Head to head: Brisbane Lions 15 wins, Adelaide 15 wins
Last time: Adelaide 13.15 (93) d Brisbane Lions 11.15 (81), round nine, 2010 at AAMI Stadium
MISSING IN ACTION
Brisbane Lions
Matt Austin (leg) - season
Donald Barry (sinus) - season
Callum Bartlett (knee) - season
Jamie Charman (ankle) - season
Xavier Clarke (hamstring) - test
Josh Drummond (knee) - season
Brendan Fevola (groin) - season
Mitch Golby (knee) - season
Bart McCulloch (hamstring) - test
James Polkinghorne (quad) - test
Andrew Raines (quad) - season
Justin Sherman (hamstring) - test
Adelaide
Brett Burton (ankle) - test
James Craig (hamstring) - season
Patrick Dangerfield (hand) - test
Simon Goodwin (ankle) - indefinite
Andrew McLeod (knee) - indefinite
Brad Moran (knee) - 1 week
Andy Otten (knee) - season
Jared Petrenko (foot) - season
Sam Shaw (back) - indefinite
Daniel Talia (knee) - season
FORM
Brisbane Lions: LLLLW
Adelaide: WWLLL
SUMMARY
Pride will be the only thing on the line when these two lowly ranked teams do battle at the Gabba on Sunday.
The Lions restored some of that pride with a last-gasp win over West Coast at Subiaco last weekend to put an end to an eight-game losing streak.
The Lions restored some of that pride with a last-gasp win over West Coast at Subiaco last weekend to put an end to an eight-game losing streak.
The Crows also earned plaudits for their spirited performance against the in-form Western Bulldogs, despite going down by eight points and ending any hope of a sixth straight finals appearance.
Lions skipper Jonathan Brown has endured a wretched second half of the season with injury, but emerged as the hero last weekend with a goal in the dying seconds.
The triple-premiership player is in some doubt for the game against Adelaide with a knee complaint, but if he plays his teammates will be desperate to reward him in his 200th game.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Brown was the match winner, but Jared Brennan’s heroics didn’t go unnoticed. Brennan has been the subject of a heavy tag in most of his games this season and showed why this has been the case with 25 possessions, eight marks and 1.2 against the Eagles. The tall onballer’s athleticism makes him a difficult match up and he’ll be tough to constrain in front of the Lions faithful on Sunday.
Adelaide defender Nathan Bock also signalled his return to form last weekend, with a dominant second-half display against the Dogs. Bock was back to his attacking best, racking up 31 disposals and 11 marks. He’ll need to have a greater defensive focus opposed to Brown on Sunday, but will no doubt look to work off the underdone Lions champion.
QUESTION MARKS
Can the Lions do it for Browny and win two in a row? The clash with last-placed West Coast failed to reach any great heights, while the Crows showed they could match it with a top-four side in the Western Bulldogs.
Can the Crows kick straight? Inaccurate goalkicking early in the game proved costly for Adelaide again last weekend and the visitors will need to make the most of their opportunities in front of a hostile Gabba crowd.
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
Brown’s milestone game could provide the home side with the motivation it needs to knock off the Crows, but if the imposing figure fails to come up it’s hard to see Lions winning this one.
Adelaide has come within a couple of kicks of beating two top-four sides in the last month and, at its best, should be too good for the battling Lions.
Chat with host Scott Beveridge and other fans in the AFL Match Centre on afl.com.au from 12.40pm Sunday or join the conversation on Twitter: #afllionscrows
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
