For most of the first half, this looked like the sort of contest Brisbane would happily grind through.
The Lions were under pressure at times, particularly when Greater Western Sydney moved the ball quickly and got their dangerous forwards involved, but they stayed close enough to remain firmly in the contest. Eight lead changes before half-time reflected how even the game had been, with neither side able to establish meaningful control.
By the main break, the Giants led by just six points. Brisbane had every reason to believe the afternoon was still there to be won.
Instead, it turned into one of Brisbane’s worst third-quarter collapses in recent memory.
Greater Western Sydney’s third-term explosion was not merely decisive; it was historic. The Giants slammed on 14.2 (86), the highest third-quarter score recorded in V/AFL history, transforming what had been a live contest into a complete dismantling. By the time the final siren arrived at Engie Stadium, Brisbane had been beaten 26.10 (166) to 13.10 (88) in Round 11 of the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership.
For a side with genuine premiership ambitions, the margin alone is troubling. The bigger concern is that the warning signs had already been there.
The Game Brisbane Thought It Was Playing
Conor McKenna’s opening goal gave Brisbane the ideal start, the Irishman gathering cleanly and finishing with the kind of confidence that suggested the visitors had settled quickly.
That impression held for much of the first half.
Toby Greene was influential early, Jake Riccardi found dangerous positions inside 50, and the Giants repeatedly looked capable of putting together quick bursts of scoring. Brisbane, though, did enough around stoppage in the first half to stay in touch.
Lachie Neale worked tirelessly in traffic, Charlie Cameron capitalised on an opposition mistake, and Cam Rayner looked threatening whenever the ball came near him. There was pressure, intensity and momentum swings, but also enough resilience from Brisbane to suggest this was a genuine contest between two quality sides rather than a one-sided ambush in waiting.
At half-time, nothing about the scoreboard hinted at what was about to follow.
When The Match Got Away Completely
The unraveling began almost immediately after the restart.
Phoenix Gothard struck within seconds, but even then there was no obvious indication Brisbane was about to disappear from the contest altogether. What followed, however, was the sort of collapse that can leave a side searching for explanations long after the final siren.
Jake Stringer imposed himself physically. Aaron Cadman joined the scoring. Greene became almost impossible to contain. Brent Daniels repeatedly drove the Giants forward, and once Brisbane began losing territory, possession and composure in quick succession, the match accelerated away from them.
The most alarming aspect was not simply the volume of scoring, but the complete absence of any meaningful response.
The Giants hurt Brisbane from turnover, from stoppage and in transition. Every attempted adjustment felt temporary at best. By the middle of the quarter, Brisbane had lost any meaningful control.
Chris Fagan offered no softened interpretation afterwards.
“They played an unbelievable third quarter,” he said.
“When you look at the scores, we lost the first quarter by six, we evened the second quarter, and we won the last quarter. But we lost this third quarter by 83 points. We got smashed everywhere — at the contest and ball movement. We couldn’t stop it; they just controlled the game.”
It was an unusually stark assessment, but not an inaccurate one.
The More Concerning Part Is That This Keeps Happening
If this had arrived in isolation, Brisbane might simply absorb the embarrassment and move on.
Fagan made clear that is not how he sees it.
The Lions have now been badly exposed after half-time for three consecutive weeks, first against Carlton, then Geelong, and now in far more dramatic fashion against the Giants.
“Unfortunately, and to be truthful, our third quarters have been a problem for us for the last three weeks,” Fagan said.
“We had a good lead against Carlton a few weeks ago and squandered a fair bit of that in the third quarter. Geelong got us in the third quarter last week, and it happened again today. We need to have a talk with the group and work out what’s happening there.”
That is where the real significance of this result lies.
Every contender has a poor afternoon. Repeated collapses in the same phase of matches suggest something more structural — whether physical, tactical or mental — and Brisbane currently looks vulnerable in exactly the areas that successful September sides are normally built on.
A Better Final Quarter, But Little Comfort
To their credit, the Lions did not completely abandon the afternoon.
Logan Morris ended a lengthy goal drought in the final quarter, Rayner continued to compete, and Brisbane at least showed enough resistance to avoid the sort of total surrender that would have made the result even uglier.
Fagan acknowledged that response, though only in relative terms.
“The body language wasn’t good,” he said.
“I talked to them about that at three-quarter time and said, ‘Now, the challenge is this last quarter. Can we actually turn it around and get something out of the game for next week?’”
There was some response, but not enough to materially change the reading of the afternoon.
Stringer and Greene each finished with five goals, Clayton Oliver controlled the midfield with 37 disposals and 11 clearances, while Finn Callaghan still managed to influence the game despite close attention from Josh Dunkley.
For Brisbane, Neale battled hard, while Rayner and Kai Lohmann each kicked three.
The Timing Could Hardly Be Worse
The Lions now have a meeting with ladder leaders Fremantle.
That would be a daunting assignment under any circumstances. Carrying a recurring issue that has now been exposed three weeks in succession makes it considerably more uncomfortable.
Because what Brisbane produced in that third quarter looked less like a bad patch and more like a side losing its grip on the things it normally does best.
Final Score
GWS GIANTS 26.10 (166) def Brisbane Lions 13.10 (88)
Published 25-May-2026
