'Familiar narrative' as Blues' Gabba rally falls short

The 14.16 (100) to 13.11 (89) result came barely two years after the Blues came from 46 points behind to beat the Lions by one point at the Gabba.

They couldn't finish the job on Friday, but after coughing up six first-half leads to lose in eight games already this season, there was a different taste for Voss and his besieged Blues (1-8) to sample.

"It highlights the capacity that's in the group, but it's also a familiar narrative in that the game asks you to play for longer," Voss said.

"We can't be comfortable in mediocrity ... we walk away very much not happy with that."

Voss is fighting to keep his job, but rejected the notion the nature of the loss may have pumped life into his prospects.

"I don't coach for my job, I coach for building a culture," he said.

"Hopefully by the time I leave here we've got winning behaviours, and understand clearly what that looks like."

The Lions dominated from the outset, venturing inside the Blues' 50 five times before eventually kicking a goal.

Lachie Neale (33 disposals, nine clearances, one goal) led the assault at clearances, Ryan Lester was rock-solid in defence and Bruce Reville continued his breakout season.

The one-way traffic eventually told as Logan Morris (four goals for the game) and big men Sam Draper and Darcy Fort added majors.

Brisbane led clearances 24-11 and centre bounces 10-2 at halftime, and it was more of the same when they resumed, even with Neale copping a tag.

Hugh McCluggage's goal was a sixth straight for Brisbane - the seventh time the Blues had conceded that many consecutively this season.

But that's where it turned, a high-flying Morris spilling a mark and Ben Ainsworth ending a 40-minute goal drought for the Blues.

Jagga Smith and Patrick Cripps (32 touches, nine clearances, one goal) followed suit, and Mitch McGovern (three goals) snuck two goals in the final stages of the quarter to make it a 20-point game.

It was a complete turnaround, the Blues up 16 in contested possessions, seven in clearances and 14 in inside-50s.

Harry McKay (three goals) goaled immediately from the restart, with a Kai Lohmann goal ending a six-major Blues run.

Fort hit the post, and Levi Ashcroft and Neale followed up with frustrating misses to keep the Blues in it.

Ashcroft made no mistake on his next chance, the goal sparking a push-and-shove that gifted him a free kick and chance for another.

He pushed it wide but the damage, with six minutes to play, was done.

Nobody told the Blues though, with McKay, McGovern and Will Hayward (three majors) booting goals to make it a 10-point game with three minutes to play.

But Neale finally iced it, intercepting a handball and snapping truly to settle the nerves of 31,147 fans.

"We've seen that movie before haven't we," Brisbane coach Chris Fagan said in reference to Carlton's 2024 upset.

"I was worried about this game ... their win-loss ratio isn't a reflection of them at all.

"I got a bit worried (in the second half, but) ... we answered it well, answered their challenges."