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The Expansion Cup has hit its peak: The things we learnt
Jaiden Sciberras • June 22nd, 2025 6:54 pm
Round 15 has come and gone, bringing with it some shock performances across the country.
From a non-contest in Perth to a smashing in Melbourne, the penultimate bye round carried just one single digit margin as the cream of the crop prepare to launch into the back end of 2025.
That being said, here are the things we learnt in Round 15!
Brisbane are the reigning premiers for a reason
In case you forgot…
The Lions took on the Cats on a historical night at GMHBA, ruining Danger’s party to walk away 41-point victors.
In the absence of two incredibly important first-team players in Jack Payne and Callum Ah Chee, the Brisbane Lions put on one of the best performances in 2025 thus far.
Holding the Cats to just six goals on their home turf, Brisbane’s ability to lower the eyes, nail their short targets and break down the Geelong defence was simply too much to handle, finally finishing positively in front of goal to re-establish their place in the top two.
Although they have been inconsistent across the season, performances like these prove just how dangerous the Lions will be come September.
With Logan Morris firing on all cylinders, Zac Bailey and Cam Rayner unstoppable all over the park and their defence seeming impenetrable despite Payne’s absence, Brisbane’s hopes of a repeat are extremely far from dead.
Despite a tough run ahead, don’t expect the Lions to go away any time soon.
Forget the Blues, how about the Roos!
Yes, Carlton was extremely poor, but we can’t let that take away from what was an incredibly impressive North Melbourne performance.
After a slow start, the Roos blitzed the Blues, kicking eight unanswered goals to gain an insurmountable 40-point advantage early into the second half.
Despite Carlton’s field dominance, leading the inside 50 count and collecting a glut of uncontested ball, North Melbourne were absolutely devastating in front of goal, finding the big sticks with 31 per cent of their entries across the afternoon.
Led by the front half brilliance of Cam Zurhaar and Paul Curtis, the Kangaroos did all their damage without much influence from Nick Larkey, who managed just one goal from seven disposals.
We mentioned last week that Alastair Clarkson had nailed the mix and that it was only a matter of time before the Roos started to perform in the manner we expect of them.
Could this be the start of a new era of North Melbourne Football Club? Or does it come down to poor opposition?
Sometimes, all it takes is one win…
The Swans aren’t dead yet!
The importance of returning stars cannot be understated.
The Swans jumped Port Adelaide in stunning fashion, dominating territory to claim a somewhat flattering three-goal win.
Sydney were blessed with the return of two top liners in Errol Gulden and Tom Papley, desperately filling in the gaps that had been so deeply exposed over the course of this season.
Although both Gulden and Papley played out games far from their best, it was incredibly evident that the Swans played with a sense of confidence they’ve lacked in so many contests this year.
We’ve seen these kinds of games from Sydney on multiple occasions this season – dominating territory, struggling in front of goal and ultimately falling short – see Round 6 and Round 9.
However, despite Joel Amartey’s nightmare day, the Swans refused to give up on the contest, standing firm to counteract Port Adelaide’s second half pressure to claim the must-win clash.
Two games out of the eight with percentage to make up and returning stars, the Swannies are as good a chance as any.
The Expansion Cup has hit its peak
What a game of football!
Round 15’s Expansion Cup was a spectacle for the ages, as the Giants charged back from four goals down to steal the win over the Suns by seven points at Engie Stadium.
Expectations for the fresh-faced derby were as high as ever, with the sides sharing a battle for a spot in the eight for the first time in their collective history, and the back-and-forth clash with the stars shining bright was as good as any contest this year.
The midfield brilliance from Gold Coast early was immaculate, with all likelihood suggesting the raging Suns would run away with the result rather comfortably.
That being said, you can never rule out the Giants, as a masterful final term saw them boot eight goals to three to complete a major comeback and a huge win in the context of their season.
One thing is absolutely certain; the Expansion Cup is and will continue to be one of the strongest fixtures on the AFL calendar for years to come.
With talent off the charts, expect the rivals to battle it out for spots in the upper echelon of the competition for some time.
