THE Brisbane Lions have kicked the final five goals of the match to end a four-match losing streak and defeat Port Adelaide by 11 points at the Gabba on Sunday.
The Lions trailed by 20 points late in the third quarter and started their charge with three goals in as many minutes, then kicked two unanswered goals in the fourth term to win 15.9 (99) to 13.10 (88).
They won despite an equal career-best seven goals by the Port Adelaide's Jay Schulz.
It was the Lions' first win since a 40-point victory over Adelaide in round 10 and just their second win at the Gabba in the past 13 matches.
As has so often been the case, it was the old firm of Jonathan Brown, Simon Black and Luke Power that led from the front.
Brown kicked four goals, Power three - including the go-ahead goal half way through the fourth quarter - and Black tallied 24 disposals.
Brown started the comeback deep in the third quarter when he took a chip pass from Jack Redden and wheeled around to kick a goal from 60m into an unguarded goal square.
Just 60 seconds later he added another courtesy of a free kick, and when Rohan Bewick converted from a snap, the Lions had reduced the 20-point deficit to just a solitary point at the final change.
The fourth quarter was an arm wrestle, with Luke Power's shark and goal mid-way through putting the Lions in front.
The match was a battle of 15th against 16th and the skills and intensity - or lack of - often showed it, but the see-sawing contest kept the small crowd of 17,276 engaged for all four quarters before they came to life in the last.
Brisbane Lions 4.1 7.3 13.5 15.9 (99)
Port Adelaide 4.2 8.5 13.6 13.10 (88)
GOALS
Brisbane Lions: Brown 4, Power 3, McGrath 2, Sheldon 2, Karnezis 2, Bewick, Stiller
Port Adelaide: Schulz 7, Ebert 2, Cassisi, Gray, Rodan, Phillips
BEST
Brisbane Lions: Black, Power, Brown, McGrath, Adcock, Raines
Port Adelaide: Schulz, Hartlett, Cassisi, Gray, Boak
INJURIES
Brisbane Lions: Nil
Port Adelaide: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Brisbane Lions: Bryce Retzlaff replaced by Rohan Bewick in the third quarter
Port Adelaide: Andrew Moore replaced by Kane Cornes in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Chamberlain, Hay, Ryan
Official crowd: 17,276 at the Gabba
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
