After several seasons of rebuilding, Brisbane look to have finally constructed the platform for a serious push at their first AFL finals appearance in four years.

The Lions now have a 4-4 win-loss record following their comfortable 33-point win over Carlton on Saturday night, with the luxury of three home matches in a row which will go a long way to determining their season's fate.

Brisbane take on St Kilda, North Melbourne and Fremantle in successive weeks at the Gabba - all teams around or below them on the ladder - a fact not lost on coach Leigh Matthews.

"We're four and four, but we've been going win-loss-win-loss-win. What we've got to do is string some wins together if we want to make anything of the year," Matthews said.

"Playing at home doesn't guarantee you a win, but it happens we've got a string of games at home. More importantly with St Kilda and the Kangaroos, they're right around us like Carlton were.

"Push one down, you pop a game ahead of them."

The signs have been good for Brisbane, who have pushed Hawthorn and Geelong in recent weeks before unloading on the Blues at Telstra Dome for a 18.17 (125) to 12.20 (92) win.

It was a case of all guns blazing for the Lions - Jonathan Brown booting six goals and midfielders Simon Black, Travis Johnstone and Luke Power unstoppable as Brisbane ambushed the Blues with an eight goal to two first quarter.

From then on, it was a case of Brisbane doing it on the bit - answering the Blues every time they managed a goal - usually through Brendan Fevola who finished with five majors for his beaten side.

Matthews was upbeat about his side's potential after the Lions' youngsters have spent the best part of three years taking their lumps following the club's remarkable four grand finals and three premierships from 2001.

While premiership stars Black and Power are firing, the addition of ex-Melbourne player Johnstone - outstanding with three goals and 31 possessions against the Blues - is proving a huge success as he strung together his third successive quality performance for his new club.

"We thought the group we'd got together had some really top patches of top-level football last year and that made us think there's some good capabilities within the team," Matthews said.

"We supplemented the team with Travis Johnstone, but it's still the same group.

"I think that team out there (against Carlton) is capable of playing pretty good footy and being competitive against anybody."

Beaten Carlton coach Brett Ratten agrees, believing the Lions are a finals side and perhaps a chance to go deeper in September than most would think.

"The Lions are super-competitive and they're up there (with the better sides)," Ratten said.

"They're hard to beat every time they go out to play, they ran Hawthorn to 15 points, they pushed Geelong without Black and Brown. They'll be in the eight - it's where they get their run during the season."