THE BRISBANE Lions will meet the on-song Sydney Swans at the Gabba on Saturday night, after Paul Roos' side notched a confidence-boosting 68-point win over Port Adelaide on the weekend.
The Swans boast one of the competition's better form lines, having lost to NAB Cup premiers St Kilda by just two points in round one before Sunday's mauling of last year's beaten grand finalists.
The Swans had their beaks in front throughout the Port clash, but put the result beyond doubt in the third quarter, when they kicked seven goals to the Power's one.
Gun forward Barry Hall, who will be likely opposed by Lions full-back Daniel Merrett, led the rout with five majors and was one of 12 goal-kickers for the 2005 premiers.
In other weekend results, Melbourne's miserable start to the season continued when it was walloped by the Western Bulldogs by 95 points, while Adelaide was similarly brutal in a 76-point win against West Coast.
St Kilda overcame a slow start to beat Carlton by 40 points, and Hawthorn defeated a disappointing Fremantle by 15 points. Geelong thumped Essendon by 99 points, and North Melbourne held out Richmond by 41 points.
For performance of the week, it's difficult to go past that of Adelaide skipper Simon Goodwin. Better known for his prolific work in the midfield, Goodwin played forward against the Eagles and helped himself to seven goals.
Geelong's decorated pairing of Jimmy Bartel and Gary Ablett was also in great touch, with the two All-Australians combining for 72 disposals in the belting of the Bombers.
Western Bulldogs 24.17 (161) def Melbourne 9. 12 (66)
DURING the first 30 minutes, it looked as if Melbourne would take the contest right up to the Bulldogs. But a seven-goal second term paved the way for the Dogs to pile on 15 goals to four after half-time. Six Bulldogs players kicked three goals or more, including ex-Lion Jason Akermanis.
Adelaide 21.7 (133) def West Coast 8.9 (57)
ADELAIDE had not beaten West Coast since the final round of the 2005 home-and-away season, but history counted for little on Saturday afternoon as the Crows pulverised the Eagles. Neil Craig's team was uncannily accurate in front of goal, but that statistic almost went unnoticed such was Adelaide's dominance. Captain Simon Goodwin led the rout with seven goals.
Hawthorn 16.16 (112) def Fremantle 14.13 (97)
FREMANTLE fought hard and reduced a 34-point margin to less than a goal during the third quarter, but the raw fact remains that Mark Harvey's side is winless thus far for 2008. Hawthorn, meanwhile, is 2-0 and got four goals each against Fremantle from key forwards Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead. One of the few downsides for the Hawks was the loss of Stuart Dew to a hamstring injury.
St Kilda 19.11 (125) def Carlton 12.13 (85)
THE Saints started slowly but finished well enough to stretch their 2008 winning sequence to six games – including the NAB Cup. Fraser Gehrig and Stephen Milne booted four goals apiece for St Kilda, while Carlton frustrated after leading by as many as 23 points in the first term.
Sydney 22.14 (146) def Port Adelaide 11.12 (78)
WIDELY tipped as a spent force before the season's start, the Swans have shown plenty in their two games to date – including this 68-point thrashing of last year's beaten grand finalists. Barry Hall kicked five goals for the Swans, with Michael O'Loughlin supplying four. Port, which will entertain the Lions in round five, largely disappointed, although Shaun Burgoyne did kick four goals.
Geelong 22.18 (150) def Essendon 6.15 (51)
NO SIGN of post-premiership blues for the Cats, which brought the Bombers back to earth with a 99-point thrashing. Geelong dominated throughout, and it was reflected in the statistics, with seven Cats gathering 25 or more possessions.
North Melbourne 20.7 (127) def Richmond 13.8 (86)
RICHMOND'S revival was short-lived, courtesy of a North Melbourne side that was desperate to get its season back on track. The Kangaroos had no shortage of contributors, but the clear standout was Corey Jones – who booted four goals in the first term en route to seven for the match. The Tigers fought back late, but ultimately too late, and will sweat on the fitness of Andrew Raines (dislocated kneecap).