Etihad Stadium, Saturday, March 9, 6.40pm
MISSING
Collingwood: Ben Reid, Dale Thomas, Lachlan Keeffe, Brodie Grundy, Tim Broomhead
Brisbane Lions: Simon Black, Brent Staker.
LAST WEEK
Collingwood: The Magpies were ferocious in their 20-point win over West Coast in Perth to remain undefeated. They were without Dayne Beams, Dale Thomas, Darren Jolly and Luke Ball, but their pressure around the contest - particularly in the forward half – was first rate. Small forwards Jarryd Blair, Jamie Elliot and Ben Sinclair were terriers and made any West Coast possession a pressured one.
Brisbane Lions: The Lions had to rely on a late goal from rookie Sam Michael to help them survive a stern examination from GWS in Wagga Wagga. Fringe senior players Aaron Cornelius (five goals) and Patrick Karnezis (26 disposals) were stars in a result that gives the Lions a chance to make their first pre-season Grand Final since 2007.
WHAT THEY SAY
Collingwood: "Winning or losing is not a big focus for us right now, but if you ask each of the individuals in the side, I guarantee you they want to perform. Each of our players needs to take their opportunities when they're there because there's a fair bit of competition around the place." – Nathan Buckley?
Brisbane Lions: "We expect they (Collingwood) will be around a top four team. They've got an exceptional midfield, their defence is looking tight and their forward pressure has gone up. I'm just looking forward to seeing how our group will go against that." – Michael Voss
WE SAY
Collingwood: The Lions probably have a little more to gain from winning, but the carrot of a potential final against the Mick Malthouse-coached Carlton must be a tasty lure. Dane Swan and Scott Pendlebury might be due for a rest after the long flight back from Perth, but the possible return of Beams, Ball and co should off-set that. As the coach said, plenty of players are vying for round one spots, ensuring there'll be no drop-off against the Lions.
Brisbane Lions: The past three years have been lean ones for the boys from Brisbane, so the chance to make a Grand Final – albeit a pre-season one – is gold. Jonathan Brown will play his first game, and Daniel Merrett, Joel Patfull, Daniel Rich, Andrew Raines and Ash McGrath will all return as they play an almost full-strength team. Voss said it was an ideal dress rehearsal for round one three weeks later – against the Western Bulldogs at the same venue – so expect the Lions to bring their A-Game.
