Notting was his side's best on a strange night during which Jonathan Brown kicked five minor scores before booting a goal and the Lions constantly threatened but couldn’t overcome the Roos.
"The ground was really slippery and dewy, the conditions were pretty tough and hot. We didn't handle it as well as they did," Notting said.
"The ground was obviously wet before we started and, with all the dew, it was a bit like a wet-weather game. We didn't adjust as well as they did and they got us around the clinches - we weren't able to get the ball running forward."
The Lions faded slightly in the fourth term, just as they did a week ago against Sydney. Notting, however, said there were no fitness level concerns at the Gabba and that the Lions had simply set themselves too much of a task by allowing the Kangaroos a 22-point lead at quarter-time.
Notting, who kicked a superb second-quarter goal from 60m, had five of his game-high 29 possessions in the last quarter.
"We let them get a start in the first quarter and we could never get our head in front of them or even level after that. All night, we couldn't just quite peg it back," Notting said.
"It's certainly not our fitness. It's just one of those things - they had a score on the board and it's always really hard when you are playing catch-up footy.
