Brisbane's shock win over Essendon has highlighted a key issue with the Bombers, stop their ball movement, stop their momentum and it's something every AFL opponent will now try to exploit.
Lions coach Chris Fagan said after the eight-point boilover on Sunday that their major focus was restricting Essendon's uncontested marks.
It worked beautifully and Essendon played horribly.
Brisbane won that category easily 93-63 and it did not matter that the Bombers won the inside 50s 61-48.
It is a statistic that will give Collingwood, another underperforming side, food for thought ahead of Saturday's massive game against the Bombers at the MCG.
"They shut down our ball movement, we had an emphasis on trying to switch the ball and they shut that down straight away," Essendon captain Dyson Heppell said.
"We really just allowed that to happen, we didn't work for it.
"So we just receded and ended up going down the line to contests a lot of the time.
"From those contests, they had numbers at the fall of the ball and away they go - really, they outplayed us, for sure."
Heppell also spoke damningly on Monday about Essendon's mindset and attitude not being right against the last-placed Lions.
He said they paid the price for playing selfish football.
The costly loss put them two games outside the top eight, while the Magpies are three games off the finals pace with eight rounds left.
Heppell also said chief executive Xavier Campbell was well within his rights to blast the team in a post-game tweet, which was then put on the official club feed.
He said no-one was angrier about Sunday than the players.
"Yes, we did let them down - I have no issue with Xavier's tweet," Heppell said.
"That's the way it is and that's how we feel as well.
"Yep, we definitely let ourselves down, let our fans down and let the club down.
"But don't worry, my chin is well and truly up and I will be looking forward to dragging this team out and we're going to bounce back (on Saturday)."
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