Melbourne has battled to notch up their first win of the season, defeating a spirited Brisbane by 26 points at the 'Gabba.
Despite a 37-point lead at half-time, the Lions' lively second half managed to level the scores in the final quarter.
But the Dees survived the scare, running over the Lions in the latter stages of the final term.
Five goals to Jesse Hogan, four to Jeff Garlett and 34 touches to Clayton Oliver helped steady the ship, enabling the Demons to get over the persistent Brisbane.
The Lions seemed in control from the get-go, winning the first two clearances of the game with Stefan Martin once again dominant in the ruck early on.
But their hold on the game was short-lived as Melbourne quickly bounced back and scored five unanswered goals, two of which came from their stand-out forward in Hogan.
The Dees dominated the quarter with their dynamic ball movement and efficient midfield attack, using Brisbane’s lack of intensity and tackle pressure to their advantage.
Only four Brisbane tackles were recorded for the quarter, allowing the Demons to break away with relative ease.
Relentless to the very end of the quarter, second-gamer Bayley Fritsch only rubbed salt into the Lions' wounds after slotting a goal after the siren to put the Demons 31 points in front at the first change.
Desperate to reduce the five-goal deficit, Allen Christensen brought some much-needed spark with a major two minutes into the second quarter.
Riding on their newfound momentum, Brisbane lifted the pressure on Melbourne’s surging midfield, leading with 36 tackles and 10 stoppages for the term.
But the Demons retaliated with two goals of their own from skipper Nathan Jones and Garlett, undoing Brisbane's early work in a matter of minutes.
Hogan was again a dominant force the Lions couldn’t stop, with the big man causing serious damage with three goals and 13 disposals by the end of the half.
Brisbane's sloppy ball work and lack of composure with the ball allowed the Demons to capitalise on the scoreboard with a 37-point lead at half-time.
The Lions, however, refused to give up.
Fighting to stay in the game, the Lions clawed their way back to give themselves a sniff, kicking three consecutive goals for the first time in the match.
Although Brisbane took charge with ball from the beginning of the term, their inability to convert goals - which resulted in a 3.5 quarter - still remained a problem.
With Hogan quiet and Jones converting Melbourne's first and only major for the term, the Demons seemed to inherit their opposition's poor goal-kicking, with their 1.4 effort resulting in only a 22-point lead at three-quarter time.
The Demons' inaccuracy however was the least of their concerns, with Fritsch temporarily forced from the field following a blow to the chest during the quarter.
Their worries only worsened in the final quarter, with Charlie Cameron threatening to put their opportunity of a win in jeopardy.
With only a four-goal difference heading into the final quarter, Charlie Cameron kicked back-to-back goals to bring the margin back to a mere 12 points, as the Lions roared back to life in an attempt to get in front for the first time in the match.
All-Australian Dayne Zorko and Christensen continued the Lions' comeback, levelling the scores at 65 points apiece with 14 minutes left in the quarter.
But the Dees' unrelenting pressure re-emerged, with consecutive goals to Garlett (four goals, 29 disposals) pushing the game out of Brisbane's reach.
As Hogan booted his fifth, the game was well and truly won.
Undisciplined errors by Brisbane within the final minutes of the match allowed Melbourne to continue their onslaught, as they piled on five goals in the final term and ended the game +22 in contested possessions.
Although putting up a valiant fight, the Lions couldn't quite wrestle their way in front, as the Demons took the win by 26 points.
Melbourne will be hoping to make it 2-1 as they do battle against North Melbourne next Saturday night, while Brisbane will be seeking redemption as they come up against the dominant Port Adelaide.
BRISBANE 0.3 2.6 5.11 10.14 (74)
MELBOURNE 5.4 8.7 9.11 14.16 (100)
GOALS
Brisbane: Christensen 3, Cameron 3, Zorko, Bewick, Cox, Hipwood
Melbourne: Hogan 5, Garlett 4, Jones 2, Fritsch 2, Neal-Bullen
BEST
Brisbane: Zorko, Cameron, Christensen, Hodge, Taylor, Witherden
Melbourne: Hogan, Garlett, Jones, Oliver, Neal-Bullen
INJURIES
Brisbane: Nil
Melbourne: Nil
TALKING POINTS
1. TALLS AND SMALLS FIRE IN THE DEMONS' FORWARD LINE
The first two rounds of for the Demons have seen dynamic forward Jesse Hogan dominate the scoreboard with big bags; his five from this week adding to his three against the Cats.
Hogan’s haul against the Lions helped his side take the win, with the powerhouse outplaying the Brisbane defenders for most of the match in which he took nine marks and racked up 22 possessions.
But the little men also delivered, with Jeff Garlett finishing his night with four goals - his efforts making him a serious contender for best on ground after two final quarter goals sealed the match for the Demons.
2. CHARLIE CAMERON IS BRISBANE'S POWER FORCE
It wasn't only the Melbourne forward line who fired on Saturday night, with Brisbane's own dynamic small forward, Charlie Cameron, once again a standout.
Even when things looked in dire straights for Brisbane, Cameron was the leading light which breathed life back into the flailing side.
Thanks to Cameron, it was almost no surprise when the Lions drew level with at the Dees end of the third term, with the former Crow booting three majors to keep his side alive.
Although Cameron's efforts were unfortunately not enough to push them over the line, his form should be something Brisbane's fans should look forward to each week.
3. BRISBANE'S EPIC COMEBACK
Despite a shocking first half, something clicked within the Lions with an epic third quarter comeback to bring scores level late in the third term.
Charlie Cameron, Dayne Zorko and Allen Christensen were all standouts in the Lions' midfield and forward line, and helped bring life and spirit back into the side.
Booting three goals in the third term and five in the final stanza, the Lions showed they have potential to challenge quality oppositions.
4. BRISBANE'S TURNOVERS AND INABILITY TO CONVERT WERE COSTLY
For the second week in a row the Lions struggled to hit their targets early in the game and were punished, with Melbourne's first six goals of the game all the result of intercept marks.
Scoring 0.3 in the first quarter and 2.6 in the second compared to Melbourne’s 5.4 and 8.7, the Lions' inability to convert in the first half of the game ultimately lost them the match.
Despite clawing their way back in the second half, the damage had already been done as silly mistakes and turnovers in the opening half allowed the Demons to capitalise.
Although nearly pulling off a miracle comeback after being 42 points behind at one stage of the game, the Lions will have to rectify their slow starts and sloppiness if they want to put some wins on the board.
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