Instead, the Lions finished five points short of the Bombers, their fourth loss in succession and second in a week by under a goal.
The final siren sounded yesterday just after the ball left the boot of young top-up player Bryce Judd, which arrowed onto the chest of Aaron Cornelius. He wheeled around and goalled, but it was all too late.
The Bombers had won 13.18 (96) to 13.13 (91) after five lead changes in a gripping last term and stayed just one game adrift of the top five.
The Lions surged back into the contest after a slow start on the back of some brilliant work by big forward Aaron Cornelius.
Rather than let the disappointment of being omitted from the senior team for the trip to Tasmania - Cornelius’ home State - he stood tall by leading strongly all day and booting seven goals, including four in the last term.
The Lions paid the price for a slow start, with the home side keeping their opponents in the game by wasting 6.13 in the first half.
The Bombers booted the first goal of the third term to kick 28 points clear, but the Lions began to get some momentum and kicked three successive goals until Redland got one on the stroke of three-quarter-time.
Their 16-point lead disappeared quickly in the fourth quarter and the vocal home crowd was on its feet through the see-sawing final 30 minutes.
Cornelius almost won the game for his side, forming a lethal combination with centre-half-forward Bryce Retzlaff, who worked tirelessly up the ground and finished with close to 20 marks for the day.
The Bombers had the better of the midfield battle in the first half as Redland skipper Phil Carse dominated proceedings, with assistance from Blake Passfield, James Charlesworth and Matt Thomson.
Charlesworth produced two spectacular leaps over opponents in virtually the same spot of the centre square in the second and third terms to vie with other mark of the year contenders.
Cheynee Stiller was solid across half-back for the Lions and gave them more drive when moved into the middle in the second half.
The Lions showed their intentions to win the game by throwing Broc McCauley into the ruck, with Albert Proud, Xavier Clarke and Ryan Harwood at his feet for much of the second half.
Harwood bulldozed his way around the ground for most of the day and was one of his side’s better contributors, while McCauley took some good marks in the second half.
Charlesworth had a chance to ice the game at the 30-minute mark but missed, only for the Lions to kick the ball in quickly and get it to Judd before the siren sounded two seconds too soon for them.
While Redland remain in touch with the top five, they still have clashes with the top three to come, starting with Southport at Victoria Point next Sunday week.
All clubs have a bye this weekend to allow for six QAFL players to represent Queensland at the national country championships in Canberra.
The Lions host the exciting Northern Territory Thunder at Giffin Park in their first game out of the bye next Saturday week.
SCOREBOARD
Redland 4.6 6.13 9.16 13.18 (96)
Brisbane Lions 3.3 4.4 7.11 13.13 (91)
GOALS - Redland: M. Ghirardello 5, P. O'Shea 2, J. Charlesworth 2, J. Paxman 1, D. Dzufer 1, B. Passfield 1, J. Carey 1. Lions: A. Cornelius 7, B. McCulloch 2, X. Clark 1, J. Hendrie 1, R. Harwood 1, A. Proud 1.
BEST - Redland: P. Carse, P. O'Shea, B. Passfield, M. Ghirardello, J. Charlesworth, J. Carey. Lions: A. Cornelius, B. Retzlaff, R. Harwood, C. Stiller, S. Yoshiura, B. McCauley.
