THE BRISBANE Lions have sent Carlton crashing to the bottom of the ladder with a 64-point win over the Blues at the Gabba on Saturday night.
The Lions picked up just their third win of the season, and second against Carlton, with the 20.11 (131) to 9.13 (67) victory.
The win lifts the Lions above the Blues on percentage as both clubs try to avoid the wooden spoon.
Lions young gun Jonathan Freeman booted three goals in just his third appearance this season while Allen Christensen also had three majors.
Dayne Zorko, Luke McGuane, Pearce Hanley and 50-gamer Sam Mayes each kicked two.
Former Blue Mitch Robinson was also in fighting form against his old teammates, picking up 33 disposals, a goal and a couple of big hits on his way to a tally of 15 tackles.
The Blues didn't start badly, kicking five goals in a row late in the opening quarter to hold a 19-point lead at the first change.
But the visitors were simply blown away from that point on, conceding 12 unanswered goals either side of half-time as the Lions ran rampant before Andrew Walker's third major of the night late in the third quarter ended the run.
Walker finished the game with four goals in the only highlight for the Blues.
The win also means the Lions avoid equalling their club record streak of 12 consecutive losses set across the 1990-91 campaigns.
Carlton caretaker coach John Barker said the defeat showed the deficiencies in the Blues' squad and it is clear something has to change.
"At the moment what you're seeing is a clear display of where our depth is at," Barker said.
"The club's been talking about it for the last six months I guess. Over the last five or six weeks we've just kept losing senior players and there comes a tipping point.
"On the back of that we've got quite a few inexperienced players tonight that just couldn't sustain it."
Lions coach Justin Leppitsch spoke during the week about the desire not to finish last despite the prospect of a No.1 draft pick if the club picks up the wooden spoon.
He says the convincing win shows no one at the Lions has shut up shop on 2015.
"Everyone gives 100 per cent effort every week," he said.
"No one wants to finish bottom. Where we end up, whether it's first, second or third-bottom we don't know.
"A young player that does come into our organisation, all he needs to know is you come to the Brisbane Lions, you compete to the end. You don't pull up stumps, you go to the end.
"That's what we do here. I don't know where we're going to finish on the ladder but that's what we do."
BRISBANE LIONS 3.2 8.7 15.9 20.11 (131)
CARLTON 6.3 6.7 9.10 9.13 (67)
GOALS
Brisbane Lions: Freeman 3, Christensen 3, McGuane 2, Hanley 2, Mayes 2, Zorko 2, West, Rockliff, Robinson, Redden, Cutler, Adcock
Carlton: Walker 4, Buckley, Kreuzer, Docherty, Boekhorst, Murphy
BEST
Brisbane Lions: Robinson, Zorko, Martin, Rockliff, Rich, Redden, Freeman
Carlton: Cripps, Carrazzo, Murphy, Kreuzer, Walker
INJURIES
Brisbane Lions: Nil
Carlton: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Brisbane Lions: Billy Evans replaced Trent West at three-quarter time
Carlton: Nick Holman replaced Clem Smith in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Foot, Ryan, Hay, Armstrong
Official crowd: 17,744 at the Gabba
