OpinionSeptember 5, 2026 — 7:07pmNo 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.Andrew Wu (Sydney) and Scott Spits (Brisbane Lions) rate every player’s performance from a stunning game.Charlie Curnow and coach Dean Cox after a win for the ages.AFL PhotosSydney(2) Hayden McLean: Three goals as a forward/ruck is a handy return for the big man, who can’t have done much more to state his case should Joel Amartey be available for selection. 6/10(4) Brodie Grundy: What a gutsy effort against the Lions’ two specialist rucks. Did not have his most influential game, but still showed aggression and made the Swans’ undermanned midfield walk taller. 6.5/10(6) Logan McDonald: Fulfilled his defensive role against Harris Andrews to the letter, and topped it off with a personal-best six goals. It was a career-best performance by the key forward, who played just about the perfect game. 9.5/10“How easy is this?” Swans forward Logan McDonald played the game of his life.AFL Photos(7) Harry Cunningham: The veteran, who probably would not have even played if the Swans had their full availability, was part of a defence that turned the lights out on the Lions’ gun smaller forwards. He took six intercept marks and was one of several senior players who set the tone. 7.5/10(8) James Rowbottom: The Lions could not get their game going because of the excellent job done by the rugged Swans tagger on Lachie Neale, who was held to just 18 disposals and two clearances. 7.5/10(9) Jesse Dattoli: The youngster had a big moment in lacing out Tom Papley under pressure but was quiet in his finals debut. 3/10Tom Papley had one of the best games of his career.AFL Photos(11) Tom Papley: He showed no signs of the calf worry that sent a scare around the SCG in the warm-up. He bagged five goals, probably deserved a career-high sixth, and pressured hard in a complete performance. 8.5/10(12) Angus Sheldrick: He did his bit in a rampant Swans midfield without having a huge influence. His inside work will be important in the preliminary final. 5/10(13) Jai Serong: Thrown into the centre square after the club’s upheaval, the versatile recruit has seized his opportunity. He was instrumental to the Swans’ centre clearance domination over the Lions’ vaunted midfield. 6.5/10(14) Callum Mills: What a bittersweet day for the Swans captain, who appears to have seriously injured his knee but would be so proud of his team’s stirring performance. He put aside his personal devastation to direct teammates during the breaks. A great team man. N/ACallum Mills was still grinning from ear to ear at the result, despite his knee injury.Getty Images(15) Sam Wicks: The speedy defender has become an important part of the Swans’ backline. He shut down Charlie Cameron, who had just four disposals, while providing rebound with his dash. 7/10(16) Braeden Campbell: He gave Lions playmaker Dayne Zorko very little time or space to launch their counterattack, while doing some neat things, himself. 6/10(21) Errol Gulden: The sole player remaining this season of the Swans’ “big three”, Gulden was the most influential midfielder on the ground. Has added an inside role to his game while maintaining his influence on the outside. His goal of the year contender in the third quarter ended the Lions’ hopes. 9/10(24) Dane Rampe: He won big one-on-ones early against Oscar Allen and provided a steady head in defence. A solid effort. 6/10(25) Billy Cootee: On finals debut, the first-season small forward continued his impressive, late-season form. He deserves to hold his place. 5.5/10(29) Joel Hamling: Took an important mark in the second term when the Lions mounted a fleeting comeback, but otherwise did not do a whole heap. 5/10(30) Tom McCartin: He did a top job to limit Logan Morris to just two goals. He cost his team with a spilt mark in the goal square in the first half, but hardly put a foot wrong otherwise. 7/10(32) Harry Kyle: The code-hopping Swans academy graduate had a nervy moment early but blanketed Kai Lohmann, who would not have played many worse games during the Lions’ premiership era. 6.5/10(33) Caiden Cleary: He got going in the second half after being quiet early. I’m just not sure if he did enough to hold his place if players return from injury. 4/10(34) Matt Roberts: His only touch in the first quarter was a goal. He found his groove as the match wore on. 6/10(35) Charlie Curnow: The three-time Coleman medallist played his best final and one of the best games so far in his decorated career. He was one of the Swans’ agenda setters in the first quarter and finished with five goals and three contested grabs. He had the extra satisfaction of having his nemesis Darcy Gardiner moved off him. 9/10(40) Tom Hanily: The young Swan did not make the most of limited chances, and had some moments he’d rather forget. Another who will be sweating on selection. 3/10(44) Jake Lloyd: A superb performance by the two-time club champion who had been relegated to a support role but now has an important job as a running backman. 7.5/10Brisbane Lions superstar Harris Andrews and Chris Fagan have plenty to sort through after their side’s stunning loss to the undermanned Swans.AFL PhotosBrisbane 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. 5/10Lachie Neale and the rest of the Brisbane Lions midfield had an uncharacteristically poor day.Getty Images(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. 5/10The Swans lost captain Callum Mills in the first quarter, but went on to a big win over Dayne Zorko and the Lions.Getty Images(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(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. 6/10More:AFL 2026For subscribersSydney SwansBrisbane LionsOpinionFrom our partners