AFL preliminary final live updates: Brisbane Lions vs Carlton Blues ...

He liked his chances as soon as he took the mark, but it proved to be about three metres too far for him. Blues enjoying a better spell.

If the Blues can get the next one, they'll feel they're right in it. Brisbane haven't gone on with the momentum they had at the start of this quarter.

Next goal massive.

Not sure who or what got him in the right eye, but can't open it and it is already looking quite swollen and sore.

Matt Cottrell found himself alone in the pocket, and just had to snap truly from a pretty manageable angle. Instead he put a bomb the Broncos would be proud of down the road and failed to make the journey.

It was Cameron who got the first touch and laid it on a plate for Hugh McCluggage to snap, but he couldn't finish the good stoppage work.

The Lions are absolutely all over them right now.

Kidean Coleman has been the best player on the park tonight, or at least the most influential.

He won another critical contest in the middle of the ground, then found Hipwood with a lovely kick. The next kick found Cameron all alone in the forward pocket.

Unfortunately Cameron's attempted snap on the left is terrible, and doesn't even make the distance. No score.

He is so obscenely strong. The Carlton defenders fell off him one by one, but the snap was just across the face.

The alarms are blaring in the Carlton coaches' box. The game could slip away right here, right now.

Another clearance to Lachie Neale finds Eric Hipwood on the chest.

But it's a bad miss from Hipwood, a behind. Blues need to turn things around pronto.

And it has all the feeling of a very Brisbane night now! That was effortless from the Lions, and ended up with Hipwood and Cameron out the back of Marchbank and Hollands.

Cameron made no mistake from the goalsquare this time, and the Gabba is belting out Country Road.

Curnow has a half of footy to make an impact for his team. He has not had a good finals series to date.

Curnow certainly made sure the umpire saw it, but it did look like a push from Darcy Gardiner.

Tough shot for Curnow, 50m out on a very tight angle.

Frustration for Cripps, but a dream start to the third for the Lions.

Really does feel like the first few minutes of this quarter could be a dangerous period for Carlton. The Lions are poised.

From the first ruck contest! Oscar McInerney was awarded a free kick, Patrick Cripps didn't hear the whistle and punted the ball forward, and now McInerney will kick from about 40 out.

There were some injury concerns around Tom De Koning, but it looks like he's fine to continue.

Head to head with Carlton captain Patrick Cripps, you've got to give Josh Dunkley the points so far.

Seventeen disposals, three tackles and three clearances for Dunkley, while also keeping Cripps to just six touches of his own.

The Lions reached an inflection point earlier than they expected, but boy did they step up and meet the moment.

Carlton's brilliant first quarter would have had all of Brisbane's finals doubts flooding back, but tonight they've decided they're not going down without a fight. All of a sudden the Blues were the team making poor decisions and forced into rushed disposals.

Kidean Coleman is a problem Michael Voss has to solve immediately, he was a massive part of the Lions resurgence with his kicking from half-back. But Lachie Neale got a grip of that second quarter too, forcing the whole midfield with him.

A gripping first half. Now we find out what Carlton are made of.