittler turned down the opportunity to replace Meninga while former Kangaroos coach and current South Sydney mentor Wayne Bennett was ruled out of contention by the Commission due to his club responsibilities. Former Australia captain Cameron Smith told 100% Footy on Monday night that despite being interested in the coaching role, he was not given the opportunity to present his case. He did receive notification from ARLC chairman Peter V'landys that Walters had got the job. "He gave me a phone call to let me know the decision was made to go with Kev and that was about it," Smith said. "I'm happy with that decision, I respect that decision. "If I had an opportunity to put my case forward I would've but the decision was made by the game's hierarchy to go with Kevvie and I think it's a great appointment." During the conversation Smith said V'landys spoke about a possible assistant role. "That could be something to look at but I've not had any further discussions with Peter or Andrew Abdo or anyone in the NRL about that," he said. Walters said a possible role for Smith on the coaching staff was "something that we'll have to have a look at". "I'm not sure of Cameron's position at the moment and what he wants to do but he's been a great leader for the Kangaroos and I have worked with Smithy as a captain-coach relationship with the Queensland team for a few years," Walters said. "We've got a good relationship. I'll get my feet under the desk first. There's a lot of decisions to be made around staff. Certainly, we'll look at that in the next couple of days." Kevin Walters won a World Cup final for Australia with a famous pass as a player and now is "proud" he gets to coach the Kangaroos on the three-Test tour of England. Walters, 57, replaces new Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga in the role on a 12-month contract and said he had put aspirations to coach in the NRL again on hold in 2026. "Certainly. At the moment, my focus is the Kangaroos," Walters said. "I want to do a great job there with the Ashes series. It's a big job. "It's a 12-month contract so it's the opportune time for me to come in and get some hard work done and then prepare these guys for what will be a very tough series. "When that phone call came to ask if I would be interested in coaching the Kangaroos, the hairs on the back of my neck really stood up and bristled. "As a kid, you dream about ... playing for the Kangaroos, which I was fortunate enough to achieve, and now to be given the opportunity to coach them, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Walters coached Queensland to two State of Origin series wins out of four and was at the helm of Brisbane when they reached the 2023 grand final before being sacked at the end of the following year. If successful on the Ashes tour there is a strong chance he would be retained for next year's World Cup to be hosted in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Walters played 12 Tests for Australia and was a hero of the 1992 World Cup final at Wembley Stadium. The Kangaroos were trailing 6-4 when Walters came off the bench to throw a classic "out ball" to his Brisbane teammate Steve Renouf who scored the match winner in 10-6 win. Former NSW coach Brad Fittler turned down the opportunity to replace Meninga while former Kangaroos coach and current South Sydney mentor Wayne Bennett was ruled out of contention by the Commission due to his club responsibilities. Former Australia captain Cameron Smith told 100% Footy on Monday night that despite being interested in the coaching role, he was not given the opportunity to present his case. He did receive notification from ARLC chairman Peter V'landys that Walters had got the job. "He gave me a phone call to let me know the decision was made to go with Kev and that was about it," Smith said. "I'm happy with that decision, I respect that decision. "If I had an opportunity to put my case forward I would've but the decision was made by the game's hierarchy to go with Kevvie and I think it's a great appointment." During the conversation Smith said V'landys spoke about a possible assistant role. "That could be something to look at but I've not had any further discussions with Peter or Andrew Abdo or anyone in the NRL about that," he said. Walters said a possible role for Smith on the coaching staff was "something that we'll have to have a look at". "I'm not sure of Cameron's position at the moment and what he wants to do but he's been a great leader for the Kangaroos and I have worked with Smithy as a captain-coach relationship with the Queensland team for a few years," Walters said. "We've got a good relationship. I'll get my feet under the desk first. There's a lot of decisions to be made around staff. Certainly, we'll look at that in the next couple of days." Kevin Walters won a World Cup final for Australia with a famous pass as a player and now is "proud" he gets to coach the Kangaroos on the three-Test tour of England. Walters, 57, replaces new Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga in the role on a 12-month contract and said he had put aspirations to coach in the NRL again on hold in 2026. "Certainly. At the moment, my focus is the Kangaroos," Walters said. "I want to do a great job there with the Ashes series. It's a big job. "It's a 12-month contract so it's the opportune time for me to come in and get some hard work done and then prepare these guys for what will be a very tough series. "When that phone call came to ask if I would be interested in coaching the Kangaroos, the hairs on the back of my neck really stood up and bristled. "As a kid, you dream about ... playing for the Kangaroos, which I was fortunate enough to achieve, and now to be given the opportunity to coach them, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Walters coached Queensland to two State of Origin series wins out of four and was at the helm of Brisbane when they reached the 2023 grand final before being sacked at the end of the following year. If successful on the Ashes tour there is a strong chance he would be retained for next year's World Cup to be hosted in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Walters played 12 Tests for Australia and was a hero of the 1992 World Cup final at Wembley Stadium. The Kangaroos were trailing 6-4 when Walters came off the bench to throw a classic "out ball" to his Brisbane teammate Steve Renouf who scored the match winner in 10-6 win. Former NSW coach Brad Fittler turned down the opportunity to replace Meninga while former Kangaroos coach and current South Sydney mentor Wayne Bennett was ruled out of contention by the Commission due to his club responsibilities. Former Australia captain Cameron Smith told 100% Footy on Monday night that despite being interested in the coaching role, he was not given the opportunity to present his case. He did receive notification from ARLC chairman Peter V'landys that Walters had got the job. "He gave me a phone call to let me know the decision was made to go with Kev and that was about it," Smith said. "I'm happy with that decision, I respect that decision. "If I had an opportunity to put my case forward I would've but the decision was made by the game's hierarchy to go with Kevvie and I think it's a great appointment." During the conversation Smith said V'landys spoke about a possible assistant role. "That could be something to look at but I've not had any further discussions with Peter or Andrew Abdo or anyone in the NRL about that," he said. Walters said a possible role for Smith on the coaching staff was "something that we'll have to have a look at". "I'm not sure of Cameron's position at the moment and what he wants to do but he's been a great leader for the Kangaroos and I have worked with Smithy as a captain-coach relationship with the Queensland team for a few years," Walters said. "We've got a good relationship. I'll get my feet under the desk first. There's a lot of decisions to be made around staff. Certainly, we'll look at that in the next couple of days."
