Canberra Demons skipper Aaron Bruce relished being a part of the NEAFL's Good Friday fixture and all he would change is one thing - the result.
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Bruce admits the Demons will take a number of weeks to gel following a 17.13 (115) to 7.11 (53) loss to the Southport Sharks in an historic NEAFL clash at Margaret Donoghoe Oval on Friday.
The NEAFL broke new ground on Friday with the competition's first Good Friday game, following the lead of the AFL, which strayed away from tradition to hold a game on the holiday for the first time last year.
The Demons fell one game short of the finals last season and Bruce hopes Canberra can take the next step, but he knows things won't just fall into place following a tough initiation.
"It's certainly not the result we were after, we certainly weren't happy with our performance," Bruce said.
"We certainly took some positives, we had some really good patches of play, and we played uncharacteristically poor for what we know we can pull together.
"You've got to take your medicine, and rock up and have another go at it next week.
"You never know until you come under the full intensity and pressure of a NEAFL game how things are going to gel. That's certainly part of the new guys coming together with our existing group and getting hat synergy together.
"Hopefully it doesn't take too long, but being realistic it will take a number of games to get that right."
The Demons have bolstered their list with the inclusion of several GWS Giants and Sydney Swans academy graduates, with seven players - Alex Paech, Jacob Conlan, Angus Baker, Harry Carr, Nathan Richards, Nathan Oakes and Jack Nunn - making their club debut on Friday.
The Demons were right in the hunt at the first break, but things quickly went south for the hosts against a Sharks outfit desperate to make a statement with 15 new faces in tow.
The Sharks pressured the Demons into submission, dominating on the run and spread as they began the last quarter with a 57-point buffer, which was always going to be a bridge too far for Canberra.
Alex Smout shone with 28 disposals and a goal as the Demons struggled to adapt to life without star midfielder Jordan Harper, who has joined North Melbourne in the VFL.
The Demons-Sharks fixture was brought forward from round two and served as the lone game of the opening weekend, with every other team to open their NEAFL campaigns next weekend in round one.
"It was a bit different, I'd certainly never played on Good Friday before," Bruce said.
"The fact of it is there is not much to do around town so we ended up with a really good crowd and a lot of friends, family and supporters were able to make it out.
"I don't know if we'd necessarily need to own it but it was certainly an interesting day and we certainly enjoyed it, having a really good crowd on hand."
AT A GLANCE
NEAFL round one
CANBERRA DEMONS 2.2 4.5 6.8 7.11 (53)
SOUTHPORT SHARKS 3.6 9.10 15.11 17.13 (115)
Canberra goals: B Fulford 2, A Bruce, M Hardie, A Smout, A Swan, N Richards
Southport goals: M Johnson 3, M Manteit 2, B Payne 2, R Clements 2, T Wilkinson, B Murdoch, F Thurlow, W Hancock, D Fyfe, C Ford, L Dale, E Reeves
