Fagan’s metaphor of dancing on thin ice has become the unintentional motto for Brisbane’s finals campaign. But it was on a tightrope that Brandon Starcevich and Jarrod Berry walked in an unwinnable 2 versus 4 on the boundary line that somehow, someway, resulted in a Rayner goal.

The Brisbane Lions have overcome the loss of ruckman Oscar McInerney to a dislocated shoulder in another stirring AFL finals comeback, advancing to the season decider with a 10-point upset of Geelong.