A young Dees side has fallen short at Casey Fields, going down to the Lions by 38 points.
The Dees entered the clash without a number of experienced and in-form players, who were called up to AFL level, leaving a youthful side to take on a strong Lions outfit.
The Dees only trailed the inside 50 count by four but unlike the Dees, the Lions made the most of their opportunities with polished ball movement, clean forward entries and accurate finishing in front of goal.
The Dees battled hard throughout the contest but were unable to generate enough consistent passages of play, with the Lions’ pressure making it difficult to find rhythm with ball in hand.
There were moments where the home side showed promising signs, particularly through their effort around the contest, but they were unable to sustain momentum for long enough to close the gap.
The bright spot of the day came through the club’s three debutants, who each pulled on the jumper for their first VFL appearance. Tairon Ahu-Mu led the way with an impressive performance, finishing with three goals while also taking on some responsibility in the ruck. Fellow first-gamers Sam Hoghton and Louis Hodder also had their moments, each hitting the scoreboard to cap off memorable debuts.
Tom Matthews was lively throughout the afternoon, providing energy in attack and pressure around the ball. He finished with five inside 50s, five tackles and a goal in an encouraging display.
Tom McDonald stood tall in defence and across the ground, using his experience to intercept strongly and provide a steady presence behind the ball. He collected 23 disposals, 10 intercept possessions and eight marks.
Jack Henderson battled hard through the midfield, leading the way at the contest with 12 contested possessions to go with 26 disposals, seven clearances and seven tackles in a tireless performance.
Ricky Mentha produced his best game in defence this season, using the ball cleanly at 100 per cent disposal efficiency. Alongside Andy Moniz-Wakefield, the pair worked hard to generate attacking drive from the back half.
In his first game back after battling glandular fever, Kalani White competed strongly while spending time in the ruck. He impressed with his work in the contest and clean handballs in tight spaces.
Jesse Craven and Riley Bonner were among the best of the Casey-listed players, using their experience and composure to help the Dees move the ball and stay in the fight throughout the day.
While the result was disappointing, the performance provided valuable experience for the Casey side, who will look to respond strongly in their next outing.
CASEY DEMONS 0.4 4.7 9.7 13.9 (87)
BRISBANE LIONS 5.2 11.2 17.4 20.5 (125)
GOALS
Casey Demons: Cheffers (3), Ah-Mu (3), Stanley (1), Scapin (1), Matthews (1), Kentfield (1), Hoghton (1), Hodder (1), Craven (1)
Brisbane Lions: McLachlan (4), McKenna (4), Torrent (2), Fazldeen (2), Abberley (2), Moore (1), McCarthy (1), Hayes (1), Dunkley (1), Curtin (1), Beecken (1)
DISPOSALS
Casey Demons: Bonner (29), Henderson (26), Moniz-Wakefield (23), McDonald (23)
Brisbane Lions: Joyce (33), Torrent (30), Marshall (28), Beecken (23)
