THE FIRST quarter-and-a-bit was going perfectly to script for Brisbane.

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Playing on their freshly laid deck at Brighton Homes Arena, the Lions absorbed Melbourne's forward forays and were able to punish them in the other direction with goals to Dakota Davidson and Cathy Svarc, taking an 11-point lead into the first change.

But after chipping away early in the second term for little reward, the Demons would change the entire momentum of the match midway through the quarter.

The critical contest came following a long kick forward from the centre of the ground by Kate Hore.

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Brisbane skipper, and recently selected All-Australian Bre Koenen led the race back to win possession from Alyssa Bannan. Koenen got a cruel bounce though and dropped to her knees to bat the ball clear to teammate Sophie Conway, who ran straight over the ground ball.

In the blink of an eye Bannan had swooped, scooping the ball up and firing a slick handball to Blaithin Mackin, who calmly slotted the goal from 30m.

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It was the perfect time for the 23-year-old Irish forward to kick her second career goal. A moment that got Melbourne on the scoreboard in a meaningful way, reducing the margin to three points late in the first half, and giving it belief to challenge the home team.

With her mother, brother and sister in the grandstand after flying out from Ireland just two days ago, Mackin said it was a moment she would long remember.

"Alyssa Bannan, my housemate, put her body on the line to make a contest and get the ball out," Mackin told womens.afl.

"I was praying for the ball to go straight and thank God it did."

That wasn't the end of the dramatic 15-second passage though, with Koenen getting up limping from the contest.

She hobbled from the ground with what Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich would later confirm was a PCL injury.

Koenen missed the final five minutes of the first half, but would return with her knee heavily strapped after the main break to play the game out.

She battled bravely, despite being clearly hindered.

Brisbane was never the same though, and Mackin's goal solidified a turning of the tide that would continue into the second half and ultimately the final siren.