The Brisbane Lions have made a flying start to their campaign for a miaden AFLW title with a comprehensive 29-point win over Richmond at the Swinburne Centre.
The Lions, twice losing grand finalists, are off and running towards that elusive flag after downing the Tigers 5.11 (41) to 1.6 (12).
Even a parochial COVID-capacity crowd and the historic significance of games back at the Tigers' traditional home couldn't fire the hosts to match the better-organised Queenslanders.
Winless after six home and away games in their debut AFLW season, the Tigers were desperate to break that duck, this time under new coach Ryan Ferguson.
But they fell away up forward again with No.1 draft pick Ellie McKenzie's 12 possessions debut one of the positives.
Facing a 20-point deficit but with last use of a steady breeze, the Tigers needed an early goal to spark a fightback.
But it was the Lions who found the decisive goal, the first to the southern end for the game.
Dakota Davidson marked on the lead and converted from 25m to leave the home team out of time and options.
Skipper Katie Brennan had two chances to be the hero and kick Richmond's first AFLW goal at their spiritual home.
She was offline from 25m after a strong contested mark and the second shot from another mark was right on target, only to be ruled touched off the boot.
It was left to fellow forward Courtney Wakefield to earn the bragging rights when she pounced on a loose ball midway through the second quarter.
Brisbane made good use of the stiff southerly breeze in the opening term and set up an early scoreboard buffer when Greta Bodey goalled after a free kick and first-gamer Courtney Hodder utilised her breakaway pace to goal on the run.
After a succession of disrupted off-seasons, the Lions have quietly gone about their business this summer, enjoying a stable list for the first time with the temporary halt to club expansion.
They retained 26 of the 30 players from 2020, adding young tall forward Taylor Smith from Gold Coast to an attack based around tall target Jessie Wardlaw and dangerous newcomer Hodder.
It was Richmond's first elite-level game at the Punt Road Oval since 1964.
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