We take a look at five things we learned from Saturday’s loss to North Melbourne at the Gabba.
1. When you have opportunities to hurt the opposition on the scoreboard, you’ve got to take them. The Lions took only six marks from 33 inside 50 entries on Saturday night. There was a period in the second quarter when the Lions controlled play but didn’t capitalise (kicking 3.3) and that helped keep North Melbourne in charge.
2. Mitch Robinson (10 tackles) flew the flag for the Lions on a disappointing night. He spent several minutes off the ground, first with a leg injury, and then was treated for a head knock, yet still collected five contested possessions from beneath various packs.
3. Rohan Bewick was a late inclusion and was a solid contributor with two goals and six marks. The 25-year-old is in his fifth season at the club and while his athleticism, strength over head and skill are obvious, he’s struggled for a regular call-up in his 75 games. With his contract up at season’s end, Bewick, did no harm to proving his spot in the Lions’ line-up.
4. The athletic big man, Stefan Martin, was again influential with the Lions’ opening goal. He took 8 marks, had 23 possessions and 23 hit outs.
5. For a 20-year old in just his second season, last year’s NAB Rising Star Lewis Taylor’s competitive spirit cannot be denied. Taylor had 28-possessions on a tough night for the Lions.