EMERGING Brisbane has kicked six of the last seven goals to beat North Melbourne by 20 points in their AFL clash at Marvel Stadium.
After last week’s upset success over reigning premiers West Coast, the Lions impressed again on Sunday with their 16.11 (107) to 13.9 (87) win over the Kangaroos.
It breaks Brisbane’s five-game losing streak at the venue and also ends their run of six losses to North.
Star midfield recruit Lachie Neale led the way for Brisbane with 42 disposals – 11 of them in the last quarter.
Brisbane won the centre clearances 8-3 in the final term and Neale had four of them.
Neale was neck-and-neck with North star Shaun Higgins for best-afield honours but the former Fremantle onballer’s final term was the clincher.
Charlie Cameron kicked four goals for the Lions, two of them in the last term, after he was well held early by Marley Williams.
Ben Brown kicked three for the Kangaroos.
North twice broke out to game-high leads, by 20 points at the start of the second term and 22 midway through the third.
But the Lions counter-attacked immediately to keep the game tight.
Brisbane ruck-forward Oscar McInerney had an outstanding cameo in the third term when North looked ready to bust the game open.
He took three big marks in quick succession and kicked 2.1 to put the Lions back in the contest.
The Lions finished off the third quarter with two more goals to lead by two points.
It was the first time they had been in front since the opening five minutes of the game.
Goals to Ben Cunnington and captain Jack Ziebell put North in front by 10 points.
The Lions hit back through Hugh McCluggage, Lincoln McCarthy and Mitch Robinson to go eight points ahead.
Cunnington found Western Bulldogs recruit Tom Campbell on his own and the goal reduced the margin to two points, but Cameron’s third goal gave the Lions breathing space.
A juggled mark to Lincoln McCarthy and his second goal of the final term was the nail in the coffin.
© AAP 2019
BRISBANE LIONS 1.2 5.5 9.10 16.11 (107)
NORTH MELBOURNE 3.4 7.5 9.8 13.9 (87)
Goals: Brisbane Lions: C Cameron 4 L McCarthy 2 O McInerney 2 C Rayner D McStay E Hipwood H McCluggage J Berry M Robinson R Bastinac S Martin. North Melbourne: B Brown 3 J Polec 2 J Ziebell 2 A Hall B Cunnington D Tyson K Turner T Campbell T Thomas.
Umpires: Dean Margetts, Andrew Mitchell, Leigh Fisher.
Official Crowd: 23,110 at Marvel Stadium.