AFL coaches generally hate citing history as having any sort of relevance to today, but it wasn't a huge surprise on Sunday to hear Chris Fagan at his post-game press conference talking about a Brisbane loss two years ago.
Why not? Because Fagan is relentlessly positive, and if it's significant that Greater Western Sydney has had the wood over Brisbane in recent times (four wins in the last five meetings now), it's perhaps more significant that even the Giants' upper hand, far from being a negative, has also repeatedly dealt the Lions a perfectly-timed reality check.
Sunday's third quarter at Engie Stadium was all that and more, as GWS put the lethargic Lions to the sword with a 14.2 third quarter, the equal fourth-highest scoring term in VFL/AFL history.
But for Brisbane, this is familiar territory. The game to which Fagan referred in the wash-up was the Giants' 54-point flogging of his team in Canberra on Anzac Day, a loss which left the Lions a precarious 2-5, but also kick-started a rollicking revival, Brisbane losing just three more games from another 20 on its way to the flag.
Indeed, it was another clash with GWS during that run which was even more memorable, the Lions' amazing away semifinal win against the Giants coming after they'd trailed by 44 points approaching time-on of the third quarter.
Like another September perennial in Geelong, Brisbane is prone to the very occasional "shocker". It lost to Collingwood by 52 points at home at Easter last year, and was smashed to the tune of 66 points by Gold Coast six weeks before finals.
It was pretty ordinary in a 38-point qualifying final loss against Geelong, too, of course. But we remember a lot more the rematch on Grand Final day three weeks later.
And that, despite Sunday's debacle and the previous week's home loss to the Cats, is the compelling case for the "glass half-full" approach concerning the dual premier.
Fagan, and everyone else for that matter, knows deep down that Brisbane boasts more talent and more depth in every part of the ground than its rivals. Having overcome considerable hurdles to win the past two flags, the Lions also know exactly what is required, and when is the right time to hit the accelerator.
That's of considerable comfort as Brisbane heads into a very challenging stretch of games starting on Saturday against top-of-the-table Fremantle at the Gabba, followed by Gold Coast, Richmond, then (after the bye) Sydney and Geelong.
The challenge for Fagan will be judging how long he can continue backing his troops to work through the current malaise before pulling the emergency cord.
It's a fine line, particularly considering some of the dire numbers out of Sunday's smashing. Like a disposal count of 124-66 in that GWS third term tidal wave, and an inside 50 tally for the quarter of 25-10.
They're ridiculous differentials, giving some insight into the extent of one of the most lopsided quarters the game has seen.
But as Fagan noted, those third quarters are becoming a real issue, Brisbane blowing much of a hard-won advantage two weeks ago against Carlton, then slipping out of touch against the Cats last game. It was six goals to the opponent each time, meaning the Lions have let through a total of 26 goals in their last three third terms.
While there's plenty of chat about the less-than-stellar form of the likes of Hugh McCluggage, Zac Bailey, and Will Ashcroft, Brisbane's overall defensive slip is of greater concern.
The Lions' points against ranking was second in 2024, but fell to sixth last year and is currently a dismal 14th. Brisbane's defence of opposition ball movement is another area that has fallen away badly. The Lions ranked fourth in that measure in 2024. Last season that fell to 13th, and now only Essendon is worse at defending opposition transition from defensive 50 to forward 50.
They're the most obvious areas for the remedial work at the Gabba this week in preparation for a potentially season-defining clash with the Dockers.
On the "pros" side, Fagan believes both the badly missed defensive rebounder Dayne Zorko and Jarrod Berry are a good chance to return this week. And if the coach does tire of waiting for some out-of-formers to rebound, the likes of Lincoln McCarthy and Eric Hipwood are both potentially back in harness post-bye.
Brisbane has won both its recent premierships without having anything like a full list from which to choose. And again in 2026, the Lions aren't exactly short of selection options if things get worse from here.
Yes, that Giants loss was hideous. But the Lions are still eighth. You can still theoretically win a flag from 10th now, remember, as ridiculous as that seems. And it's May. Are we really writing them off not even halfway through the season? I'm certainly not.
You can read more of Rohan Connolly's work at FOOTYOLOGY.