The Wallabies will have to pick up the pieces in Sydney next weekend after the British & Irish Lions claimed an unassailable 2-0 series lead in Melbourne.
A 79th minute Hugo Keenan try proved the matchwinner in a 29-26 thriller in front of 90,307 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground - though it wasn't without controversy.
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Here's what we learned from the Second Test:
Every Australian fan was flying high after a blistering start saw the Wallabies race out to a 23-5 lead after 35 minutes.
Joe Schmidt's men looked like world beaters when pair of Tom Lynagh penalties paved way for tries to James Slipper, Jake Gordon and Tom Wright.
Australia were the better side for much of the contest and almost all the first half - and that's why this three-point loss will be such a bitter pill to swallow.
But credit must be paid to a historic Lions comeback forged in the shadows of halftime with Tom Curry and Huw Jones crashing over to swing momentum the tourists way.
Tadgh Beirne's 60th minute try sparked the white-knuckle finish and it was all over when Keenan slid outside Len Ikitau and over the chalk.
It's the moment this brilliant contest will always be remembered for in Australia.
In the lead-up to Keenan's series-winning try, Wallabies backrower Carlo Tizzano went to pilfer a ruck and was cleared out by a charging Jac Morgan.
Replays appeared to show Morgan's shoulder collide with the back of Tizzano's neck at high speed - a point Wallabies captain Harry Wilson was eager to make with referee Andrea Piardi.
The contact was reviewed, however, Piardi deemed Morgan's actions did not meet the penalty threshold and Keenan's try was upheld.
Cue the celebrations for some - and the heartbreak for others.
It was a mixed bag for Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii on rugby's biggest stage.
The Waratahs flyer was outstanding with ball in hand, setting up Tom Wright's try with a brilliant right foot step to break the line before feeding his fullback.
However Suaalli was regularly beaten in defence with three crucial misses seeing the Lions rip through Australia's line.
There's no denying he's a talent but whether or not outside centre is Suaalii's best position remains a mystery.
Len Ikitau shone once more in his unfamiliar inside centre role but the Wallabies shouldn't forget he's a world class 13 - perhaps a shake up is on the cards for Sydney?
Like Sam Warbuton and Martin Johnson before him, Maro Itoje wrote himself into the history books as a series-winning Lions captain.
A deserving best on ground in Melbourne, the Englishman was colossal in the tourists' engine room with 20 tackles and two turnovers.
His performance typified the Lions' defensive efforts - in total they made 179 tackles with Jack Conan (24), Andrew Porter (16) and Tom Curry (15) leading the charge.
Out wide, Tommy Freeman excelled with ball in hand (49 post contact metres) while Blair Kinghorn's impact from the pine was inspired.
Their dual efforts shone a cold light on the Wallabies' 6-2 bench split that saw Tate McDermott play an admirable 60 minutes out of position as a winger when Harry Potter went down injured.
Pundits were calling the Second Test one of the most important games in Wallabies history.
This author's contention is the Third Test should be considered equally important - even with the series wrapped up.
A 3-0 sweep is rare indeed and would cement this Lions outfit among their greatest ever.
Standing in their way is an Australian side that next faces a two-game series in South Africa to kickstart their TRC campaign.
It is vital the Wallabies front up again in Sydney with a chip on their shoulder and show that while the heart of Australian can break, it never stops beating.
