BRISBANE put a patchy first fortnight in the rearview mirror with a record-breaking 108-point slaughtering of a terrible North Melbourne at the Gabba on Saturday night.

Unlike their slow starts in wins against Port Adelaide and Essendon, the Lions smelt blood early, slamming home seven first-quarter goals to set the tone for a 23.18 (156) to 7.6 (48) romp.

They were unrelenting until the final siren, bookending the match with another nine goals in the final term to crack the century margin.

LIONS v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

It was both the biggest win and highest score kicked by the Lions since round 16, 2007 when they beat Carlton by 117 points, and comfortably the biggest win of Chris Fagan's six-year tenure as coach. 

Brisbane played quick and precise football, moving it swiftly at every opportunity and overwhelming North with skill and overlap run.

Lincoln McCarthy kicked five goals in a career-best outing, Zac Bailey added four, Joe Daniher three and only poor goalkicking stopped Charlie Cameron (2.6) from having a huge night.

The Lions finished with 11 goalkickers and at times were raffling their chances as players queued up to add their name to the list.

WE SHOULD BE EMBARRASSED Furious Noble pulls no punches

The Kangaroos were error-prone with the ball and far too loose defensively without it, allowing Brisbane to pick them apart with surgical kicking that changed angles and created all sorts of space inside forward 50.

Captain Dayne Zorko (31 disposals) flourished at half-back, Hugh McCluggage (29) was busy and Jarryd Lyons (28, two goals and four assists) was damaging in the forward half.

Fresh off his marvellous 41-disposal, two goal outing against the Bombers, Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale (27) had a comparatively quieter night but still played a significant role.

When North did get their hands on the ball, which they did enough in the first half and still won the clearance count 46-39, they often took poor options, opening the door for Marcus Adams and Harris Andrews to intercept at will.

Brisbane stormed to a 55-point lead midway through the second quarter before some ill-discipline brought North back into the game before the main break.

The second half was one way traffic though.

Zorko zings from half-back
Week-by-week Brisbane skipper Dayne Zorko is looking more settled at half-back. Following a minor procedure on his Achilles just prior to the season, Zorko understandably started a little slow in his new position in round one against Port Adelaide. He followed with 33 touches against Essendon and again against North he was instrumental in Brisbane's swift attacking ball movement, finishing with 31 disposals, an equal match-high 13 score involvements and 586m gained.

More improvement for JHF
In just his third career game, Jason Horne-Francis showed just why he was taken at No.1 in the draft. David Noble plonked the South Australian in the centre square for much of the night and the 18-year-old delivered, fighting against the tide to finish with 21 disposals and a match-high seven clearances. Horne-Francis was clean with his hands, used the ball well by foot and was a shining light on a dark night.

Could this be the Pass of the Year?
There's obviously a Goal of the Year and a Mark of the Year, and if there was a Pass of the Year, Joe Daniher would have an early contender. Midway through the second quarter Daniher got goalside of Ben McKay on the wing, gathered and took two bounces and he stormed forward. As he drifted towards the left boundary line, Daniher uncorked a sizzling 50m pass cross-field that found McCarthy at the top of the goalsquare to gift wrap his third goal with a bow.

BRISBANE                    7.2     11.6    14.13    23.18 (156)
NORTH MELBOURNE    2.2     5.3       6.5       7.6 (48)

GOALS  
Brisbane: McCarthy 5, Bailey 4, Daniher 3, Cameron 2, Lyons 2, McStay 2, Ah Chee, Cockatoo, Fort, McInerney, Robinson
North Melbourne: Larkey 2, Goldstein, Hall, Polec, Powell, Taylor

BEST  
Brisbane: Zorko, McCarthy, Bailey, Adams, McCluggage, Lyons, Andrews
North Melbourne: Simpkin, Horne-Francis, Xerri

INJURIES  
Brisbane: Nil
North Melbourne: McKay (quad)

SUBSTITUTES  
Brisbane: Harry Sharp (unused)
North Melbourne: Aiden Bonar (replaced McKay in the fourth quarter)