Four goals from Hugh McCluggage helped Brisbane take care of business in their pursuit of a top-four berth, seeing off the GWS Giants in the Lions’ first ever trip to Canberra.
After conceding the first goal, the Lions didn’t trail again in the 15.9 (99) to 9.5 (59) win, with not even four first-half efforts from Toby Greene enough to see the Giants hit the front.
The 40-point win puts them equal-top with Geelong, Melbourne and Fremantle, although those teams are yet to play in round 18.
McCluggage was at his sparkling best with 30 disposals to go with his majors, but they got a huge boost from Rhys Mathieson in his first AFL appearance of the year, racking up 10 clearances among his 23 touches.
Greene looked back to his dangerous self, slotting multiple goals for the first time in four matches, his first-half heroics keeping the Giants in the game as their opponents threatened to break away.
But the Lions had all the answers late, finally capitalising on their territorial dominance with nine of the second half’s first 10 goals to blow GWS away.
Their forwards fired on all cylinders, with Charlie Cameron, Cam Rayner (each three goals), Eric Hipwood and Daniel McStay (each two) kicking multiples, while star midfielder Lachie Neale got involved with 26 touches.
It was a second consecutive lamentable effort from the Giants, having been smashed by 55 points against Port Adelaide last weekend.
Greene had opened the scoring, but the Lions dominated the rest of the opening stanza with 15 inside 50s to six, and kicked the next four goals with McStay slotting two set shots to pinch an 18-point quarter-time lead.
But Greene got rolling with three goals in the second and Josh Kelly helped out with a sensational running effort as the got within seven points at the main break, a brilliant snapped effort from McCluggage highlighting the term for the Lions.
The Lions midfielder slotted two in the third however as they rattled off five goals to one in the third, firmly breaking the game open in skipping out to a 36-point lead.
They were always on top at the clearances with a dominant 49-24 result, converting that into a whopping extra 23 inside 50s.
Key GWS defender Sam Taylor put in a huge shift, racking up 20 disposals to go with six marks and some courageous defensive efforts, while Harry Himmelberg again impressed after shifting to defence with 30 touches.
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