After getting within eight points of Gold Coast midway through the third quarter on Saturday afternoon, the Lions folded meekly to concede eight successive goals and lose by 53 points.
It was their third straight loss to start the 2014 season, and their most inept performance to date under rookie coach Justin Leppitsch.
Leppitsch criticised the Lions' leaders post-match, saying they were ones he expected to control the game when it began slipping.
"I do expect them to direct and stand up and take control," he said.
Click here for full match coverage
Rockliff agreed, saying when the pressure was on late in the third quarter, the senior players were disappointing.
"It's our leaders that really have to step up and grab games when they're on the line and take control," he said.
"When the game was on the line we didn't have enough contributing.
"We're expecting our kids to go out there and do it and that's just not going to happen. I thought Sam Mayes was a good contributor, I thought James Aish was a good contributor.
"I think we let ourselves down as a core senior group."
The 24-year-old midfielder played a lone hand for the listless Lions, tallying 35 disposals and kicking three goals.
The experienced backline including captain Jed Adcock, Daniel Merrett and Joel Patfull all looked rusty.
At the other end of the ground, former skipper Jonathan Brown played "poorly" according to Leppitsch, and it was hard to argue with just one mark and four disposals.
"That's where Gold Coast got us today. They really stood up as a whole unit and we didn't," Rockliff said.
Twitter: @AFL_mikewhiting
