1. Lions midfield misfires again
Much was made over the summer about how deep, diverse and dangerous the Lions midfield had become after the club had landed premiership players Dayne Beams and Allen Christensen, but for the second week running the Lions were obliterated in the middle. Granted, they were without skipper Tom Rockliff, whose class and leadership was sorely missed, but overall they lacked their usual zip and composure. The Lions have started the season poorly, and it all starts in the middle.
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2. Kangas bounce back
North received a reality check against Adelaide in round one, and midway through the first quarter there were more alarm bells when they trailed the Lions by 11 points after conceding three successive goals. But the Kangaroos responded in a manner more befitting a team with pretensions to higher honours, piling on 16 of the next 18 goals, including the first eight in a row. They have thrashed the Lions by more than 10 goals in their past three encounters at Etihad Stadium.
3. Roos rue injuries to Wells and Dal Santo
The only negatives to emerge from the Kangaroos' demolition of the Lions were injury concerns for veteran playmakers Daniel Wells (left ankle) and Nick Dal Santo (left hamstring). Wells was substituted out of the game at half-time while Dal Santo left the field early in the third quarter, going straight up the players' race for treatment. If they are sidelined as expected, the pair will be massive losses given North faces clashes against Port Adelaide, Geelong, Hawthorn, Richmond, Essendon and Fremantle in the next six weeks. Both veteran midfielders had come under criticism for their performances against the Crows and, until hobbled, had reacted strongly. Wells might well have hurt himself late in the second term, when he produced a terrific effort to attack a hard ball and tap it out to a teammate, resulting in a goal.
4. Waite and co. too tall an order for Lions
The Roos beefed up their attack by placing young key forward Ben Brown alongside experienced duo Drew Petrie and Jarrad Waite, and they were always going to prove a handful for an undersized Lions defence missing Daniel Merrett. Waite, who went goalless last week, cashed in with an equal personal best of seven goals – just the second time he has kicked more than five majors. The 32-year-old ex-Blue moved superbly, providing both a leading and long marking option, claiming several contested grabs. Meanwhile, Brown (three) and Petrie (two) were also dangerous.
5. Thompson's temporary tweak, and a Lion's hard luck
Adding to North's early woes was an apparent injury to defensive general Scott Thompson, who hurt his left ankle in a collision with Lions big man Stefan Martin in the opening minutes. Thompson tried to shake it off before leaving the field for treatment. He returned about 10 minutes into the game and battled on manfully for the rest of the game. Thompson's direct opponent Michael Close wasn't so lucky. Midway through the first term the Lions youngster dropped a mark near the boundary and twisted his left knee in the process. Close left the field and was soon substituted out of the game.
