Determined to avoid playing "like a busted arse" in his 200th AFL game, Brisbane captain Jonathan Brown starred as his side beat Essendon by 27 points.

The fearsome key forward returned from injury to kick four goals and take 16 marks as the Lions easily won on Sunday at Etihad Stadium, 14.11 (95) to 10.8 (68).

Brown kicked the first goal of the game and the Lions quickly took control against the injury-ravaged Bombers, who have now lost three in a row amid rampant speculation about the future of coach Matthew Knights.

The Brisbane players watched a pre-game video of Brown highlights and coach Michael Voss noted there were so many, it had to be heavily edited down to three minutes.

But the man in question, one of the league's best players, was not so much pumped up as wanting to avoid a bad day.

"Obviously you want to have a good day and hope the team wins, get a good memory I suppose," Brown said.

"I certainly didn't want to play like a busted arse."

Brown and Voss also noted that the Lions have now won two of their last three games.

While they will finish in the bottom four, they have not given up after their awful mid-season run where they had one win in 14 games.

"We haven't put the white flag up, we're trying to build some confidence into the off-season, I suppose," Brown said.

The one lowlight in the game for Brisbane was Troy Selwood, who was taken to hospital with a suspected fractured sternum after a heavy collision with Essendon's Kyle Hardingham in the second term.

While the Lions are rallying, the Bombers are in freefall and injuries have not helped, with only seven players in Sunday's side having played more than 50 games.

They rallied with the first two goals of the third term, but then Kyle Reimers stupidly gave away a free kick immediately after a Brisbane goal.

The resulting double goal killed off the slight whiff of an Essendon comeback.

Knights was furious, benching Reimers immediately and putting him on the phone.

"I was very angry and disappointed, he'd let the team down," Knight said.

"He is a fire and brimstone young man and he has a lot of talent, he hasn't quite got the grasp of when the opposition are trying to antagonise him, to just cool his heels.

"At times ... the balance is not quite there."

Reimers was an microcosm of the wider inconsistency that has plagued Essendon this year, with Knights noting he kicked a great goal in the final term.

Knights was pleased his team did not give up, rallying from 58 points down early in the final term, but the damage was done.

"I was just pleased we kept coming," he said.

Bombers captain Jobe Watson had a tough day as he continues to struggle with leg injuries, but Knights is confident he will play next Saturday against the Western Bulldogs.

"I'd expect him to play, unless he completely just cannot move later in the week - I think he wants to see through the season and be out there leading the club," Knights said.

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