ONCE again, we start with the premise that this is still the heart of the pre-season competition, it is autumn in name only and the second JLT Community Series game is often the loopiest of them all, but there was a bit to like about the Brisbane Lions on Thursday night.

The team that leaked goals like a sieve in 2016 – this was the first on-field aspect that new coach Chris Fagan was keen to address – conceded just seven goals to the Western Bulldogs.

Yes, this was a Bulldogs outfit containing just nine premiership players from last season, but the Lions were much better defensively across the ground. How hard midfielders and forwards are prepared to work when they don't have the ball is an indicator of a team's mindset and on that front, Fagan should be pleased. 

The Lions figure in nobody's top-eight calculations for this year. They are coming from miles behind. But one senior AFL coach told AFL.com.au this summer that there is "low-hanging fruit" this year in Brisbane and believes there is scope for rapid improvement.

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Having new skipper Dayne Beams back in the side helps considerably and having Tom Rockliff re-energised and re-engaged is another bonus. What the Lions also have are some nicely developing talls at both ends.

Key defender Harris Andrews has just turned 20 but is in the leadership group, while at the other end, Eric Hipwood, Michael Close, Jonathan Freeman and Daniel McStay have, at various stages, shown a bit. Hipwood was particularly lively the other night.

They were baby steps for the Lions, who are so early into their journey that they're not even sure what signifies real progress for the year. But you'd hazard a guess that coming to Melbourne and knocking off the Bulldogs, even at half-strength, even at the beginning of March, is a start.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice… 

The pre-season draw presented Carlton with some challenges, not the least of which was the looming game three in Perth, only six days after Saturday's clash with St Kilda. It could be fairly argued it was prudent of the Blues to rest the likes of Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs, Matthew Kreuzer, Kade Simpson and Sam Docherty and to ease Patrick Cripps back into competitive footy with half a game.

Then again, the Saints clash was at the old Princes Park and there was a clamour for the Blues to pick a strong team and make for a competitive game at what was for a long time their famous and feared home ground.

The Blues were hammered by Essendon by 10 goals in their 2016 game at Ikon Park, around which there was all sorts of hype and excitement, leading to more than 18,000 fans rocking up only to be largely disappointed if they were of navy persuasion. 

But credit the Carlton supporters this time around. A quick glance at the selected squad led to them staying away in droves and this clash with the Saints was played in front of banks of empty seats. On a gorgeous 30-degree Saturday afternoon as their team crashed to a 92-point defeat, they quite rightly decided that the football season could wait three more weeks.  

Dejected Blues players leave the field after the loss to St Kilda. Picture: AFL Photos

Saints alive

Seven goals to Josh Bruce and 12 marks to Paddy McCartin were among several highlights for St Kilda and made for a pleasing afternoon for stand-in coach Aaron Hamill at the venue where he cut his AFL teeth before his transformative move to St Kilda. 

A bit like Melbourne, the Saints are approaching this pre-season with serious intent and the match-up between the two clubs on the Saturday of round one is looking juicier by the day.

However, both clubs will finally hit the road for final round of the pre-season and for both it will be instructive. Melbourne's improving midfield will face a big test against West Coast (Hawk fans might want to avert their eyes as Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis go head-to-head for the first time), while St Kilda closes out the summer against Sydney at Lavington on Sunday evening.

For all their improvement last year, the Saints suffered some awful hidings outside Victoria and while Lavington isn't exactly the big smoke, they will be keen to acquit themselves well in unfamiliar surrounds. Coach Alan Richardson is implanting some tweaks to their travel routine this year and Sunday evening is a chance to see how it all unfolds.

Get off the grass 

Etihad Stadium has come up a treat during the pre-season, but as you read this, it is being converted back into concert mode for upcoming Justin Bieber and Adele gigs.

The last of the Adele concerts is on March 19 and if you look at the seating plan from what is reportedly a fabulous show, pretty much every inch of the playing surface is being used for what is being billed as an 'in the round' performance.

She opened her Australian tour on February 28 at Domain Stadium and such was the toll that there has been talk that Thursday's Eagles-Melbourne clash may be moved elsewhere because the surface will not be ready in time.

And that's with 10 days to turn it around. The Etihad staff have half that time to get their ground ready for two opening-round matches and while they will doubtless get there, we're not sure how good it will be on the eye.

Of course, these events will have been pencilled in well before the AFL purchased the venue last November and while the League has ambitious plans for Etihad to ultimately become a 365-days-per-year sports and entertainment venue, expect the playing surface to remain sacrosanct in the lead-up to the start of the football season.

It is also interesting to note that by contrast, the cricket pitches were removed from the MCG a fortnight ago and that venue will have been lying fallow for more than a month before the opening bounce of the ball.

Some other observations

1. It was hard to draw too many conclusions from the Giants-Swans game played in absolute muck on Friday night but before the conditions turned too bad and the ball was still relatively dry, Lance Franklin in his first game after shoulder surgery (and his wedding!) looked in excellent touch with two goals, some quality touches and a bump that should not make it out of Monday morning's Match Review panel deliberations. You can't help but wonder what might have happened had the big 'Bud' not been hobbled for most of last year's Grand Final.

Lance Franklin looked in excellent touch against the Giants. Picture: AFL Photos

2. It is all well and good to eliminate the third-man up rule, a summer development that his column cautiously supports. But if, as happened in the Adelaide-Geelong game, the boundary umpire's throw falls short and the ball scones an unsuspecting player waiting to rove a boundary throw-in, then the call should be play-on rather than a free kick against that player. Either that or recall the throw. Some fine-tuning and clear thinking is needed.

3. Lots of water-cooler discussion this summer about how long the Harry Taylor-to-the-forward-line experiment will last at Geelong. Some say coach Chris Scott is committed for the long term, while others believe a switch back to defence might come as soon half-time of the season opener if need be. Against the Crows on Sunday, he was deployed as a defender into the wind and as a forward when the Cats had the wind behind them. So we're no closer to knowing exactly what Scott is planning, although match-ups, conditions and state of the game will all come into play. Taylor is a super player and the move makes all sorts of sense, but in the ideal world the Cats will keep their opponents guessing every week.

4. Plaudits to Dockers and Pies for an entertaining clash in Mandurah late Saturday afternoon. Pleasing for the Dockers was the slashing form of the Hill brothers. Stephen had 29 disposals and Bradley 21 after a poor reaction to an ice bath hindered him the week before. The Dockers were stodgy through the midfield all last season, but had more zip on the weekend. And if kicking the match-winning goal after the siren is the stuff of boyhood dreams, what do you call such a kick to win a pre-season game? Ask Ed Langdon.

5. What Richmond and Port Adelaide showed us on Sunday at Mount Gambier were some of the fresh faces that both clubs will need to generate optimism and excitement for the season ahead. For the Tigers, Dan Butler is edging closer to a senior debut and the energetic Jason Castagna looms as a player they just need to find a place for at senior level. For Port, first-round draft pick (and man-child) Sam Powell-Pepper is ready to go at AFL level while Joe Atley (brother of North's Shaun) also adds something to the mix. But you don't want to be losing Jasper Pittard to a hamstring strain this close to the start of the season.