The Lions' top-four hopes appear to have gone up in smoke after a 58-point hiding - 18.7 (115) to 8.9 (57) - by the Demons in front of a packed Gabba on Friday.

It comes after Melbourne belted Brisbane by 64 points earlier this season to make it four straight defeats against the Demons, including last year's qualifying final.

"They seem to be our nemesis, don't they?" Fagan admitted.

"I can't disagree with you at the moment.

"It's the truth, isn't it?

"They're the one team that's got hold of us for the last two years."

Whether Brisbane will get another chance to take on the Demons this year is now very much in the balance.

Friday's loss means the Lions are set to host an elimination final in the opening weekend of finals against either Richmond or Carlton.

They may have to play that game without Cameron Rayner after the 22-year-old was placed on report in the first quarter of Friday's game for a sling tackle on Ben Brown which left the Demons' forward needing attention on a bloodied nose.

Jarrod Berry also had to be subbed out with an ankle issue but Fagan was confident with the extra time before finals due to the bye week that the midfielder shouldn't be a doubt.

The loss of a finals double chance wasn't something Fagan was prepared to dwell on.

"What we have to do now is get ready for our next challenge," he said.

"There's no other choice.

"It was disappointing tonight. We've been pretty good for a month or so but tonight was disappointing, for our fans, the big crowd that turned up, all of that.

"But these things happen and in life it's always about what you do about what happens to you, nothing else matters."

Australian Associated Press