EYEBROWS were raised when Lions coach Justin Leppitsch opted to add Jordan Lisle as a tall defender to his back three of Daniel Merrett, Justin Clarke and Jed Adcock. Whatever the reasoning it created a clear mismatch when the Cats were on the break. Travis Varcoe lined up one-on-one with Lisle or Clarke is a match-up Chris Scott would have dreamed off.

The Dawson Simpson-Hamish McIntosh ruck partnership came in for praise last week against Adelaide but faced an even bigger test at the Gabba against one of the best ruckmen in the game in Matthew Leuenberger, who was helped by former Cat Trent West. They passed with flying colours, winning the hit-out count 55-38. Geelong’s ruck woes of 2013 now seem a long way behind them.

It is rare for Johnson to figure among the best in a match where his ball use was not at its peak and there were no trademark outrageous goals. But in difficult conditions Johnson led by example, his grunt work critical in a rounded contribution. This included an equal career-best 10 tackles and game-leading 37 disposals.

As you’d expect, Sam Mayes physically looks more the part in his second year of AFL football and his game seems to have come on just as much after a promising 2013. He scored the Lions' first goal with an instinctive snap and never looked like missing from three marks taken in the Lions' 50, finishing with four goals - equalling his best against Greater Western Sydney last year.

The Lions have shown they can compete with the best in the AFL, last week pushing Hawthorn close for three quarters and here establishing a 10-point lead and clear statistical edge midway through the second quarter. Conceding eight of the nine goals either side of half-time changed this contest, just as conceding six in eight in last week’s final quarter saw Hawthorn pull away from them.