IF EVER you wanted evidence that a poor team was capable of dragging down a superior opponent's skill level, one farcical minute of play between the Brisbane Lions and an insipid Melbourne yesterday summed up this contest.

It was the 25th minute of the second quarter. Following a Simon Black behind, the Demons managed to turn the ball over three consecutive times from the kick-in. Jonathan Brown, Rhan Hooper and Anthony Corrie all answered with minor scores.

There was some justice that for their sins, the Dees were eventually able to clear the ball from defence for a goal to Austin Wonaeamirri, who was a rare bright light for his side with three opportunist goals. Otherwise, this match was a travesty.

In the end, the Lions won by 52 points, but with 42 scoring shots to 20 and 76 entries inside 50 to 41 for the match, the margin should have been double that.

Some say the Demons are a club without a brand. But how do you sell their brand of football? Two years ago, a side with a fit David Neitz, Travis Johnstone, Brock McLean, Brad Green, Cameron Bruce and Colin Sylvia looked a genuine challenger.

Not any more. The brave Neitz has fought his last campaign; Johnstone joined yesterday's opposition; the rest have simply stalled. Green, Bruce and Brent Moloney all worked hard and finished among their side's best yesterday, yet none had any real influence.

Their best player, by far, was Nathan Jones, who looks and plays like Geelong's Paul Chapman. During the first quarter, he looked the only Demon with a passion for the contest. Four goals from 24 touches was just reward.

Without Neitz, though, the Dees looked rudderless. It would be unfair to blame Russell Robertson, who was shut out of the game by Joel Patfull; the ball didn't get down to him enough, and he received little assistance.

The Lions smashed their opponents around the clearances, with Black awarded the Sands of Gallipoli Medal for his 36 possessions. Hooper played his best game for the year, and Jared Brennan and Corrie are finally maturing into players of real substance.

Up forward, Daniel Bradshaw continued his outstanding recovery from a knee reconstruction, booting six goals, five in the second half. Brown was held to two.

For now, the focus remains on Dees coach Dean Bailey, who kept his side locked up for 45 minutes after the game. He was calm when he fronted the media, denying he had baked his players. He even claimed to be enjoying his job.

It's doubtful, though, that too many Melbourne supporters are enjoying this season, which shapes as an even bigger disaster than the injury-hit 2007 campaign.

If the most optimistic of them are looking for better signs, they came in the last quarter, when a couple of uncharacteristically swift transfers in defence resulted in consolation goals. For a few minutes, the Demons played with the confidence of a team with nothing left to lose. They might as well keep it up.

BRISBANE LIONS 3.6 10.13 15.17 19.23 (137) MELBOURNE 2.1 5.2 8.3 13.7 (85)Bradshaw 6,

GOALS Brisbane Lions: Hooper 4, Corrie 3, Brown 2, Johnstone 2, Adcock, Rischitelli. Melbourne: Jones 4, Wonaeamirri 3, Sylvia 2, Miller 2, Green, Robertson.

BEST Brisbane Lions: Corrie, Black, Hooper, Brennan, Bradshaw. Melbourne: Jones, Bell, Wonaeamirri, Green, Sylvia.

CHANGES Melbourne: Garland (omitted) replaced in selected side by Warnock.

UMPIRES M Nicholls, Head, Armstrong.

CROWD 22,878 at the Gabba.

THE UPSHOT
The Lions are up and about with an even three wins and three losses after six rounds, but a big win against a woefully uncompetitive Demons outfit doesn't tell us much. Given the Demons are in as much trouble off the field as on it, if there really is light at the end of the tunnel for Melbourne, it could very well be a train.

TALKING POINT
After six rounds, the question remains: could Melbourne in 2008 be the first side since Fitzroy in 1964 to go through a season without winning a game? Expect the odds to shorten again after this non-contest at the Gabba, which the Lions should have won by a far wider margin.

HOT AND COLD
Daniel Bradshaw continued his astonishing form post-knee surgery with six goals, five of them in the second half, but what has gone almost unremarked is Jonathan Brown's quiet month: a fine game against Port Adelaide aside, the big bloke has failed to seriously influence a contest since his six-goal haul against West Coast in round one.