Where and when: Metricon Stadium, Saturday, April 27, 1.45pm AEST
FOLLOW IT LIVE Suns v Lions
Last time they met: Metricon Stadium, round 22, 2018: Brisbane 10.18 (78) defeated Gold Coast 11.8 (74).
Just days after defender Nick Robertson labelled the Suns "soft", Brisbane survived a huge scare, turning around a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to win narrowly. Dayne Beams shone in a scrappy match, winning the Marcus Ashcroft Medal with 38 disposals, nine clearances and a goal. Alex Sexton kicked four goals for Gold Coast.
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What it means for Gold Coast: After four games decided by less than a goal, the Suns were walloped by Adelaide on Sunday. They wouldn't want a second poor showing. However, the Suns are two from two at Metricon and a win over the arch-rivals would quickly get them back on track.
What it means for Brisbane: After back-to-back thumpings from Essendon and Collingwood, the Lions need to restore some lost confidence. A win would put them back in the top eight and set them up for a winnable stretch of matches to follow.
How Gold Coast wins: Keep the game in tight and frustrate the Lions into mistakes. The Suns have good pressure players in their midfield and forward line and Brisbane has a habit of moving the ball too quickly, turning it over and getting punished the other way.
How Brisbane wins: The Lions have to get back to the aggressive, pressuring, exciting team they were in the first three weeks. That means winning contested ball, working hard defensively and moving the ball with composure.
The stat: With 18 intercept marks, Gold Coast full-back Sam Collins is ranked equal first in the AFL. Not bad after being delisted by Fremantle and spending a year in the VFL.
The match-up: Touk Miller v Dayne Zorko
Surely we get round three of this match-up? Miller took Zorko to the cleaners when they met in round five last year and was then snubbed a post-match handshake by the combative Lion. Zorko was much improved when they met later in the year and then sarcastically went to shake his opponent's hand after the final siren. In Zorko's 150th match, this rivalry needs to keep bubbling along.
It's a big week for: Jarryd Lyons
One of the more mysterious off-season moves, Lyons was the first player to head north after leaving the Suns. He had an excellent beginning to his career in Brisbane but has cooled off the past two weeks and will be desperate to prove himself against his former club.
Big call: Charlie Cameron back in form – four goals.
Prediction: Lions by 17 points
