IF FINALS are about moments, Brandon Starcevich delivered the most important of his career for Brisbane on Saturday night.

Clinging to a two-goal advantage midway through the fourth quarter of Saturday's preliminary final with the game in the balance, the Lions stopper affected a spoil that not only stopped an almost certain Collingwood goal but propelled his team the other way for a hammer blow of its own.

MAGPIES V LIONS All the highlights and stats
MATCH REPORT Lions roar into Grand Final after proving too good for Pies
ANALYSIS The 15-minute period where it all went wrong for Pies
DEFINING MOMENT The single act of desperation that sums up Brisbane's season
CHRIS FAGAN Neale pushing for remarkable return, wait and see on Berry
CRAIG MCRAE Pies 'won't stand still' in bid to improve, wait on veteran pair's contract calls

The Magpies were streaming through the middle of the MCG when Tim Membrey played on from an uncontested mark 40m from goal, his deft kick destined to land in the waiting arms of an unmarked Jamie Elliott.

That was until Starcevich arrived.

Running back with the flight of the ball, the Brisbane free agent got a spoil in on the Magpies talisman when an open mark, and almost certain goal, beckoned.

Pies fans might feel aggrieved, thinking Starcevich collected some of Elliott's arm, but the desperation was indicative of a Brisbane team that just refused to wilt.

Darcy Wilmot was there to help clean up, with Harris Andrews and Jaspa Fletcher able to force a stoppage deep in defence.

The danger was temporarily averted.

Thirty seconds later the premiers had swept the ball from one end to the other, with a perfect Logan Morris delivery finding Charlie Cameron in the right forward pocket.

The dynamic small forward perfectly curled his left foot snap between the posts and suddenly what looked like being a one-goal advantage had ballooned to three.

One desperate act had turned into the game's defining moment.

From there, the Lions put the foot down. Boom young forward Ty Gallop took a huge pack mark and kicked truly from 40m, before Kai Lohmann and Dayne Zorko settled the result in convincing fashion.

Starcevich, still weighing up his future, was a having a tough match manning Elliott before his decisive intervention.

The 33-year-old Magpie had taken one of the all-time great finals marks in the third quarter, climbing high on to Starcevich's shoulders and cradling the ball to the turf.

It was a speccy's speccy, a grab anyone that was at the ground or watching through their televisions will long remember.

It must have brought back flashbacks for Starcevich from the 2023 Grand Final, when Bobby Hill sat on his shoulders as part of his Norm Smith Medal-winning performance.

Moments after his high-flying antics, Elliott added another goal, burning Starcevich on a hard lead and kicking accurately.

Although it wasn't the Brisbane bull's most complete performance, it was his defining moment.

He had plenty of teammates to carry the load throughout the night though.

Gallop, who burst to prominence in the second half of last week's semi-final win over Gold Coast, produced a powerful display in just his fifth game at senior level.

The two-footed leap and two-handed grab among five or six bodies deep in the fourth quarter capped a memorable outing.

The teenager from the Sunshine Coast finished with three goals from his 11 disposals, but just as eye-catching were his four tackles and countless pressure acts.

Brisbane might have lost Joe Daniher to retirement and Eric Hipwood to injury, but it appears to have found a short, and long-term, solution in Gallop.

Sam Marshall was another teenager to thrive on the big stage, with 17 composed disposals.

Hugh McCluggage shrugged off an early Steele Sidebottom tag to be the game's most influential player with his 37 disposals.

Two weeks ago, the All-Australian was blanketed by Geelong's Oisin Mullin, who he will surely see again in next Saturday's decider, but since then he has cut two finals open with a combined 70 disposals.

Zorko bounced back from a horror first half to be a huge influence. Darcy Wilmot continued to elevate his reputation and Zac Bailey (21 disposals and two goals) was a constant menace.

Despite a short pre-season, a brutal draw, some patchy form at the Gabba, and a list of injuries that includes Eric Hipwood, Lachie Neale, Jack Payne, Noah Answerth and Jarrod Berry, who re-hurt his dislocated shoulder, Brisbane has qualified for a third straight Grand Final.

And among a litany of huge moments and huge performances, they will long remember the Starcevich spoil.