Brisbane Lions on the doorstep of top four after downing plucky Adelaide Crows

After being blown out of the water early in the season, last year’s runners-up are on the cusp of the top four. And the scary thing is they can only get better, writes CALLUM DICK.

Brisbane now sits on the doorstep of the top four but Chris Fagan’s side still has plenty of room to improve as it charts a course to September.

The Gabba aura looks to be back after an 11-point victory over Adelaide on Sunday, solidifying the Lions as the form team of the AFL in the wake of shock losses for Carlton and Sydney in the same weekend.

Brisbane has lost just once since round 7 and is now just four points off third position – a stark turnaround from the lowly levels of two months ago when the reigning grand finalists languished in 13th, 10 points adrift of the top eight.

Charlie Cameron kicked two goals in the Lions’ win. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images.

At the time Fagan cautioned throwing the baby out with the bathwater, declaring they were not as bad as the ladder showed.

Now the challenge is to not let his side get ahead of itself after a fifth-consecutive victory that while impressive, also showed there is still plenty of room for improvement.

The arm wrestle win over the Crows was Brisbane’s fifth-straight at home, having started the season 0-3 at the Gabba.

But even in victory the Lions are not as clinical as the side that won by an average of 40 points at home last season.

The Crows are a difficult team to benchmark, especially after their impressive win over the Giants last week who then went on to overpower Carlton on Saturday night. But a Brisbane side firing on all cylinders would have put them to bed much earlier than it did.

Will Ashcroft and Kai Lohmann celebrate after a Lions goal. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

The front-half turnover game looks as good as it has ever been and the clearance dominance remains a major weapon.

Lachie Neale entered the match as one of the form players of the competition and only elevated that standing with a comfortable best-on-ground showing. The dual-Brownlow Medalist kicked three first-half goals and finished with an equal game-high 35 disposals, alongside teammate Josh Dunkley who is enjoying a purple patch of his own.

Last year Neale shocked the world to claim his second ‘Charlie’. Would it be such a surprise for him to again feature at the pointy end of this year’s count? On current form, no doubt.

Meanwhile, in just his second game back from a 12-month injury lay-off Will Ashcroft quietly compiled 20 disposals and a goal.

The midfield is firing but there are still gaps to fill, particularly on transition where the Lions have been left wanting in recent weeks and again on Sunday. A better kicking team than Adelaide would have given them a much bigger headache.

Fagan will know that. And he will know the Lions have less than two weeks to get the house in order before the best transition team in the AFL, Sydney, comes to town.

They fly to Perth next weekend to face the Eagles – a hurdle they will be expected to comfortably clear – before returning home to host the Swans.

When so much is suddenly going right, where can the improvements come from for Brisbane?

An in-form Charlie Cameron would be a great start.

His two goals in the final quarter not only spared Brisbane’s blushes as the Crows mounted a late charge, but they could well be the tonic for what ailed the All-Australian who before that was having a horror night.

The superstar small forward looked to be mired in a crisis of self-confidence for the first three quarters. Two set shots failed to even score and a straightforward chip over the top to Joe Daniher instead landed out on the full.

When he flew for a would-be Mark of the Year only to crash to the earth it felt like another one of ‘those’ nights for Cameron, who has struggled for form this season. Minutes later he limped from the field clutching at his left hamstring, sending shivers through the crowd.

So quiet had Cameron been to that point the man on the music opted to play Country Roads for the crowd at three-quarter-time, because they had not yet heard the anthem ring out

Ben Keays of the Crows gestures to the crowd. Picture: Chris Hyde/AFL Photos/via Getty Images.

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And thus the Gabba held its collective breath when Cameron again burned Daniher early in the fourth quarter, ran himself into and out of trouble before dropping the ball onto his left foot … for a goal.

The 30 year old sent a kiss to the heavens having clearly felt the weight of the world on his shoulders before the drought-breaking goal.

Not long after he snapped truly from a long-range set shot and gave the crowd a mighty roar. For the Lions’ sake, let’s hope it signalled a return to form for their barometer.

Because an in-form Cameron could unlock the extra gear they need to reach their best level on the road to September.

Originally published as Brisbane Lions on the doorstep of top four after downing plucky Adelaide Crows