Last weekend Navarre Grasshoppers travelled to Great Western to pull the boots back on after a long off season.

Great Western finished the game on top, but both clubs were the better for their first hit out.

The Lions had more structure to their game plan with specific situations and ideas that they wanted to execute.

"We certainly had a game plan with a couple of things we wanted to try," Great Western senior coach Nick Thomas said.

"A couple of those ideas worked and a couple didn't, but overall we are pretty happy with how everything went. It wasn't too bad at all."

Both clubs agreed that the first practice match is always a bit scrappy, but it was more about getting their hands on the football and getting some match fitness under their belt.

"You can't really teach match fitness so that is why these practice games are important," Thomas said.

Tom McCord and Josh McCartney showed a lot of promise in the back line for the Lions while Joel Freeland proved he still has what it takes up forward.

For Navarre it was the young up and coming players who surprised senior coach Daniel Parkin the most.

"Hayden Thompson and James Murray were really impressive for us," he said.

"They're still eligible to play junior footy, but with how they played on the weekend they would be unlucky not to get a run in the seniors throughout the year."

Parkin also made mention of Lachlan Slorach and Tyler McSparron who played well on the weekend and didn't look to have taken a backward step over the summer.

Other juniors who played well were Cody Driscoll and Josh Folkes.

The juniors were given the opportunity to play some senior football with only 10 of their 22 premiership players available.

"It was really great to see all the juniors playing, the longer the game went on, we got younger and younger and they held their own," Parkin said.

There were no serious injuries on the day, but Thomas did make mention of Ben Iseppi who has some rib bruising and Ben Hustler who was having trouble with a heel/achilles injury.

Navarre will now set their sights on their second match against Beaufort, while Great Western will take on Royal Park this weekend.