* Result: Brisbane Lions 11.13 (79) defeated Carlton 9.9 (63) in front of 36,012 at the Gabba.
* They said: "I'm so proud of our group. We've come from nowhere six or seven years ago and been a challenger a while, and given ourselves a shot at the cup next week, which is awesome." - Lions midfielder Lachie Neale, who said he has no concerns over his sore right shoulder hurt in a tackle from his former Fremantle teammate Adam Cerra.
* Key moment: Having seen their first-quarter lead evaporate via a Lions comeback, Carlton would have been eager to set the tempo coming out of halftime. Instead captain Patrick Cripps conceded a 50m penalty for kicking the ball away after the umpire's whistle for a free-kick at the centre bounce. Oscar McInerney converted the goal and Brisbane never looked back.
* The stat: Zero. That was Charlie Cameron's impact on the stat sheet in the first quarter when the Brisbane Lion livewire literally had nothing to his name. Cameron had an indifferent night overall with some poor finishes but - just like the Lions - came out on top despite a slow start.
* Injuries: Lion Cal Ah Chee corked a quad early in the match but returned unhindered after a short spell on the bench. There was also a heart-stopping moment when Neale clutched his shoulder after a third-quarter tackle but the Lions' superstar waved away any assistance. For the Blues, Nic Newman suffered an inadvertent poke in the right eye by Cripps in the third quarter but only stayed off the field for a short time.
* What's next? Brisbane progress to the grand final against Collingwood while Carlton exit after a magical run of 11 wins from their last 13 games.
Australian Associated Press
