THERE wasn't much to crow about in Sunday's hiding from North Melbourne, but Jaden McGrath's courage in flying back with the flight of the ball gave Brisbane Lions supporters reason for optimism.

All 180cm and 73kg of McGrath selflessly ran back into the oncoming path of Kangaroos veteran Drew Petrie, who stands 197cm and tips the scales at 101kg.

McGrath spilled the mark as the pair collided, but in that one act, the 18-year-old showed more effort and courage than many of his more senior teammates had done in a winless opening fortnight.

"I wasn't thinking too much," McGrath told AFL.com.au.

"I saw the kick come in and I glanced really quickly and saw he was going to take an easy chest mark … it was my time to go so I didn't have much of a choice.

"That's what you've got to do. There's nothing too special about it, that's just part of footy – when it's your turn to go, you have to go."

It's a simple enough footy philosophy, and one the boy from Kerang in northern Victoria says he learnt from playing seniors at the age of 15.

"My coach was a hard bugger, so if I pulled out of a contest there was a fair chance I'd find myself on the bench or get dropped for next week," he said.

"As a young bloke wanting to hold your spot in the seniors of a pretty successful team, it was something drilled into me pretty early."

McGrath's exciting start has been a small glimmer of light in an otherwise bleak opening two rounds for the Lions.

He was cruelled by a series of injuries in 2013 and 2014 that saw him slide to the Lions at pick No.73 in last year's NAB AFL Draft.

But after McGrath's brilliant pre-season and NAB Challenge, coach Justin Leppitsch just had to pick him to start the season.

McGrath came as a small forward, and with a glut of players in that part of the ground – Josh Green, Lewy Taylor, Dayne Zorko, Allen Christensen to name a few – Leppitsch gave the youngster a new challenge and threw him in the deep end by playing in the backline.

"I haven't really had any experience there so I thought they might try me across half-back in the NEAFL and see how I went, and if I went all right, go from there, but to come in and have a crack in the AFL was a bit of surprise," he said.

"It's a good learning curve to play down back. I've played small forward most of my career, so it's good to be behind the ball for a change and set the play up a bit.

"It's an awesome opportunity."

McGrath has been energetic and creative in his first two matches and quick to make amends for any mistakes.

Although he didn't expect to play for the senior team so quickly, his attitude to training and around the club has impressed everyone.

"I've shown it doesn't matter where you get drafted, if you put our head down and bum up, anything can happen."