Blake Acres has arrived, ladies and gentlemen.
The 22-year-old was prolific against the Lions, finishing with 30 possessions while operating at an outstanding 83.3 per cent disposal efficiency.
Talking points: Round 1
It’s a sign of things to come for the young midfielder, who is starting to find on-ball minutes after a second consecutive full pre-season.
“I’m feeling really good,” Acres told saints.com.au post-match.
“I get a lot of confidence from my teammates. When they’re telling me they love what I’m doing, I’m able to just go out and play.
“I don’t have to worry about much more than what works for me and how I can help the team.”
While his flashy skills were on show through a one-handed mark and tight goal from the boundary, it was the little things that stood out for all to see.
A momentous smother on Mitch Robinson created an opportunity out of nothing, allowing space for Jack Billings to find debutant Hunter Clark in the goal square for his first goal in AFL football.
With the game in the balance, Acres praised the work of onballer Jack Steven who broke the game open in the third term with two quick goals in an electric 90 seconds.
“When Jack was able to kick those and give us the lead again, our younger guys thrived off that,” Acres said.
“We knew the pressure was going to be on, and (Brisbane) brought it.
“We said it might not happen in the first or second quarter, but we’ll eventually break them – which we did late in the game and got the win.”
Steven back to his best
Speaking to media on Monday, Jarryn Geary backed Acres to continue to deliver.
"He's a promising player, no doubt. He's got some great tricks, he's a really good size, he's quick enough and he seems to get away with a lot of things that other players can't," Geary said.
"I think he can be a really important player for us going forward."
The Saints will now turn their attention to Good Friday’s ‘Kick for the Kids’ clash against the Kangaroos.
“It’s a massive game next week,” Acres said.
“Good Friday’s a great cause and we want to put out best effort forward.
“We’ll recover, review the game on Monday and really focus on North. Give ourselves the best opportunity to go 2-0 on the season.”
Enjoy Good Friday footy and contribute $10 towards the RCH Good Friday Appeal by purchasing our special 'Kick for the Kids' 3-game home and away membership.
Available now on the Saints membership site.
