THE BRISBANE Lions brought their best effort to Launceston on Saturday, but a series of little things stood in the way of a surprise win over Hawthorn.
Coach Chris Fagan said the Lions were up for the fight all afternoon.
"I thought we came to play and we were really competitive, but a couple of mistakes gave them goals," he said. "Hawthorn are a classy outfit and they make you pay every time."
Fagan lamented the first part of the third quarter when the Lions dominated play, but five successive forays inside 50 yielded just two behinds and one shot out of bounds.
But he was pleased that they pushed on until the end, fearful that a six-day break and back-to-back travel might take a toll on his young side.
WATCH Chris Fagan's full post-match press conference
"That's the nightmare scenario for any coach," he said. "But I thought our boys turned up today and tried their very best to get a positive result. They just weren't quite good enough today.
"We didn't have the same polish as the Hawks had."
He praised young forward Eric Hipwood who took three contested marks and finished with 2.2.
"He could have easily kicked five or six goals today."
The Lions face an anxious wait on vice-captain Tom Rockliff, who with 30 disposals and 13 tackles was their best player, only for him to suffer a dislocated shoulder inside the last few minutes.
"They were able to put it back in which was a positive, but we'll have to wait and see what the scans say," Fagan said.
Brisbane is facing serious depth issues through the midfield if Rockliff is out for an extended period. Skipper Dayne Beams, Mitch Robinson and Allen Christensen didn't play against Hawthorn and only Beams is expected back any time soon.
"Our experienced players are starting to tumble," he said.
