Highly-rated draft prospect Harley Reid has backed up his VFL debut with a promising second appearance for Carlton's reserves on Saturday.
Reid featured in Carlton's five-point loss to Footscray last weekend and managed to retain a spot in Luke Power's side, switching from midfield to a more defensive role against Brisbane.
While Reid was unable to chalk up his first win in the second-tier competition, his effort and numbers were enough to impress onlookers as he flexed his two-way nature across half-back.
Reid recorded 20 disposals, eight marks, eight tackles and five inside 50s for the game, with the latter two metrics being the highest among all Blues players in the loss.
The Tongala junior offered penetrating ball movement from defence and even stood tall with a high-flying intercept grab late into the close encounter against the Lions.
While a couple of costly turnovers might've marred Reid's third quarter, the teenager showed more than enough glimpses of his ability to compete against experienced talent in the VFL.
Reid recorded 13 disposals, three tackles and two clearances against the Bulldogs last week and might've been considered for a third-straight appearance if the Blues weren't scheduled for a bye in Round 8.
The exciting and powerful draft prospect will likely make his return to the field on May 21 when the Coates Talent League returns, with the Bendigo Pioneers fixtured to face the Geelong Falcons at home in their return from a month-long break.
Successive losses for Carlton's VFL squad will see them fall further on the ladder, now placed with a 3-4 record heading into their first break.
Dropped forward Zac Fisher responded to his demotion from the senior side with 28 possessions against the Lions, while Paddy Dow, Matt Owies, Matt Cottrell and Domanic Akuei were all among the Blues' best in the narrow defeat.
Darcy Fort, Deven Robertson and Rhys Mathieson led the way for Brisbane through difficult conditions, with the match ending with seven consecutive behinds before the final siren.
The win for Brisbane sees the Queensland club reclaim their place atop the ladder for the time being, with a clash against Essendon to follow next week back in Springfield.