UNDERMANNED Brisbane has flexed its premiership muscles, powering past Collingwood by 54 points to win its first Easter Thursday match at the Gabba in three years.

The Magpies played without superstar midfielder Nick Daicos (calf), who was dramatically withdrawn moments before the first bounce after failing to complete his warm-up, but his presence would not have changed this result.

LIONS v MAGPIES Full match coverage and stats

The Lions built on last week’s final quarter avalanche against St Kilda, dominating stoppages (42-24) and contested ball (131-93) and overwhelming their opponents in the forward half of the ground to win 17.17 (119) to 10.5 (65).

Playing without co-captains Harris Andrews and Hugh McCluggage, along with lockdown defenders Darcy Gardiner and Noah Answerth, Brisbane was rarely troubled, despite some wayward goalkicking in the middle two quarters.

Kai Lohmann kicked four goals, while Logan Morris and Oscar Allen kicked three apiece as the home team finished with eight goalkickers.

With the absences of Daicos and McCluggage almost cancelling each other out, the Lions ran riot from centre bounce.

Two-time Norm Smith Medal winner Will Ashcroft (36 disposals and one freakish goal) and dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale (29) were both magnificent with their clean hands in tight quarters.

Zac Bailey (25 and two goals) added the speed around the contest.

Two performances that would delight coach Chris Fagan came from Keidean Coleman and Sam Draper.

Coleman, back after two injury-interrupted years, was among the best players on the ground with his wonderful ball use and excellent defensive efforts, while Draper played the best of his four games in Lions colours, combining great ruck work with excellent marking around the ground.

Missing Daicos and veteran Scott Pendlebury (Achilles) was noticeable when the Magpies went forward, but truthfully, they didn't get it in the forward half of the ground often enough.

Brisbane wasted no time getting the bumper home crowd of 34,648 into the match, with Lohmann kicking two early goals.

The game was surprisingly free flowing in the early stages, with the Lions generating 10 scoring shots from 14 first-quarter entries to lead by 21 points at the first change.

Collingwood was struggling to move the ball, but as the lead ballooned to 34 midway through the second term, it found some rhythm with goals to Lachie Sullivan and Roan Steele to get back into the contest.

Ashcroft kicked a freakish left-footed goal from deep in the forward pocket to give the home team extra breathing space, and Coleman’s mammoth hit on Steele Sidebottom was the exclamation mark to a strong first half.

The dramatic late withdrawal of Nick Daicos
When Collingwood ran onto the Gabba just under an hour before the game, the strapping around Nick Daicos' right calf was obvious. The champion midfielder jogged around gingerly before going back to the dressing rooms. He came back later without the strapping but failed his late fitness test and was officially replaced in the 23 by Ed Allan less than 20 minutes before the first bounce. 

Draper and Allen look the goods
Oscar Allen and Sam Draper were Brisbane's two big off-season acquisitions, and both played the best games of their young Lions careers. Allen moved well, marked strongly and looked assured in his set-shot kicking, while Draper was excellent in the air behind the ball and was influential in the Lions' centre bounce superiority with his powerful leap. Allen kicked three goals from nine disposals that included five marks, while Draper finished with 18 touches, six marks and five clearances.

This hit will be hard to top for the biggest in 2026
Poor Steele Sidebottom was on the end of a piledriving Keidean Coleman tackle in the second quarter that had him writhing on the ground for a minute before being helped from the field. Isaac Quaynor exited the Magpies' defensive 50 with a looping handball to Sidebottom, who had to leap in the air to grab it, leaving his ribs exposed for the oncoming Coleman. The young Lion dropped his shoulder and drove the veteran Pie into the Gabba turf.

BRISBANE                  6.4     9.8     11.13     17.17 (119)
COLLINGWOOD          3.1     5.3       8.4        10.5 (65)

GOALS
Brisbane: Lohmann 4, Morris 3, Allen 3, McCarthy 2, Bailey 2, Zorko, Reville, W.Ashcroft
Collingwood: McStay 4, Sullivan, Steele, Schultz, Membrey, Elliott, De Goey

BEST
Brisbane: W.Ashcroft, Morris, Coleman, Bailey, Neale, Fletcher
Collingwood: J.Daicos, McStay, Maynard, Houston

INJURIES
Brisbane: Nil
Collingwood: Nil

LATE CHANGES
Brisbane: Nil
Collingwood: N.Daicos (calf) replaced in selected side by Allan

Crowd: 34,648 at the Gabba