The Brisbane Lions may have dropped the four points for the second week running in their 3.3 (21) to 9.6 (60) loss to Melbourne on the weekend yet despite the result, plenty can be taken away from the clash.

The Lions’ side, who boats the youngest average age of any side in the AFL Women’s competition, beat the Demons in a number of statistical areas.

For the second straight week, Brisbane produced 65 tackles throughout the game, bettering that of Melbourne’s tally of 43.

The charge was led by midfield duo Nat Exon and Jordan Zanchetta who led all-comers with six tackles apiece, while six Lions produced tackle figures of five or higher.

Across the opening three rounds of the season, Zanchetta has made a niche as the team’s enforcer, laying the most number of tackles for the team so far with 19.

Against the Demons, perhaps the biggest win was in the ruck where first-year Lion Lauren Bella shone well beyond her youthful 18-years.

Bella faced the daunting challenge of opposing Melbourne’s Lauren Pearce, who is among the AFLW’s most competitive ruck and leads the competition for hit-outs to advantage.

But it was Bella who took the chocolates on Sunday afternoon, bettering her opponent in the hit-outs 17-15, the second-most of any player in Round 3, as the Lions won the hit-outs 27-26.

It was in the centre though were Bella was easily able to assert her dominance, winning nine of ten centre bounce hit-outs against Pearce.

The Lion ruck duo of Bella and Jesse Wardlaw provided the team’s midfielders with ample opportunities to push the ball inside 50.

While the Lions lost both the clearances and inside 50s to the Demons albeit marginally, two of the home side’s three goals came via centre bounce clearances.

Much of the midfield drive came via Ally Anderson, who continued in what could be an All Australian calibre season.

The 22-year-old collected another 21 disposals and seven clearances in the contest.

Anderson’s midfield partner Exon also could push for All Australian selection as the only player in the competition to rank in the top ten for inside 50s, tackles and goals.

Perhaps the quirkiest statistic from Round 3 though came from Zanchetta, who has quietly become the competition’s most efficient ball user.

The sophomore Lion ran at 100 percent disposal efficiency against the Demons despite two-thirds of her possessions coming in contested situations.

Zanchetta's perfect outing was her third of the season meaning she is yet to record and ineffective disposal in three games thus far.

Despite losses in both Round 2 and 3 of 2019, Brisbane continue to show signs of improvement in the stats column.

Comparing the first three rounds of last season to this, the Lions have seen improvement across the areas of hit-outs (+12) and clearances (+11).