The scoreboard might have looked ugly on Saturday night, but coach Craig McRae gazed beyond that to see plenty of good in his young Brisbane Lions Reserves charges.

The reserves were beaten 24.16 (160) to 10.6 (66) by white-hot reigning premiers Morningside at the Gabba, a 10-goal-to-two third quarter containing most of the damage.

The Lions went into the game with just 11 listed players and 12 top ups, while Morningside were missing only class ruckman Jacob Gough and clever midfielder Ryan Holman from their best line-up.

The home side applied plenty of pressure in the opening half and were only outscored by two goals in each of the first two terms.

They could easily have capitulated after the tough third term, but fought the game out to the end.

“I gathered them together as a group after the game, thanked the top-up players for their contribution, and said ‘sometimes the scoreboard tells you that you have done poorly when the reality is that the majority of you were great’,” McRae said.

“There were only a couple who had disappointing days and as a whole there were some good signs, and I wanted them to know that.

“In saying that, we obviously can do better.”

As was the case in the 92-point loss to the NT Thunder in Darwin last week, young midfielders Jess O’Brien and Claye Beams were asked to play in the midfield without being rotated off the bench.

“To hold their own against a hardened mature QAFL side was very good,” McRae said.

The Lions best player again was Irishman Pearce Hanley, who won plenty of ball in the midfield and across half-back.

“Pearce has hit some good form and shows where we are at with our depth. He is ready for the AFL, he is just waiting for an opportunity,” McRae said.

Fellow Irishman Niall McKeever kept Morningside full-forward Shaun Mugavin to one goal.

“The defence was good in general and we’re really happy with Niall at the moment. He looks good when he gets his starting points right,” McRae said.

Ruckman Broc McAuley was also among the Lions’ best, having been a solid contributor in every game he has played this season.

The win was the Panthers’ 20th in a row and their second big victory in as many games after thumping Mt Gravatt by 88 points the previous week.

As was the case in Round 1, Morningside hardly had a passenger as they dominated all over the ground.

Morningside did not lack options, with centre-half-forward Kent Abey making up for a string of wasted opportunities the previous week by bagging five goals.

Damaging half-forward Sam Brown followed his three goals against the Vultures with a career-best six against the Lions.

Mark Kimball and Nathan Kinch enjoyed the wide open expanses of the Gabba to continue their bright start to the season, while teenager Jon Williams again impressed the coaching staff for the Panthers.

In other games, Broadbeach felt like the Lions after playing some quality football but still going down by 10 goals to Southport.

Labrador kicked 11 goals unanswered through the middle stages to keep Mt Gravatt winless from their three games, the Tigers winning by 38 points, while Aspley beat the Western Magpies by five goals after being headed midway through the third term.

Redland showed they will again be a finals contender by running away from the Thunder in the last quarter of their clash at Victoria Point, key forward Adam Mueller proving the difference with six goals.

SCOREBOARD

Morningside       4.2    9.7   19.11   24.16 (160)
Lions Reserves  2.1    5.3   7.4       10.6 (66)

GOALS - Panthers: S. Brown 6, K. Abey 5, M. Rootsey 3, A. Lucy 2, H. Wilson 2, M. Kimball 2, N. Kinch , S. Faure , P. Shelton , S. Mugavin. Lions: A. Cornelius 2, P. Hanley 2, B. McAuley , C. Beams , S. Yoshiura , D. Barry , D. Metcalf , J. Smith.

BEST - Panthers: N. Kinch, S. Brown, J. Brown, M. Kimball, A. Lucy, A. Rogers. Lions: P. Hanley, M. Austin, A. Cornelius, B. McAuley, C. Beams, J. O’Brien.