Jonathan Brown produced another comeback to remember on Saturday night to inspire the Brisbane Lions to their first win of the AFL season.

Brown kicked four second-half goals in the wet at the Gabba to lead the Lions back from a 19-point deficit late in the third term for a 10.13 (73) to 8.11 (60) victory over North Melbourne.

In his first game back from multiple facial fractures suffered in round one, the Brisbane skipper wasn't in the same class as when he kicked eight against Essendon in his return from suspension in 2005 but his mere presence and muscle were crucial to the drought-breaking triumph.

The Kangaroos appeared to have all the running on a wet night in front of the Lions' smallest crowd of the year of 18,404, until Brown combined with fellow veteran Simon Black.

Well held by Scott Thompson and first-gamer Luke Delaney in the first half, Brown broke free after halftime and kicked two goals in four minutes to have the Lions within five at the last change.

Kangaroos coach Brad Scott was livid when Scott McMahon mindlessly conceded Brown's third goal with a 50m penalty.

Scott's patience was tested further when Brown was gifted the first goal of the last term to tie the scores at 8.10 when Thompson also gave away 50m after the Brisbane skipper had marked beyond his range.

The Lions then overran the visitors with Todd Banfield scoring in highly controversial circumstances from 50 metres after a blatant throw by Black, before Jack Redden iced the win.

"In the second half we really lifted the pressure and the dam wall broke," Brown said after the match.

The Lions spearhead had managed just one behind from his only set shot from five first-half kicks.

In contrast, North Melbourne forward Aaron Edwards continued his marvellous accuracy in front of goals this season by kicking three straight in the second term for a 14.0 record this season.

Coming off a six-goal haul against Melbourne last week, Edwards propelled the Kangaroos to a 13-point halftime lead.

The quality of play in the opening term matched the terrible conditions with neither side able to master the wet.

It took until the 16-minute mark for Kangaroos skipper Brent Harvey to finally snap the first major but the Lions took a two-point lead into the quarter-time break through goals to Bryce Retzlaff and Mitch Clark.

Drew Petrie epitomised North's up-and-down display with a brilliant mark on the back of Matt Maguire's inside 50, but inexplicably played on and kicked out on the full under pressure.

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