Tom Rockliff and Jack Redden’s performances would have certainly caught the eye of prospective AFL Fantasy coaches on Sunday.
Playing in a more full-time midfield role, Rockliff continued his ball-winning ways with a game-high 32 touches – 14 of which were contested. The 2011 Club Champion also took six marks and laid eight tackles to finish with 130 AFL Fantasy points.
He was superseded, however, by Redden’s game-high 142 AFL Fantasy points, made up from 28 touches, six marks, two goals, and a game-high 10 tackles.
The pair were a driving force behind the Lions’ midfield dominance.
The third ‘R’ – Daniel Rich – was a touch quieter in his first official outing for 2014, with 16 touches.
Zorko Supergoal
He might have been one of the smallest players on the field in Townsville on Sunday, but local Queenslander Dayne Zorko sure knows how to kick the big goals.
In fact, Zorko’s second quarter bomb from outside 50m earned him a unique record as the Club’s all-time leading ‘Supergoal’ scorer.
The 25-year-old now has three nine-pointers next to his name, which is more than any other Lions player in history.
But it’s not just in front of goals that he’s effective, Zorko also laid nine tackles and had an equal game-high six clearances in the Lions’ big win over the SUNS.
Foils up forward
With Jonathan Brown and Brent Staker still absent from the Lions’ forward line, Justin Leppitsch would have been pleased to see off-season recruit Luke McGuane and 19-year-old Michael Close bob up with three goals apiece.
McGuane looked to have almost cemented his spot in Round One by chiming in with three first quarter goals – the first of which was a stunning snap from the boundary.
Close also provided a focal point up forward with his first three goals in senior football.
With Leppitsch already on record as saying that he plans on playing a resting ruckman up forward in 2014, it looks like only a couple of spots remain inside the Lions’ forward 50m – with Brown, Staker, McGuane, Close, Jordan Lisle, Jonathan Freeman, Jackson Paine, Marco Paparone to battle it out for those spots.
Beams gets through unscathed
It’s been around 10 months since Claye Beams last played a game of senior football, and fans would have been thrilled to see the number ‘17’ back on the field in Townsville.
In 75% of game time, Beams collected 14 disposals and showed some of the dash that has fans salivating at the prospect of having him back on the field in 2014.
But most importantly he showed no ill effects of the injury, which will only give him more confidence ahead of what everyone hopes will be an uninterrupted season.
Harwood off half-back
After a slow start in 2013, Ryan Harwood was a revelation across half-back in the second half of last season, and looks even more comfortable in the position this year.
Harwood, who was one of the team’s better performers against Hawthorn in the team’s first NAB Challenge, seemed to lift again when surrounded by more senior teammates.
Not only did he collect 24 disposals (the equal fourth most at the Lions) but he also had a disposal efficiency of nearly 92% - which is critical at that end of the ground.
Young blood
Of the Lions’ ‘Draft Class of 2013’, James Aish, Nick Robertson and Tom Cutler earned a second senior AFL outing against the SUNS – and all showed signs of being key parts of the Club’s future.
Aish’s decision-making was a feature of his 19-disposal effort, while Cutler (nine disposals in 27% of game time) and Robertson (12 disposals, three tackles and a goal in 33% of game time) showed glimpse in limited game time.
Ruck tandem
Lions fans got their first look at the Club’s latest ruck duo when Matthew Leuenberger and Trent West lined up as teammates for the first time.
The pair dominated at ruck contests, combining for 44 hitouts – which was 20 more than the combined total from the SUNS’ two ruckmen.
