Brisbane Lions v Fremantle Dockers
Saturday 26 March 2011
The Gabba @ 7:10pm (local time)
NEAFL STATE LEAGUE PRACTICE MATCH
Brisbane Lions Reserves vs Aspley
Friday 25 March 2011
Graham Road, Aspley @ 7pm (local time)
NB: Match details changed
PUBLIC TRAINING SESSIONS
Friday 25 March: The Gabba @ 10am
INJURY LIST
Broc McCauley (ankle) - 2 weeks
Mitch Golby (knee) - 2 weeks
Josh Drummond (quad) - 2-3 weeks
Callum Bartlett (knee) - indefinite
Jamie Charman (achilles) - indefinite
Xavier Clarke (knee) - indefinite
POTENTIAL MILESTONES
If selected, Lions defender Joel Patfull is set to play his 100th AFL match this Saturday night against the Fremantle Dockers at the Gabba.
Patfull was recruited to the Lions with Pick No.56 in the 2005 AFL National Draft after previously spending time on Port Adelaide's Rookie List.
The South Australian made his AFL debut against his former Club in Round 8 of 2006 at AAMI Stadium and has missed just six matches since.
Patfull has been a model of consistency and durability for the Lions, finishing inside the top dozen of the Club Champion award in each of his past four seasons. In fact, he has never finished lower than 18th.
FLOOD RELIEF
The Brisbane Lions have been active in assisting the Queensland community with its flood relief efforts and will further recognise those affected by the floods throughout this Saturday night's match against Fremantle at the Gabba.
Representatives from the Grantham community will be invited onto the field before the game to help sing the national anthem together with local singer Nicole Blair, while some young footballers from the Lockyer Valley region will participate in tonight’s Auskick match at half-time.
More flood-related initiatives are happening around the ground - including collections for the McDonald’s Queensland Community Grant - so the Club urges all fans to please help by contributing to this worthy cause.
PREMIERS MARCH
The Lions will welcome a large number of junior premiership winning teams from all over Queensland to the Gabba this Saturday night to participate in a lap of honour for the Club’s annual Premiers March.
More than 800 players, coaches and team managers will take to the field to celebrate their 2010 competition success as part of this annual Club event.
The Brisbane Lions would like to congratulate and acknowledge all the junior teams across Queensland who enjoyed the spoils of premiership success last season.
FIRST FOOTY
A Brisbane Lions Club legend will accompany the umpires out onto the field prior to this Saturday night's season opener against Fremantle at the Gabba to deliver the 'First Footy' of the season.
The 'First Footy' initiative was successfully introduced across all Round One matches in 2010 and will now become a regular AFL tradition.
Three-time Lions premiership player and 2001 Norm Smith Medallist Shaun Hart handed over the 'First Footy' last year at the Gabba, while one of his Grand Final team-mates will be given the responsibility this Saturday night.
The chosen Club legend will be officially unveiled approximately 15 minutes before the match.
LIONS v DOCKERS: HEAD TO HEAD
The Lions have won 11 of the 17 matches against Fremantle for a winning percentage of 65%.
Biggest win: 114 points @ The Gabba in Round 20 1999
Biggest loss: 71 points @ Subiaco Oval in Round 11 1998
Most goals (for): Jonathan Brown (7) @ The Gabba in Round 9 2006
Most goals (against): Paul Medhurst (9) @ Subiaco Oval in Round 9 2004
RECENT HISTORY
2008: Round 11 - 14.12 (96) to 10.14 (74) @ The Gabba - Won by 22
2009: Round 16 - 9.8 (62) to 7.5 (47) @ Subiaco Oval (N) - Won by 15
2010: Round 7 - 15.10 (100) to 15.23 (113) @ The Gabba (N) - Lost by 13
LAST TIME THEY MET
An inaccurate Fremantle secured their first ever win at The Gabba over the fast-finishing Brisbane Lions by 13 points.
The Lions suffered a couple of early injury blows to both Jared Brennan (ankle) and Josh Drummond (knee) which helped the Dockers maintain a comfortable lead for most of the match.
But a five-goal final quarter gave the Lions a late sniff before Fremantle ultimately steadied to break their Gabba hoodoo.
Matthew Pavlich and Brendan Fevola each booted three for their respective sides while West Australian product Simon Black led all possession-getters with 36.
Brownlow Medal Votes: 3 - Stephen Hill (FRE), 2 - M. Pavlich (FRE), 1 - S. Black (BL)
FAST FOOTY FACTS
The Brisbane Lions have not been defeated in a season opener at the Gabba since 1998.
Mitch Clark and Tom Rockliff kicked a total of six goals each across their 2011 NAB Cup and NAB Challenge matches to be the Club's equal leading goal-kickers throughout the pre-season period. Luke Power and Todd Banfield were the Lions' next best with four goals apiece.
The Lions have played Fremantle the least of any team in the AFL since the Club's 1997 merger - with the obvious exception of the Gold Coast. The Lions and Dockers have met just 17 times in 14 seasons.
Last year's breakthrough victory over the Lions at the Gabba was Fremantle's first in nine attempts. The Lions still hold a healthy 89% winning percentage over the Dockers at home and have won five of their past six matches against Fremantle.
Lions midfielder Simon Black has polled Brownlow Medal votes in four out of his past five matches against the Dockers.
Lions Assistant Coach Adrian Fletcher played four seasons with Fremantle from 1998 to 2001. He won the Dockers' 1999 Club Champion award and Captained the Club in 2000 and 2001.
Daniel Rich holds the longest streak of consecutive matches of any current player at the Lions with 46. Remarkably, Rich has not missed a senior match since being drafted at the end of 2008.
