ROUND 3 at Ikon Park saw the Game Changers suffer their first loss of AFLW 2.0, falling short against a hungry Brisbane Lions outfit by 22 points on Saturday night.
Met with perfect weather conditions, the Blues struggled early to make a scoreboard impact and headed into half-time goalless.
The midfielders tussled hard in a competitive affair, while the defence stood strong in the absence of captain Bri Davey, but the Blues ultimately faded away in the final term as Brisbane took control.
We dissect the top-five player stats from the Blues’ first-ever loss at Ikon Park:
MADDISON GAY
Game-high 6 clearances
The former netballer seemed to be everywhere around the stoppages last night, playing a pivotal role in a congested midfield battle.
Six clearances, along with 227m gained in a losing effort underlined her impact to the Blues’ engine room in what was the 21-year-old's breakout game.
️ | Midfielder Maddi Gay caught up with Carlton Media after her strong performance against the Lions: https://t.co/4P6c4q8GCI#AFLWBluesLions #BoundByBlue pic.twitter.com/HVNxLWYgHN
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) February 17, 2018
SHAE AUDLEY
Game-high 21 pressure acts
The primary school teacher finds herself in the top stats for the third consecutive week. The pressure machine was at it once again with 21 pressure acts and 10 tackles, while her 90 per cent disposal efficiency was a standout in an error-ridden performance from the Blues.
NICOLA STEVENS
Game-high 4 intercept marks
The former Magpie continues to justify her recruitment, producing another quality display in the navy blue.
The 24-year-old stood strong with a game-high four intercept marks and worked hard defensively to assist bringing the Game Changers back to within one goal early in the final term.
KERRYN HARRINGTON
Team-high 8 contested possessions
The former basketballer attacked ruthlessly in the midfield, producing her finest game for the club.
Eight contested possessions and nine pressure acts emphasise the grunt she offers the Blues in the engine room.
SARAH HOSKING
Team-high 2 score assists
On a night where the Blues were well beaten for inside 50s, the stand-in captain's gut-running on the counter got the Game Changers back into the match. Two score assists - one resulting in the last-quarter goal to Darcy Vescio - provided the spark the Blues’ needed, but to no avail.