CARLTON     3.2      6.4      9.7      11.9    (75)
BRISBANE    3.1      5.4     10.9     12.12  (84)

By MATTHEW BALMER

Carlton coach Mick Malthouse pledged his commitment to the Blues after a loss to bottom-of-the-ladder Brisbane Lions saw a woeful season opening sink to a new low.

“While there’s a job to be done, I’ll be doing it as best as I possibly can,” Malthouse said post-match.

“If we’re not on the bottom, we’ve bottomed right out.”

A seven-goal second half saw the Lions overturn a 15-point deficit midway into the third term to win by nine points.

Malthouse struggled to find a fresh plan when the Lions found an eight-point lead at three-quarter-time, starting Chris Judd and Marc Murphy forward to try to rectify their limited goal tally.

But Blue Zac Tuohy’s high tackle saw Allen Christensen score off a free, which pushed the Lions to a 14-point lead.

Lion Daniel McStay posed a constant threat at goal with inside-50 marks, which created opportunities for small forwards Tom Rockliff and Lewis Taylor.

A lift in tackle pressure from the Lions' small forwards helped the comeback, blocking the Blues’ passage from half-back to half-forward.

McStay scored at 16 minutes in the third term to find an eight-point trail. But Blue Levi Casboult returned to equal his career-high four goals.

Play was interrupted when Lion midfielder Nick Robertson was concussed and assisted from the field, after Tom Bell bumped him into the new electric advertising board on the wing. Robertson returned late in the final quarter.

Lion Josh Green scored at 20 minutes from 35m before he received from teammate Daniel Rich to add again.

Lion Ryan Lester added a fifth consecutive goal moments before the three-quarter time siren to find an eight-point lead.

Taylor’s high work rate inspired his Lion teammates to maintain intensity in the final term and propelled their attack forward.

Lion Stefan Martin darted inside 50 on the wing to cross to Dayne Beams at goal front before he missed the chance to close the match.

Blue Liam Jones then scored with 12 minutes left to narrow the margin to 15 points.

But the Blues' first-round draft pick Blaine Boekhorst didn’t deliver on a valuable opportunity from 35m to pull his side back into the contest.

Bell’s effort to spark a late recovery with a goal was spoiled when off-target kicking from Casboult and Jones saw a possession turnover, enabling the Lions to run down the clock.

The Blues enter a clash with GWS Giants next week at Etihad Stadium with just percentage holding them off the bottom of the ladder, while the Lions meet Port Adelaide at the Gabba on Sunday.

THE WRAP-UP

GOALS
Carlton: Casboult 4; Murphy 2; Bell 2; Cripps; Judd; Jones
Brisbane: McStay 4; Green 3; Taylor; Leuenberger; Lester; Christensen; Rockliff

BEST
Carlton: Gibbs, Bell, Casboult, Docherty, Judd, Curnow
Brisbane: D.Beams, Taylor, McStay, Green, Christensen, Martin

INJURIES
Carlton: None
Brisbane: Robertson (concussion), Gardiner (ankle)

REPORTS: None

UMPIRES: Jordan Bannister, Ray Chamberlain, Ben Ryan

CROWD:  20,273 at Etihad stadium