BRISBANE has a chance to create club history over the next month. 

If the Lions can win three of their final four matches, they will eclipse Leigh Matthews' 1999 team for the biggest improvement in wins in a single season.

SCIENCE AND LUCK How the Lions' list has come together

In his first year in charge, Matthews took the five-wins-and-a-draw outfit of 1998 to a 16-win, third-place finish just 12 months later.

Chris Fagan's men have a chance to do better.

They won five games in 2018 and are already up to 13 this year.

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Three wins from matches against the Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast and Geelong (all at the Gabba), and Richmond at the MCG, would take Brisbane's improvement to 11 wins.

Remarkably, even if – and it's a big if – this were to happen, it would not come close to the best mark set around the competition in the past 20 years.

UNDER-23 TALENT Which club has the best young players?

That honour belongs to West Coast, who after winning four games and finishing with the wooden spoon in 2010, rose astonishingly to win 17 games and make a preliminary final just 12 months later.

The Eagles of 2010 'won' the wooden spoon before rebounding the following season. Picture: AFL Photos

Adelaide, Port Adelaide, Melbourne, Collingwood and Essendon have all had teams with larger improvements than the red-hot Lions to date, however, Essendon's 2016 team* consisted of 'top-up players' due to several stars sitting out the year due to a doping ban. 

Biggest improvement by wins from one regular season to next
ClubYearsWinsTotal improvementFinish
West Coast2010-11Four up to 1713 winsLost prelim final
Adelaide2011-12Seven up to 1710 winsLost prelim final
Port Adelaide2000-01Seven up to 16Nine winsLost semi-final
Melbourne2003-04Five up to 14Nine winsLost elimination final
Collingwood2005-06Five up to 14Nine winsLost elimination final
Essendon*2016-17Three up to 12Nine winsLost elimination final
Brisbane2018-19Five up to 13Eight winsSecond after 18 rounds