Brisbane's hopes of consecutive AFLW Grand Final appearances are fast becoming a reality after downing a lacklustre Greater Western Sydney by a whopping 40 points at Blacktown International Sports Park.
A 6.2 first quarter blitz from the Lions all but ruled the Giants out of the game, with Sabrina Frederick-Traub booting three of her four goals in the term.
The 40-point annihilation has given Brisbane a healthy percentage boost, which has since placed them in second on the AFLW ladder.
For the Lions to remain in second position, Melbourne must lose against the Western Bulldogs in Saturday night's massive clash, while Collingwood have to overcome the reigning premiers in Adelaide on Sunday.
With both the Lions and Giants having a distinct possibility of squeezing into the top-two, the rewards were immense going into the virtual preliminary final.
Although the Britt Tully scored the Giants' first major four minutes into the quarter, it was all Brisbane for the remainder of the term as Frederick-Traub stamped her influence on the game.
Frederick-Traub's imposing presence couldn't be contained by the GWS defence, as she snapped her first sensational goal after the ball ricocheted into her hands from a smothered clearing kick.
Moments later, her physicality and forward pressure was again rewarded with a major after winning a free kick from a crunching tackle 40m out from goal.
Jess Wuetshner soon joined in on the party with a trademark classy snap around the body to further extend the Lions' lead, and she soon added another goal to her name from a set shot.
But it was the electrifying Sophie Conway who provided the most excitement after she took on the GWS defenders, burning Elle Bennetts with her blistering run and booting a goal 40m out at full pace.
As if it couldn't get any worse for the Giants, Frederick-Traub casually slotted another with a checkside banana from the boundary - her class and strength making the impossible, possible.
The sound of the siren couldn't come soon enough for the Giants, who trailed by 31 points at the end of the first quarter.
But by then, the game was over.
Yet the first quarter smashing couldn't be attributed solely to Frederick-Traub, as the Lions as a whole combined to form a strong, cohesive and aggressive force which obliterated the unsuspecting Giants.
Their pace and ferocity across the ground was unparalleled as they accumulated double the Giants' possessions, triple their inside 50s and over five times their score.
The Giants tried to rectify their first quarter blunder, replacing Tanya Heatherington with Pepa Randall, who was given the almighty job of limiting Frederick-Traub's influence.
While the move dried up Frederick-Traub's scoring for the next two terms, it did little to minimise her presence all over the ground as she finished the half with 17 touches.
GWS only mustered the two behinds for the quarter opposed to the Lions' solitary goal from the speedy Kate McCarthy which mirrored that of her teammate in Conway.
The Giants were unable to keep up with Brisbane's pace, and by the end of the second half were battered, beaten and burned out.
Courtney Gum tried to get her team going with an early goal to kick off the third term, and an inspirational Alicia Eva run-down tackle on the dynamic McCarthy brought the crowd to their feet.
Yet the individual efforts weren't enough to will the Giants to stage an astonishing comeback, as the Lions - led by Ally Anderson who racked up a game-high 25 disposals - continued their relentless press.
By the fourth quarter, the game had slowed right down, but the Giants failed to add another major to their diminutive tally.
After a quarter of slingshot football with both teams struggling to convert, eventual sealers from Frederick-Traub and Wuestschner only added insult to the shell-shocked GWS, whose dreams of premiership contention were already over by the first quarter.
Finishing their season with 3-3-1, the Giants have shown much improvement following their disappointing 1-5-1 figures of 2017, but they didn't have the stocks to pull off a miracle Grand Final appearance.
Brisbane's fate is now out of their hands, as they nervously await the results of the upcoming clashes between the Bulldogs and Demons and the Crows and Magpies.
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 1.1 1.3 3.5 3.6 (24) BRISBANE 6.2 7.3 8.4 10.4 (64)
GOALS Greater Western Sydney: Tully, Gum, Staunton Brisbane: Frederick-Traub 4, Wuetschner 3, Conway, McCarthy, Webb
BEST
Greater Western Sydney: Eva, Dal Pos, Farrugia
Brisbane: Frederick-Traub, Wuetschner, Anderson
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