The Suns seconds’ accurate goal-kicking, rebounding efficiency and run and carry game plan were the catalysts for their 14.9 (93) to 11.11 (77) triumph.
The Lions cubs were left to rue crucial missed shots on goal and occasional ill discipline, which cruelled their chances of victory.
Cheynee Stiller, who was impressive in a sweeping role across half-back, cited a lack of fluid ball movement as an area to improve on.
“A few costly errors and discipline - giving away a few 50 metre penalties - ended up costing us the game, but I think ball movement is something we need to work on as well," Stiller said.
“We defended well, but we’ve got to take a few more risks with moving the ball; at times we were spreading sideways without getting any real thrust forward.”
Suns full forward Charlie Dixon looked set for a day out when he bagged the opening two majors within the first five minutes, but was held goalless for the rest of the game.
Josh Green kicked a couple in quick succession to even things up, before the Lions finished strong in the back end of the first quarter to hold sway by a goal at the first change.
The start of the second stanza was an arm wrestle in every sense; neither team could gain the upper hand, and Billy Longer and Dixon had a heated grapple and exchanged some choice words.
It was the Suns who broke the shackles and wrested the ascendancy back from the home team, with Alik Magin kicking truly twice in the space of ten minutes.
Liam Patrick, resplendent in fluoro green boots, snapped another, before brilliant finishes from Rory Thompson and whiz-kid Jaeger O’Meara blew out the visitor’s lead to four goals at the main break.
O’Meara copped a heavy knock at the start of the second half and played no further part, but it didn’t stop his team increasing their lead just after half-time through Tom Nicholls.
The Suns piled on two more majors before Lions Captain Bryce Retzlaff kicked the first of his four goals after a pinpoint Richard Newell pass.
The heavily-tattooed #8 then buoyed his troops when he slotted a long-range set shot from the boundary as the siren sounded to cut the deficit to 28 points at the last change.
Elliot Yeo shaved the woodwork at the beginning of the final quarter before Retzlaff was gifted another six-pointer after Suns defender Tom Hickey kicked straight down his throat ten metres out.
The skipper continued his second half purple patch by spotting up Jordan Lisle in the pocket, who checksided through the goal of the day from the fence to give his team a sniff.
Brad Harvey snuck through another from 35 metres after a pearler of a Josh Green pass, before the Suns steadied to ultimately kill off any chance of a Lions victory.
The skipper bent one more through with the breeze late, but time proved the fast-finishing Lions’ enemy as the away team held on to win.
James Hawksley, who amassed 24 disposals in a solid showing, took solace from the strong last quarter effort, particularly after a fortnight on the road.
“I don’t think the travel had too much of any effect on the boys in the end,"Hawksley said.
“Although it is tough coming off two weeks away from home, we prepared really well for this game so freshness wasn’t an issue."
“We ran the game out great; we finished stronger than them so that’s a really pleasing sign that the conditioning and motivation is there.”
More pleasing signs for coach Nathan Clarke would’ve been the performances of Billy Longer, Josh Green and Patrick Karnezis.
Longer won the majority of the hitouts, plucked several contested grabs, and was the dominant physical presence on the ground.
Green spent time up forward and collected three goals and 19 touches to continue his solid start to the season, while Karnezis looked good in the first half before he was subbed off as an emergency for the seniors clash.
For the winning side, Joel Wilkinson had a dashing game in defence, ex-Saint Andrew McQualter led from the front, Liam Patrick was lively up forward and prodigious talent Jaeger O’Meara showed his class whenever he got near the footy in the first half.
The Lions reserves will be looking to bounce back from the narrow defeat when they take on Morningside away from home next Sunday.
Hawksley has no doubt his line up will be primed for the challenge.
“Morningside at Morningside is always tough. We’ll have to do all the right things with recovery, take stock of the loss today, and we’ll be in the right frame of mind for next week.”
