IT HAS been a strange old start to the season for Brisbane. Plenty of potential, one win, one loss and a match-up against the Western Bulldogs on the horizon. 

There was a clear shift in the way the Lions played between their opening two games, allowing them to bounce back from a surprise 54-point loss in round one, and that they will need to take into Thursday night's round three opener.

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Against the Power, Brisbane simply struggled to get its hands on the ball, losing the disposal count by 141 while also going -34 in contested possessions and -59 in marks. By allowing the opposition to control so much of the footy, born out of an inability to consistently win it at the source, the Lions' backline was put under serious pressure. 

So, when it came to facing Melbourne last Friday, that midfield aggression was the first fix, from which other issues across the field became easier to solve. While the Demons had some personnel issues to contend with, a clear change in the Lions' intent around the ball was the most significant factor in their dominance. 

In round one, key onballers Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley and first-gamer Will Ashcroft combined for 52 disposals, 33 contested possessions and 16 clearances. Not only did the midfield struggle to match Port Adelaide's ball-winning ability, but their connection to outside runners was inefficient, meaning they won less of the ball and struggled to maintain that possession when it was won.

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It was a battle to win it on the ground, but they also conceded plenty in the air. Brisbane allowed the Power to take 19 contested marks, while taking only four of its own. 

By round two, the midfield trio won 84 disposals, 40 contested possessions and 26 clearances – greatly helped by a Rising Star-worthy performance from Ashcroft – and around the ground the team took eight contested marks, while keeping their opposition to just two. 

These were the first steps in the Lions winning and maintaining control of the ball for longer periods of the game. 

It was at the stoppages where arguably the biggest improvement came. After winning nine fewer clearances than Port Adelaide in round one, the Lions turned that around to win that same metric by 28 in round two. 

This was driven by the trio of Dunkley, Neale and Ashcroft who were responsible for extracting the ball, but in round two they were also better supported by teammates, with Hugh McCluggage, Jarrod Berry, and Cam Rayner each having a bigger say around the contest. 

That ability to first win and then sustain possession, combined with a more rounded team defence, meant the Brisbane backline that was inundated in the opening round, was far more protected against the Demons. 

The ease and speed in which the Lions allowed Port Adelaide to attack gave defenders Harris Andrews, Brandon Starcevich and Jack Payne little chance of shutting their opponents out of the game. 63.1 per cent of the Power's possession was uncontested, meaning the attack the likes of Andrews, Starcevich and Payne had to contend with was neat and regularly to the advantage of the Power marking forwards. 

Against Melbourne, however, the ball not only came into the defensive 50 less, but it was under far greater pressure thanks to the efforts of the Lions stationed higher up the field. 

Andrews was often able to break free and work as an interceptor, rather than consistently compete one-on-one, which restored balance in the defensive 50. It was less about defenders being isolated behind the ball and more about the line working as a unit.   

Now, as they prepare to face a Western Bulldogs side that boasts several dangerous marking forwards, things could fall one of two ways for the Lions. That backline will again be left alone and isolated at the mercy of the Dogs' tall forwards should they concede too much possession at the source. 

But the win is there for the taking, and last week's victory over Melbourne is the blueprint.