The Brisbane Lions' three-pronged off-season recruiting plunge was all class first up, with Lachie Neale, Jarryd Lyons and Lincoln McCarthy starring in a 42-point JLT Series win over Hawthorn on Sunday.

Neale was sublime in his first official outing for the Lions, collecting 19 disposals by half-time and finishing with 31 (and 10 clearances) for the match to be the best player on ground. 

His combination with former Gold Coast midfielder Jarryd Lyons and in-form ruckman Archie Smith was exceptional. 

Neale showed off his great hands in close, good decision-making – he went at 93 per cent disposal efficiency – and powerful two-way running in a polished performance.

Lyons (25 touches) also kicked a goal and had a hand in another as Brisbane ran away to win 15.12 (102) to 8.12 (60) against a second-string Hawks outfit at Burpengary's Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex.

After a tight first term, the full-strength Lions got moving, thanks largely to a midfield dominance that led to a 63-40 inside-50 advantage.

The longer the game went, the better they got in the hot and humid conditions.

There was also a lot to like about McCarthy's game after the clever half-forward's long battled with soft tissue injuries in his time at Geelong.

McCarthy (17 disposals and eight tackles) kicked two goals and hit Cam Rayner on the chest with a bullet pass in the first quarter to set up another.

Rayner was lively in the forward half, kicking three goals, while Rhys Mathieson (28 disposals) pushed his case for round-one selection.

Charlie Cameron left the field during the third quarter after grabbing at his hamstring, but the club later said it was just cramp. 

Despite leaving more than half of its best team in Melbourne, Hawthorn applied itself well for most of the contest.

James Cousins (29 disposals) was tireless in the midfield, while James Worpel and youngster Will Golds also impressed.

James Sicily was a handful in the forward 50, but kicked just two goals from seven shots.

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THE WIN! The boys bring home a 42 point victory over Hawthorn in our first #JLTSeries. #Uncaged

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WHAT WE LEARNED

Brisbane:
The Lions have a pretty settled team as they look to round one.

Darcy Gardiner could come in if he can overcome a knee injury, but Ryan Lester again showed he is a reliable understudy in the back six.

The ruck battle is fascinating. While Stefan Martin played in the NEAFL on Saturday as he comes back from a series of niggling injuries, Archie Smith again pressed his claims with a strong outing.

Rhys Mathieson is also on the midfield fringes, but 28 disposals did his chances of a round one call-up no harm.


Hawthorn:
After moving James Sicily into defence last season by necessity, Alastair Clarkson was reluctant to move the talented 24-year-old back forward.

However, against the Lions, Sicily was stationed in the forward 50 all game and reminded everyone of how dangerous he could be. He took seven marks, five inside 50, but kicked just 2.4 from seven shots at goal.

Clarkson said post-match he'd love to switch Sicily and Jack Gunston to either end of the ground depending on the day, and plight of the game.

NEW FACES

Brisbane:
All three off-season recruits had terrific first-up showings.

Lachie Neale was arguably best on ground with his 31 disposals and 10 clearances. He formed a nice combination with former Sun Jarryd Lyons who had 25 touches and kicked a nice third-quarter goal.

Lincoln McCarthy also shone across half-forward, setting up an early goal with a slick pass to Cam Rayner and kicking two of his own. He threw in eight tackles to round out a fine performance.

Hawthorn:

Rookie Will Golds made the most of his opportunity with an eye-catching display.

Against more seasoned midfield bodies, the former Oakleigh Charger never stopped working, finishing with 25 disposals, 10 of them contested.

Damon Greaves had some nice moments among his 12 touches, including a goal assist, while exciting Matthew Walker played just the second half but took a contested mark and converted from 20m out for a third-quarter goal.

Former Giant Tim Mohr was strong in defence with 17 disposals and six marks, while former top-10 draft pick Jack Scrimshaw (18 touches) looks to have improved on his two years at Gold Coast.

FANTASY WATCH

It's little surprise to those that watch closely, but Brisbane's Alex Witherden (DEF, $639,000) looks ready to cash-in on the new kick-in rules.

Witherden regularly played on following a Hawks behind and his 21 disposals before being taken off at three-quarter time suggest he's in for another bumper season.

NEXT UP

Brisbane will travel for the only time during the pre-season when it plays Melbourne at Casey Fields next Saturday at 4.10pm AEDT.

Hawthorn is on the road again, headed south to Launceston to play Richmond at University of Tasmania Stadium on Saturday night at 7.10pm AEDT.

BRISBANE        2.2       7.3       11.9     15.12 (102)
HAWTHORN     0.2       4.5       6.9       8.12 (60)

GOALS
Brisbane: Rayner 3, McStay 2, McCarthy 2, McCluggage, Hipwood, Lyons, Rich, Bastinac, Robinson, Zorko, McInerney
Hawthorn: Sicily 2, Nash 2, Ceglar, Walker, Ross, Moore

BEST 
Brisbane: Neale, Lyons, Rayner, Berry, Smith, McCarthy, Witherden
Hawthorn: Cousins, Golds, Sicily, Hanrahan, Ceglar, O'Brien 

INJURIES

Brisbane: Cameron (cramp)
Hawthorn: Mirra (ankle)  

Reports: Nil 

Umpires: Harris, Chamberlain, O'Gorman

Official crowd: 2812 at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex (Burpengary)