Rising Brisbane leader Tom Rockliff has rejected any notions of disunity within the struggling Lions after a heated halftime spat with Brent Staker.

Rockliff and Staker needed to be separated by veteran Luke Power as their tempers flared at the end of the second quarter of Brisbane's harrowing loss to Adelaide at the Gabba on Sunday.

The young midfielder, a member of the Lions leadership group, on Monday played down the on-field bust-up as the result of a miscommunication.

Rockliff said he and the experienced Staker had quickly patched up their differences in the dressing room and stressed Brisbane were a tight, united group.

"I think it looked a lot worse than what it was," he said at the Lions Monday recovery session.

"It was just a quick discussion and, because it was halftime, we could go back at each other so it was a bit disappointing the outsiders would have seen it as (disharmony) but we're definitely united as a team.

"It was just a miscommunication at the time and everything's good. We talked about it and it's just what happens in the heat of battle."

Rockliff saw the passion shown as a good sign the 15th-placed club was hell-bent on reversing their fortunes.

"I think it creates a competitive atmosphere for us," he said. "It's good that we can talk over things and can say your feelings at the time.

"As it turns out, we had a good response with each other and, hopefully, it pays off in the future for us."

Brisbane had led by four goals midway through the third quarter and 20 points at the final change but were over-run by the Crows in another last-term fadeout.

The Lions have just three wins for the season, heading into Saturday night's Queensland derby against Gold Coast - a match Rockliff rates as their most important of the season.

"We've forgotten how to win a little bit, I suppose," he said. "We haven't won for a while.

"The main goal for us over the next four weeks is to play the full four quarters and run over teams.

"We get teams into a position where we want them and we can't finish them. We can't knock them out."

The Lions are desperate for revenge against the fledgling Suns after being upset by eight points in their inaugural 'Q-Clash' in round seven.

"It's massive for our footy club," Rockliff said. "They got the wood on us the first time so it's definitely payback time this time around.

"It's our biggest game of the year now. It's probably our grand final."

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