Brisbane have dismissed a pair of injury concerns after Will Ashcroft reaffirmed his AFL readiness in the Lions' 46-point practice match defeat of Geelong.
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Brisbane won 13.13 (91) to 6.9 (45) in Springfield on Thursday night, father-son pick Ashcroft proving sublime around the contest with 26 touches.
But the scoreboard dominance didn't tell the full story, the defending premiers missing forwards Jeremy Cameron (rested) and Tom Hawkins (foot) when they failed to kick a goal from 20 first-quarter inside 50s.
The Lions, thumped by Geelong in last season's preliminary final, had just nine forward entries but led 28-2 at the first break and then 45-15 at halftime.
Notable was the Lions' defensive transition, 18-year-old Ashcroft central as the hosts fluently launched into open spaces in the forward line.
"Early on Geelong were getting a fair bit of supply, it was pleasing to see the mids arrest that momentum, particularly from centre bounce," Brisbane assistant Cam Bruce said.
"We were losing the territory game ... but our ball movement was hurting them and the strength of Brisbane over the years has been quality ball movement."
Hipwood left the game in the third quarter with a corked thigh and a sore head after a heavy contest that led to a Brisbane goal, while Geelong's Jake Kolodjashnij soon followed him after colliding with a teammate.
Brisbane key defender Jack Payne was the other injury scare, icing his hamstring in the fourth quarter.
But Bruce told reporters post-game that both could have played on, while Geelong hadn't yet assessed Kolodjashnij's status.
Lions midfielder Josh Dunkley and new co-captain Neale both had 31 touches while fellow recruit Jack Gunston kicked the first goal of the night courtesy of a clever Ashcroft kick.
The other new Lions co-captain Harris Andrews formed the core of a solid defensive line, with Payne confident too as he attempts to fill Marcus Adams' boots this season.
Halfback Darcy Wilmot was also impressive, the 19-year-old and Ireland's former Essendon flyer Conor McKenna both lively as they fight for a round-one berth in the back six.
Mark Blicavs (gastro) was a late out, while Isaac Smith was rested by Geelong and Brisbane's Dayne Zorko (hamstring) left out as he aims for a round-one return.
Joe Daniher booted two goals while Darcy Fort and Lincoln McCarthy did the same against their old clubs. The Cats' Tyson Stengle also booted two goals.
While Ashcroft shone, Geelong left out their highly-rated draft pick Jhye Clark, while Gold Coast recruit Jack Bowes was also omitted after impressing last week.
Cats assistant Shaun Grigg said selections were based on individual preparation, confirming Cameron would be fit for round one but Hawkins remained in doubt.
"Tanner Bruhn showed again he'll be a good player for us," Grigg said.
"Sam Simpson got his go and Esava Ratugolea in the backline showed us that there's a lot to work with so we're really happy with our prep so far from the pre-season."
Australian Associated Press
