- Jul 28, 2021
- 61
- 122
- AFL Club
- Brisbane Lions
Sunday, April 14th Metricon Stadium @ 4:10 PM Brisbane Time
Gold Coast Suns (12th, 2-3) vs. Brisbane Lions (3rd, 4-1)
QClash XXII
Metricon Stadium
Sunday, April 14th
4:10pm
MATCH PREVIEW
‘Recognition’… Recognition is defined as the “acknowledgement of something’s validity”. On paper, Sunday’s match in Round 6 of the AFL Home & Away Season may seem unspectacular. This is perhaps even truer for non-Queensland footy fans, as the Gold Coast Suns host the Brisbane Lions at Metricon Stadium.
Squished in between some mammoth matches featuring some of the AFL juggernauts, such as the traditional ANZAC Day clash on Monday, one could be forgiven for pegging QClash XXII as a "check the scores later on the AFL app" sort of game. However, this laissez-faire approach would be a dire mistake. In more ways than one, this match is a grudge match that will serve as a tipping point for both clubs.
Recognition… For Chris Fagan’s Lions, 2022 could not be going much better. The team from Brisbane town have gone 4-1 in the first five rounds, only failing to the most arduous away trip in the competition, Geelong at Kardinia Park. Fresh recruit Joe Daniher is equal 1st in the Coleman medal (16 goals), prodigal son Lachie Neale would have to lead the Brownlow voting, and Marcus Adams has been a revelation down back (AFL 2nd in marks). However, the Brisbane Lions have been flying under the radar despite on-field success. Dayne Zorko’s men are rarely featured on footy panel shows. Many pundits have already pigeonholed the Lions' efforts as "cute, but nowhere near the vile venom of a classy Melbourne Demons outfit". Some would back this up with several finals series exits, capitulated with a COVID-19 affected home-Gabba finals series in 2020, and a straight-sets exit in 2021. To be fair, despite a healthy win column, even die-hard Lions fans would admit that their team have not hit full gear yet in 2022.
A dominant win in this QClash, against the sunshine state rival Suns would mark the Lions down with a 5-1 start to the season. Not only this, but it would demand recognition from the rest of the competition as an equal to the reigning Melbourne Demons. This is the year in which the Brisbane Lions will take the next step.
Recognition… This word also rings true for Stuart Dew’s Gold Coast Suns. 2022 is the Sun’s eleventh year in the AFL competition. Despite some past champion players and successful campaigns, the Gold Coast Suns have never appeared in the post-season. The excitement around the Gold Coast Suns is always met with (albeit fair) apprehension. We have seen this film before… Seemingly every year, the Suns are competitive out of the gate and get the football world asking, "Is this the year the Suns go to the next level?”. Unfortunately, the Gold Coast comes crashing back down to Earth in the second half of the year each and every time. Recognition is something that perhaps the Suns have never achieved. However, with the help of All-Australian Touk Miller (AFL 11th in disposals), captain Jarrod Witts (AFL 1st in hit-outs) and up and comer Matt Rowell (AFL 5th in tackles), will 2022 be any different? How better to prove this than hand a loss to cross-town rivals, the Brisbane Lions?
PAST RESULTS
1) R19 – 2021 (Gabba)
BL (120) def GC (71)
2) R9 – 2021 (Metricon)
BL (124) def GC (51)
3) R16 – 2020 (Gabba)
BL (88) def GC (43)
LAST TIME THEY MET
The last time these two teams met was a day game at the Gabba on Saturday, July 24th 2021.
True to form, the Gold Coast Suns blazed early, holding a 27-point lead at half-time. Ben King kicked three goals in the first half with the help of effective midfield work from Matt Rowell. Some classy goals against the tide by Lincoln McCarthy helped to awaken the Lions, who were “off” according to on-field reporter Alastair Lynch.
After half-time, it seemed as if the Suns were drowning out in unfamiliar territory. The daring play that won them the lead had vanished, and they "froze up". The Brisbane Lions piled on a 78-point turnaround in a powerful display, with the Suns only kicking one goal after half-time. The Brisbane Lions ended up the victor by 49-points (17.18.120 vs. 10.11.71).
Lincoln McCarthy led with 4 goals, and Jarrod Lyons led with 33 disposals. Jarrod Lyons was best on the ground with 3 Brownlow votes, Brayden Fiorini represented the Suns with 2 votes, and Oscar McInerny was dominant in the ruck with 1 vote.
ROUND 5 REVIEW
The Brisbane Lions won against the Collingwood Magpies at the Gabba in the most unconvincing fashion. After comfortably leading all game, the Lions survived a late flurry from Craig McRae's new-look team, winning by 7 points. Lachie Neale was in cracking form, surpassing the levels of his Brownlow winning 2020 season. Joe Daniher was dominant up forward, kicking four goals. After some down performances from key players in recent weeks, the Lions will hope to put on a more dominant display, free from ill-disciplined conduct.
The Gold Coast Suns were efficiently dealt with by St. Kilda last round. After a competitive first half, the Suns fell away and were the victims of a 4th quarter onslaught by the Saints. Jack Higgins was allowed to be dominant, scoring a career-high five goals. Surprisingly, the Suns won the inside 50 count (56-53) but were wasteful with their opportunities.
TALKING POINTS
1) Do you tag Lachie Neale?
What do you do with Lachie Neale in 2022? In previous years, tagging Neale did have some success, with the Lions having to rely on their other midfielders to carry the load. In 2022 however, Neale has fought through two hard tags against Geelong's O'Connor and Collingwood's Pendlebury. In both games, the 2020 Brownlow medallist has arguably polled votes, if not taken the top three. The QClash has been main evented by a Miller/Zorko hard tag battle in past years. With Zorko’s age and move to the backline, will we instead see a Miller/Neale midfield battle?
2) Is this the week of Cam Rayner’s redemption?
The AFL world was robbed of Cam Rayner’s 2021 season after he tragically tore his ACL injury in a pre-season matchup at Metricon Stadium. 12 months on, will this be the game where we see Rayner flex his muscles? Chris Fagen has precedence in supporting his players through poor form. However, last week, we did see the axing of Nakia Cockatoo from the lineup. Lions fans have been patient with Cam Rayner, and we have seen flashes of brilliance from the former #1 pick. How long will that patience hold until the reputation of Rayner's superstar potential comes into question?
3) Inside 50 battle
The Brisbane Lions have been remarkably efficient in 2022. Despite often losing the inside clearance battle and inside 50 counts, the Lion's forward line has been outright scary this season. The Brisbane Lions lead the competition in per inside 50 scoring, easily making up for their hot and cold midfield performance. This might spell doom for the Gold Coast, who have been costly in their inside 50 efficiency in 2022. Despite winning the inside 50 count against St.Kilda last week, the Suns were blown out of the water in the 4th quarter. Dew’s men will have to make the most of their chances if they are to be of any threat against the Lions this week.
IT'S A BIG GAME FOR...
Harris Andrews
There is something not quite right about Harris Andrews in 2022. Andrew's new mate down back, Marcus Adams, has been highly effective and is leading the competition in intercept marks. After a poor end to 2021, many hoped Andrews would fire back to his All-Australian best. However, it has been a horror few weeks for the Lion's key backman. Andrews was involved in a questionable decision against Tom Hawkins, which put a halt to the Lion's chances against Geelong. Last week, Andrews was again involved in controversial umpiring decisions, giving away a 50m to give Collingwood a proper sniff of a comeback. Many have questioned whether Andrews is carrying an injury, or is getting used to a new-look Lions backline. This week should give Andrews some confidence, going against Levi Casboult.
Matt Rowell
Many pegged Matt Rowell as the second coming of Chris Judd after some stellar debut games. The cruel football gods put an end to that, with some horror injuries. In 2022, Rowell has been effective, but is a step behind his amazing 15-minutes of fame, which had some questioning whether a debut player could win the Brownlow Medal. Rowell was slammed by Kane Cornes this week, with the former Power star questioning Rowell's fitness and work ethic. The controversial Cornes stated that Rowell wins too many possessions in contested situations, and that his outside game has been completely missing in 2022. We shall see if Rowell can respond against the Brisbane Lions midfield, who go the best of the Suns in their last hit-out.
LINEUP CHANGES
It is difficult to say if there will be any lineup changes for the Brisbane Lions this week. Debut player Kai Lohmann won the hearts of Lions fans at the Gabba on Thursday night and should hold his spot this week. The lowest-ranked Lion last week was Darcy Fort, but he is required for his niche role. Darcy Gardiner was lucky to miss out on suspension after an ugly hit against Daicos and should be named to give an opportunity to redeem himself. Based on prior selection choices, the Lions should go in unchanged this week.
For the Suns, Mabior Chol was the most likely forward. However, the new recruit hobbled off the ground towards the end of the game. This should force some forward changes for the Suns.
PREDICTION
The Gold Coast Suns will take it right up to Lions at home. The Lions will efficiently score to keep the scores competitive, despite the Sun's early dominance around the ball. But, after half-time, the Suns will fall away, and the Lions will power home to win comfortably.
Brisbane Lions will win by 37 points.
Gold Coast Suns (12th, 2-3) vs. Brisbane Lions (3rd, 4-1)
QClash XXII
Metricon Stadium
Sunday, April 14th
4:10pm
MATCH PREVIEW
‘Recognition’… Recognition is defined as the “acknowledgement of something’s validity”. On paper, Sunday’s match in Round 6 of the AFL Home & Away Season may seem unspectacular. This is perhaps even truer for non-Queensland footy fans, as the Gold Coast Suns host the Brisbane Lions at Metricon Stadium.
Squished in between some mammoth matches featuring some of the AFL juggernauts, such as the traditional ANZAC Day clash on Monday, one could be forgiven for pegging QClash XXII as a "check the scores later on the AFL app" sort of game. However, this laissez-faire approach would be a dire mistake. In more ways than one, this match is a grudge match that will serve as a tipping point for both clubs.
Recognition… For Chris Fagan’s Lions, 2022 could not be going much better. The team from Brisbane town have gone 4-1 in the first five rounds, only failing to the most arduous away trip in the competition, Geelong at Kardinia Park. Fresh recruit Joe Daniher is equal 1st in the Coleman medal (16 goals), prodigal son Lachie Neale would have to lead the Brownlow voting, and Marcus Adams has been a revelation down back (AFL 2nd in marks). However, the Brisbane Lions have been flying under the radar despite on-field success. Dayne Zorko’s men are rarely featured on footy panel shows. Many pundits have already pigeonholed the Lions' efforts as "cute, but nowhere near the vile venom of a classy Melbourne Demons outfit". Some would back this up with several finals series exits, capitulated with a COVID-19 affected home-Gabba finals series in 2020, and a straight-sets exit in 2021. To be fair, despite a healthy win column, even die-hard Lions fans would admit that their team have not hit full gear yet in 2022.
A dominant win in this QClash, against the sunshine state rival Suns would mark the Lions down with a 5-1 start to the season. Not only this, but it would demand recognition from the rest of the competition as an equal to the reigning Melbourne Demons. This is the year in which the Brisbane Lions will take the next step.
Recognition… This word also rings true for Stuart Dew’s Gold Coast Suns. 2022 is the Sun’s eleventh year in the AFL competition. Despite some past champion players and successful campaigns, the Gold Coast Suns have never appeared in the post-season. The excitement around the Gold Coast Suns is always met with (albeit fair) apprehension. We have seen this film before… Seemingly every year, the Suns are competitive out of the gate and get the football world asking, "Is this the year the Suns go to the next level?”. Unfortunately, the Gold Coast comes crashing back down to Earth in the second half of the year each and every time. Recognition is something that perhaps the Suns have never achieved. However, with the help of All-Australian Touk Miller (AFL 11th in disposals), captain Jarrod Witts (AFL 1st in hit-outs) and up and comer Matt Rowell (AFL 5th in tackles), will 2022 be any different? How better to prove this than hand a loss to cross-town rivals, the Brisbane Lions?
PAST RESULTS
1) R19 – 2021 (Gabba)
BL (120) def GC (71)
2) R9 – 2021 (Metricon)
BL (124) def GC (51)
3) R16 – 2020 (Gabba)
BL (88) def GC (43)
LAST TIME THEY MET
The last time these two teams met was a day game at the Gabba on Saturday, July 24th 2021.
True to form, the Gold Coast Suns blazed early, holding a 27-point lead at half-time. Ben King kicked three goals in the first half with the help of effective midfield work from Matt Rowell. Some classy goals against the tide by Lincoln McCarthy helped to awaken the Lions, who were “off” according to on-field reporter Alastair Lynch.
After half-time, it seemed as if the Suns were drowning out in unfamiliar territory. The daring play that won them the lead had vanished, and they "froze up". The Brisbane Lions piled on a 78-point turnaround in a powerful display, with the Suns only kicking one goal after half-time. The Brisbane Lions ended up the victor by 49-points (17.18.120 vs. 10.11.71).
Lincoln McCarthy led with 4 goals, and Jarrod Lyons led with 33 disposals. Jarrod Lyons was best on the ground with 3 Brownlow votes, Brayden Fiorini represented the Suns with 2 votes, and Oscar McInerny was dominant in the ruck with 1 vote.
ROUND 5 REVIEW
The Brisbane Lions won against the Collingwood Magpies at the Gabba in the most unconvincing fashion. After comfortably leading all game, the Lions survived a late flurry from Craig McRae's new-look team, winning by 7 points. Lachie Neale was in cracking form, surpassing the levels of his Brownlow winning 2020 season. Joe Daniher was dominant up forward, kicking four goals. After some down performances from key players in recent weeks, the Lions will hope to put on a more dominant display, free from ill-disciplined conduct.
The Gold Coast Suns were efficiently dealt with by St. Kilda last round. After a competitive first half, the Suns fell away and were the victims of a 4th quarter onslaught by the Saints. Jack Higgins was allowed to be dominant, scoring a career-high five goals. Surprisingly, the Suns won the inside 50 count (56-53) but were wasteful with their opportunities.
TALKING POINTS
1) Do you tag Lachie Neale?
What do you do with Lachie Neale in 2022? In previous years, tagging Neale did have some success, with the Lions having to rely on their other midfielders to carry the load. In 2022 however, Neale has fought through two hard tags against Geelong's O'Connor and Collingwood's Pendlebury. In both games, the 2020 Brownlow medallist has arguably polled votes, if not taken the top three. The QClash has been main evented by a Miller/Zorko hard tag battle in past years. With Zorko’s age and move to the backline, will we instead see a Miller/Neale midfield battle?
2) Is this the week of Cam Rayner’s redemption?
The AFL world was robbed of Cam Rayner’s 2021 season after he tragically tore his ACL injury in a pre-season matchup at Metricon Stadium. 12 months on, will this be the game where we see Rayner flex his muscles? Chris Fagen has precedence in supporting his players through poor form. However, last week, we did see the axing of Nakia Cockatoo from the lineup. Lions fans have been patient with Cam Rayner, and we have seen flashes of brilliance from the former #1 pick. How long will that patience hold until the reputation of Rayner's superstar potential comes into question?
3) Inside 50 battle
The Brisbane Lions have been remarkably efficient in 2022. Despite often losing the inside clearance battle and inside 50 counts, the Lion's forward line has been outright scary this season. The Brisbane Lions lead the competition in per inside 50 scoring, easily making up for their hot and cold midfield performance. This might spell doom for the Gold Coast, who have been costly in their inside 50 efficiency in 2022. Despite winning the inside 50 count against St.Kilda last week, the Suns were blown out of the water in the 4th quarter. Dew’s men will have to make the most of their chances if they are to be of any threat against the Lions this week.
IT'S A BIG GAME FOR...
Harris Andrews
There is something not quite right about Harris Andrews in 2022. Andrew's new mate down back, Marcus Adams, has been highly effective and is leading the competition in intercept marks. After a poor end to 2021, many hoped Andrews would fire back to his All-Australian best. However, it has been a horror few weeks for the Lion's key backman. Andrews was involved in a questionable decision against Tom Hawkins, which put a halt to the Lion's chances against Geelong. Last week, Andrews was again involved in controversial umpiring decisions, giving away a 50m to give Collingwood a proper sniff of a comeback. Many have questioned whether Andrews is carrying an injury, or is getting used to a new-look Lions backline. This week should give Andrews some confidence, going against Levi Casboult.
Matt Rowell
Many pegged Matt Rowell as the second coming of Chris Judd after some stellar debut games. The cruel football gods put an end to that, with some horror injuries. In 2022, Rowell has been effective, but is a step behind his amazing 15-minutes of fame, which had some questioning whether a debut player could win the Brownlow Medal. Rowell was slammed by Kane Cornes this week, with the former Power star questioning Rowell's fitness and work ethic. The controversial Cornes stated that Rowell wins too many possessions in contested situations, and that his outside game has been completely missing in 2022. We shall see if Rowell can respond against the Brisbane Lions midfield, who go the best of the Suns in their last hit-out.
LINEUP CHANGES
It is difficult to say if there will be any lineup changes for the Brisbane Lions this week. Debut player Kai Lohmann won the hearts of Lions fans at the Gabba on Thursday night and should hold his spot this week. The lowest-ranked Lion last week was Darcy Fort, but he is required for his niche role. Darcy Gardiner was lucky to miss out on suspension after an ugly hit against Daicos and should be named to give an opportunity to redeem himself. Based on prior selection choices, the Lions should go in unchanged this week.
For the Suns, Mabior Chol was the most likely forward. However, the new recruit hobbled off the ground towards the end of the game. This should force some forward changes for the Suns.
PREDICTION
The Gold Coast Suns will take it right up to Lions at home. The Lions will efficiently score to keep the scores competitive, despite the Sun's early dominance around the ball. But, after half-time, the Suns will fall away, and the Lions will power home to win comfortably.
Brisbane Lions will win by 37 points.
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