Brisbane has stormed home with a seven-goal final quarter to claim a 32-point victory over a gallant West Coast side that kept pace with the Lions for the first three terms at the Gabba on Saturday night.
Brisbane captain Jonathan Brown and prize recruit Brendan Fevola had 18 scoring opportunities between them, but wayward kicking from the Lions meant the home side needed a stirring effort in the fourth term.
The Eagles led by two points at the final break but Brisbane took control of what had been a scrappy tussle, booting the first six goals of the final quarter, including three to Brown, to run out 16.18 (114) to 12.10 (82) winners.
Brown finished the night with five goals while Fevola had an inconsistent start to his career as a Lion, dropping a handful of marks and kicking an inaccurate 3.7.
That included another set shot that he sprayed out on the full.
But it wasn't all bad news for Fevola, who received excellent service all night and worked seamlessly with Brown, much to the delight of the 29, 201 fans.
The reigning Coleman Medallist kicked a remarkable goal from the boundary line in the final term, booting the Sherrin off the ground and steering it through the acutest of angles.
But the win came at a cost for the Lions.
Jed Adcock limped off with an ankle injury after tangling feet with Eagle Brad Ebert, while Amon Buchanan has a broken thumb.
Josh Drummond and Matt Maguire also spent plenty of time on the sidelines in the third quarter getting rubbed down by medical staff, but both came back and looked to be in reasonable shape.
The Lions had a series of winners in the middle, with Jared Brennan, Michael Rischitelli, Simon Black all amassing plenty of the ball.
Brennan was particularly dominant and kicked the all-important first goal of the final quarter - a showstopper from the cusp of the 50m arc, while Luker Power was also strong and finished with three goals.
For the visitors, Daniel Kerr shook off a Joel Patfull tag without too much discomfort, Adam Selwood had 31 touches while Andrew Embley and Patrick McGinnity both impressed.
The first upset of the 2010 season loomed large for much of the game but the highest the Eagles could build their advantage to was 15 points.
BRISBANE: 2.6, 6.10, 9.12, 16.18 (114)
WEST COAST: 4.2, 7.6, 10.8, 12.10 (82)
GOALS: Brisbane: Brown 5, Fevola 3, Power 3, Brennan, Sherman, Staker, Drummond, Banfield, Brennan
West Coast: Shuey 2, Kennedy 2, Lynch 2, Cox, Waters, Embley, Kennedy, Ebert, Lynch, LeCras, Naitanu, McGinnity
BEST: Brisbane: Brennan, Brown, Power, Rischitelli, Black, Drummond, Sherman
West Coast: Selwood, Kerr, Embley, Kennedy, McGinnity, Priddis,
INJURIES: Brisbane: Adcock (ankle), Buchanan (hand)
West Coast:
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
UMPIRES: Hay, Wenn, Jeffery
CROWD: 29,201 at the Gabba