Lions skipper Jonathan Brown didn't make the trip to Darwin because of a hip injury. Simon Black was also missing, leaving Ash McGrath as the only Lions player who was part of the three-peat premiership era from 2001-2003. The generational change at the Lions is almost complete and while it is premature to speculate that there is a premiership team among the new crop, it is clear that Tom Rockliff, Jack Redden, Matthew Leuenberger, Sam Mayes and Pearce Hanley - among others - are now driving this club, and it appears in safe hands.
2. Demons spoilt for choice
Melbourne took Max Gawn and Jake Fitzpatrick into the clash with the Lions as their two big men. Jake Spencer was an emergency. Erstwhile No.1 ruckman Mark Jamar has missed the past two months with a foot injury and must be anxious to get back because Gawn, Fitzpatrick and Spencer have all shown a bit in his absence. Fitzpatrick kicked three goals in the first term as the Demons opened with all guns blazing. "The other really pleasing thing tonight is that Jack Watts also spent some time in the ruck and went quite well," said Demons coach Neil Craig. "I would say our stocks at the moment are really good, but you need plenty of them because it's a really tough position to play."
3. Deal? What deal?
Enshrined in the deal that created the Brisbane Lions in 1997 was the club would play as many away games as possible in Victoria to appease the fans of the old Fitzroy, who had seen their club wither on the vine. So Victorian-based Lions fans would hardly have been pleased with this year's fixture that saw their team play two away games against Victorian-based teams outside Melbourne. Four weeks ago it was Hawthorn at Launceston's Aurora Stadium and this time, Melbourne in Darwin. It's not quite what was expected a few years back.
4. Too much Top End footy is never enough
The curtain-raiser to Saturday night's match was a NEAFL clash between the NT Thunder and the Brisbane Lions reserves squad. And local footy fans awoke to good news on Saturday when the local paper reported on something other than crocodiles – news that the Thunder's future in the feeder league had been confirmed. The NEAFL will contract to a 14-team competition in 2014 and the Darwin-based club will be part of the action. It means 12 months a year of quality footy if you live in the top end – the Thunder and the occasional AFL clash in the winter, and the AFLNT competition in the summer.
5. They'll be back
The Demons spent five days in the Northern Territory preparing for this match and carrying out various promotional activities. And they'll be back. "We actually want to be the Northern Territory Demons up here," said Melbourne coach Neil Craig. "We have a responsibility to the region and hopefully we created some new fans tonight because of our effort."
