The Lions - who have been perennial slow starters - booted six goals to the Giants’ four to take a rare lead into quarter time.
The result remained close at half-time before an inaccurate GWS forged clear in the second half.
While happier with their start, Reserves Coach Nathan Clarke said his team was still unable to sustain their intensity for a full game.
“We’re struggling to put a full game together,” Clarke said.
“It sounds like a cliché, but we really need to put four solid quarters togethers. At the moment, we’re a bit patchy and lack consistency.”
“GWS are very young and athletic side and they were able to expose us at different times.”
“We looked vulnerable late in quarters and probably needed to consolidate a bit more. But we weren’t quick enough to read the situation, and they made us pay.”
20 year-old Lions midfielder Callum Bartlett made his welcome return to the field after spending the past 12 months in rehabilitation from a second knee reconstruction.
Although it was only his first match back, Clarke said he showed enough to suggest his latest injury won’t limit his abilities.
“Cal was really good. It’s not like he dominated the game, but he showed us everything we wanted to see,” Clarke said.
“He was really aggressive and hungry. He just loves the contest.”
“His first contest was a ripper. I was standing only five metres away from the contest and then a flash out of nowhere appeared out the corner of my eye. He went in really hard and gave away a free kick.”
“But immediately it was quite inspiring. He doesn’t look as though he’s lost that burst of speed.”
“We will probably just have to be a bit careful with him this week and hope that ‘second week syndrome’ doesn’t catch up with him. We’ll monitor him closely so he doesn’t get a niggle.”
“He probably ended up playing a bit more than we expected and I reckon he’ll be a great little find for us later in the year.”
Fellow knee victim Brent Staker got through his second game back from injury and was widely adjudged the Lions’ best.
“He was really good,” Clarke said. “For two and a half quarters, he was well and truly above that level.”
“He just showed that he’s confident again with his body.”
“He’ll be a good chance of playing seniors soon. If not this week, then he won’t be far off.”
Among the other consistent performers, Clarke said Aaron Cornelius and Amon Buchanan are doing their senior chances no harm.
“Aaron has attracted some good discussion this week. He’s just got to keep plugging away and knuckling down on some of the finer details and he won’t be far away from getting another crack at seniors.”
The Lions Reserves now sit last in the 10-team NEAFL Northern Conference competition with three wins and face Broadbeach (five wins) this Saturday at Sherwood.
“I reckon we would have to best the best last team going around,” Clarke said.
“This Saturday should be a good match against Broadbeach. We fancy ourselves against them.”
“They haven’t been travelling too well of late and if we can bottle it up, then I think we can make a real contest of it.”
