Two goals, little impact, but a whole lot of relief.

That was the sum total of Brendan Fevola's return to Carlton with new AFL club Brisbane - the Blues coming up trumps over the star player they traded with a 13-point win in their practice match at Princes Park on Friday.

Fevola, shipped out of Carlton following his now-infamous drunken antics at the Brownlow Medal, was generally kept quiet by Blues defender Michael Jamison in the Lions' 14.9 (93) to 12.8 (80) defeat.

The star forward kicked a wayward 2.3 from six scoring shots to a mix of boos and cheers from a 10,000-strong crowd who used to idolise him.

But the boos got louder, stronger and dominant as the game went on and swung in the balance, with Carlton eventually taking control in the final term.

Fevola was warmly greeted by teammates after the match, though he was treated like just another opponent by the Blues during the game, with no emotion rearing its head.

But Fevola, who did also manage a crunching second quarter tackle on Blues skipper Chris Judd, admitted to some rare nerves ahead of one of the most eagerly awaited pre-season matches in years.

"It's good to come back to Melbourne and get it out of the way before round two (when the two clubs meet in the home-and-away season)," Fevola said.

"I had the yips a bit there, but these games are for warming up. I had about six scoring shots and only kicked two.

"I was a little bit nervous before the game this morning but once I got out there it was just another game.

"I sat in front of my old locker - they ripped my number off the locker too - but it was just like being back home.

"Once you cross that line, it doesn't matter. You play footy, and once you're out there, it's all good.

Carlton coach Brett Ratten said no real attention was given in the lead-up to Fevola's return, preferring to concentrate on improving from a lack-lustre NAB Cup defeat to Sydney the previous week.

"It was just another game to us - I think the way we played last week we were just worried about our backyard," Ratten said.

"I thought Jamison did a great job and our back six or seven did a fantastic job."

Carlton small forward Eddie Betts guided his side to victory, with three goals and an impressive four-quarter performance.

Fevola's forward line partner Jonathan Brown starred for the Lions with three goals.

Brisbane's win was tempered by another injury to luckless ruckman Jamie Charman.

After missing most of last year with a serious ankle injury, Charman went down early in the second quarter with another ankle problem and did not re-appear.

But Lions coach Michael Voss said the injury was not to the same ankle as the one reconstructed last year, and appeared at the "minor end of the scale".

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