The Lions showed little of the fight and system of the previous week, being fortunate to finish within 19 points of the injury-stricken Tigers.
The game was effectively over as a contest at quarter-time when the Tigers led by 30 points.
“We conceded 13 scoring shots to two in the first quarter - you can’t expect to win a game with a performance like that,” said coach Nathan Clarke. “The only two reasons we fought back were because of Labrador’s inaccuracy and the injuries they received.
“I didn’t come away proud of their effort like I did last week."
“Watching them warm up there was not quite the energy of the week before and I feared some kind of backlash was coming, and sure enough…”
Labrador kicked with the aid of a strong breeze in the first quarter and the Lions struggled to adapt.
Whereas last week at Morningside they were mostly measured and clinical with bringing the ball forward, the young Lions rushed everything early and turned the ball over.
“Then we didn’t make the most of it in the second quarter,” Clarke lamented of his side being outscored two goals to one.
“We were reckless with our ball movement and had no presentation across half-forward apart from Bryce Retzlaff.”
Former Labrador junior Retzlaff kicked four of his side’s eight goals in his second solid performance of the NEAFL season.
The Lions matched their opponents through the third term as the Labrador injury toll mounted, with half-back James Slattery tearing a hamstring and former Lions star Tim Notting wrecking his knee.
Tenacious Lions midfielder Ryan Harwood worked hard in the heavy going throughout, while James Hawksley tried to generate some run from a wing and half-back.
Ruckman Broc McCauley returned to the reserves after one game at senior level and was solid in the second half after a quiet start to the game.
It meant the score finished a respectable 10.17 (77) to 8.10 (58) and there were some positives for the team.
Young draftee Brad Harvey was given the big job on Notting and did well to restrict him to two goals until his opponent was hurt, while Josh Green was solid again, and Don Barry was lively.
The Lions have a bye in the NEAFL this weekend to coincide with the senior team’s bye, then host Southport at Sherwood on Saturday week.
Former Lion Rhan Hooper was quiet in his senior debut for Broadbeach on Saturday as the Cats kicked five goals in the last 10 minutes of the game to erase a 16-point deficit.
The NT Thunder also finished with a flourish, booting 4.5 to nil in the last quarter to scrape past the Gold Coast Suns Reserves by nine points in a Darwin monsoon.
Another ex-Lion Albert Proud starred in Mt Gravatt’s 26-point win over Southport, with the Cats, Labrador, Thunder and Vultures all unbeaten with two wins.
Scott Clouston was a standout in Redland’s stunning 57-point win over Morningside at Victoria Point, the Bombers first win over the Panthers in nine years.
