NO ONE who saw Brisbane's scrapping win over Hawthorn last week — much less anyone who witnessed the Saints' clinical dismantling of Melbourne — would have predicted this.

In their previous four encounters, St Kilda had smashed the Lions by an average of 76 points, but at the Gabba last night the Lions reversed the form guide.

The final margin of 52 points was a fine return for a hard-working, courageous and even skilful win, notable for Jonathan Brown's game-high five goals, Fraser Gehrig's none, and outstanding performances from the Lions' brigade of young players.

On this performance, Brisbane will be anything but an easybeat at its once-feared home this year.

For St Kilda, the picture was much bleaker. Max Hudghton went off in the first term with a quadriceps injury to continue the club's tortured run with injury, and by the last, the Saints looked desperate to get anything out of a match that had slowly ebbed away from them.

In the end, the Lions bolted away with the result, breaking their opponents' will by piling on four goals to one in the final quarter.

It had loomed as a shootout early, with the Lions peppering the goals for little result until Justin Koschitzke posted the first major from St Kilda's first forward thrust.

Brown and Ashley McGrath put the Lions ahead before a pinpoint pass from Nick Dal Santo set up Aaron Fiora for the Saints.

For a while after that, the contest settled into an arm wrestle.

While Steven Baker put the brakes on Lions prime mover Simon Black, Daniel Merrett was doing a number on Gehrig.

But the loss of Hudghton and, temporarily, Bulldogs recruit Shane Birss to a calf problem, stretched the Saints' resources, and the Lions began to climb all over St Kilda.

While Merrett continued to harass Gehrig in the back line, the duo of Michael Rischitelli and Justin Sherman popped up to seize control of the game in the second quarter.

Rischitelli, already dubbed a future All-Australian by his coach, was absolutely superb in his best performance to date.

His 18 possessions to half-time — many of them gathered in heavy traffic — were matched by smart thinking and efficient disposal as he set up three goals for the quarter.

Sherman, who played most of his football in the back line last season, was likewise proving a handful up forward.

By the time he booted his second goal late in the term, the Lions had seven of the last nine and took a morale-boosting 27-point lead into the main break.

St Kilda hit back hard early in the third term. Another exquisite Dal Santo pass gave Koschitzke his second, Steven Milne and Leigh Montagna added two more, and the Saints were improbably back within 14 points.

But Lions veteran Chris Johnson found the quick reply for his side, and two more prominent Lions youngsters in Scott Harding and Cheynee Stiller combined to set Brown up for his third.

The big man was showing signs of regaining his touch and the Lions were growing in confidence with him as, slowly but surely, they rolled over the top of the Saints.

Sherman kicked his third after nearly having his head taken off in a marking contest, and the Saints looked shot going into the last, facing a six-goal deficit.

A shudder went through the Lions' camp early in the final term when Brown copped a knee in the ribs in a marking contest.

However, the ball spilled to Black for a goal, Brown stayed on the field to kick two more, and his side was home, with plenty of new stars in the Brisbane sky.

BRISBANE LIONS 2.4 7.7 11.11 15.12 (102)
ST KILDA 2.3 3.4 6.6 7.8 (50)
GOALS — Brisbane Lions: Brown 5, Sherman 3, Black 2, Patfull 2, Johnson, McGrath, Stiller. St Kilda: Koschitzke 2, Fiora 2, Milne, Montagna, Birss.
BEST — Brisbane Lions: Rischitelli, Sherman, Merrett, Adcock, Harding, Notting. St Kilda: Dal Santo, Fiora, S Fisher, Gram, Montagna, Baker.
REPORTS Power (Brisbane Lions) and McQualter (St Kilda) for alleged wrestling.
INJURIES — Brisbane Lions: Lappin (thigh) replaced in selected side by Allan; Roe (hamstring) replaced in selected side by Mills.St Kilda: Ball (cut head) replaced in selected side by Birss; Hudghton (strained quad); Birss (calf).
UMPIRES: Vozzo, K Nicholls, Jeffery.
CROWD: 28,266 at the Gabba.