MELBOURNE has gone down to top-four aspirant the Brisbane Lions by 55 points at the Gabba on Saturday night.

The Demons were unable to score a goal from the 16-minute mark of the first quarter until the four-minute mark of the final term.

Everything in between was the Lions, as they built a 74-point lead by three-quarter time.

The Demons won the final quarter, 39 points to 20, after goals to Colin Sylvia (2), Cameron Bruce, Nathan Jones, Aaron Davey and Liam Jurrah, but the contest was lost through costly turnovers, skill errors and inaccurate kicking.

Melbourne lacked scoring options up forward while, in contrast, the Lions’ twin towers, Jonathan Brown (5 goals) and Daniel Bradshaw (4), had another day out. They were ably supported by Daniel Rich (2) and James Polkinghorne (2).

The Lions got the jump with a goal to Rich who swooped on a loose ball in the first minute.

The NAB Rising Star favourite (20 disposals) was damaging early with his penetrating left foot, but his match up with Demon young gun Cale Morton  (22) was proving a worthy battle, both preferring to play loose and attack the ball at every opportunity.

Morton kicked a fine goal from a set shot outside 50 while Russell Robertson’s mark and goal midway through the first term gave the Demons the lead for the only time in the match.

Aaron Davey’s (31 disposals) precision kicking and 12 first quarter disposals were the highlight for the Demons.

Goals to Bradshaw and Polkinghorne saw the Lions take a 10-point lead into the first break.

Robertson’s near speccie over three defenders seemed to be the main tactic for delivering goals, but it wasn’t working, with the visitors registering just two majors for the first half.

Third gamer Jack Watts (10 disposals) couldn’t get near the ball for much of the game, and a smothered kick out of defence by Joel MacDonald in the second term summed up his night.

Jared Brennan (26 disposals) created havoc for the Demons, running loose across the half-back line and taking a magnificent hanger in the final quarter.

But Melbourne were their own worst enemy, making a series of costly turnovers and ill directed kicks into their forward line.

While Matthew Warnock held Jonathan Brown goalless for the first term, the burly centre half forward cut loose with three goals in the second quarter to open up the margin.

Melbourne finally scored again at the 22-minute mark of the second term when Robertson hit the post from the boundary.

Watts followed it with a quality contested mark in the forward line, but his missed shot at goal left the Demons without a major for the term while the Lions piled on six.

Cameron Bruce’s diving tackle on Justin Sherman in the goal square prevented a goal and showed the Demons still had fight, but the Lions had a multitude of goal scoring options, with Cheynee Stiller and defender Jason Roe adding majors.

A 47-point margin at the main change quickly stretched to 55 after another turnover 20 metres from goal gifted Bradshaw his third major.

James Frawley did a solid job on Bradshaw, beating him in a majority of contests, but the Lions’ full forward still bobbed up for a goal in each quarter.

The home team’s makeshift ruck brigade of Mitch Clark, Daniel Merrett and Jared Brennan dominated the hit-outs over Paul Johnson and Stefan Martin.

But the Lions dominated all categories including disposals (406 to 334), inside fifties (55 to 42) and centre clearances (17 to 10)

The Demons showed glimpses of class but missed all their shots on goal in the third term, registering three behinds.

Highlights were few and far between but second gamer Liam Jurrah’s mark, outmuscling the much bigger Daniel Merrett was one.

Six goals in the final term was also an encouraging sign.

The Demons take on West Coast at the MCG in round 14 after the Eagles’ shock win over premier Hawthorn at Subiaco, also on Saturday night.

BRISBANE LIONS  3.4  9.7  13.13  16.15 (111)
MELBOURNE  2.0  2.2  2.5  8.8 (56)

GOALS
Brisbane Lions: Brown 5, Bradshaw 4, Rich 2, Polkinghorne 2, Stiller, Roe, Sherman
Melbourne: Sylvia 2, Morton, Robertson, Bruce, Jones, Jurrah, Davey

BEST
Brisbane Lions: Rich, Brennan, Brown, Power, Adcock, Black
Melbourne: Davey, Morton, Bruce, Green, Sylvia, Frawley

INJURIES
Brisbane Lions: None
Melbourne: Matthew Bate (illness) replaced in selected side by Nathan Jones

Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Hay, Jeffery
Official crowd: 23,750 at Gabba

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.