Highlights were rare but AFL star Lance Franklin ensured a win-less Hawthorn were the talking point of the pre-season cup first round at Metricon Stadium on Saturday night.

The Brisbane Lions gatecrashed the Gold Coast’s party, backing up from a 21-point thumping of Hawthorn with a 2.6.3 (57) to 0.3.6 (24) win over the Suns in front of almost 8,000 fans.

The Hawks also turned heads – for all the wrong reasons.

On a night to forget for the visitors, Hawthorn could not back up from their one-point defeat at the hands of the Suns and crashed 0.4.8 (32) to 0.1.5 (11) to the Lions.

Clarkson may not want to sift through the game tape of either match.

But Franklin’s high hit on Suns midfielder Matt Shaw in the second half of their opening NAB Cup clash will no doubt come under close scrutiny.

If Clarkson was nervous about the Franklin incident, he hid it well.

“I didn’t see it mate so I couldn’t tell you,” he said.

“He (Franklin) competed hard. He was a bit scratchy with the ball from time to time.

“It wasn’t a game conducive to tall players. Both games were error-ridden.

“It was nearly like wet weather footy tonight.”

Hawthorn ran out of legs in their second clash against a Lions line-up without the likes of co-captains Jonathan Brown and Jed Adcock, Simon Black, Matthew Leuenberger and Brent Staker.

Hawthorn led 0.1.3 (9) to 0.0.3 (3) at halftime but were over-run by a Lions side led by Josh Green, Brent Moloney (both 11 touches) and Dayne Zorko (two goals).

Earlier, utility Luke Russell was the hero for the Suns when his behind after the full-time siren sealed a dramatic 0.4.6 (30) to 0.4.5 (29) victory over Hawthorn in the opening round robin clash.

Besides Franklin’s high shot, Hawthorn – without the likes of captain Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell and midfielder Brad Sewell on the Gold Coast – received another scare when Paul Puopolo was helped off the ground late in the clash with a jarred knee.

“I think he’s okay. He’s walking around,” Clarkson said of Puopolo.