Brisbane Lions (5-5, 9th) v North Melbourne (4-6, 13th)
Saturday 5 June 2010
Etihad Stadium @ 7:10pm (local time)
2010 QAFL STATE LEAGUE SEASON: ROUND 9
Brisbane Lions Reserves (4-5, 7th) v Aspley (2-6, 9th)
Sunday 6 June 2010
Graham Road, Aspley @ 2pm (local time)
NB: Until further notice, there will be no curtain raiser matches played before senior Brisbane Lions games at the Gabba, to protect the ground's surface. For future night games, the official Gabba gates opening time will be 5:30pm.
PUBLIC TRAINING SESSIONS
Friday 4 June: TBC in Melbourne.
CURRENT INJURY LIST
James Polkinghorne (thigh) - TBC
Daniel Merrett (hamstring) - 2 weeks
Jared Brennan (ankle) - 2 weeks
Jamie Charman (ankle) - 4 weeks
Niall McKeever (knee) - 5 weeks
Jed Adcock (foot) - Indefinite
Josh Drummond (knee) - Indefinite
Xavier Clarke (knee) - Indefinite
POTENTIAL MILESTONES
Lions midfielder Michael Rischitelli is set to play his 100th AFL match this Saturday night when the Lions face North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.
Rischitelli was recruited to the Lions from the Western U18s in Victoria with Pick No.61 in the 2003 AFL National Draft.
He earned an AFL Rising Star nomination in 2006 and has received numerous Club honours including Most Improved Player (2006), Most Courageous Player (2008) and Most Effective Tackler (2008).
The 24 year-old will become the first player in Club history (Fitzroy and the Bears included) to have worn the Number 35 guernsey for 100 matches.
LIONS v NORTH MELBOURNE: HEAD TO HEAD
The Lions have won 12 and drawn one of their 22 matches against North Melbourne for a winning percentage of 55%.
Biggest win: 113 points @ The Gabba in Round 22 2004.
Biggest loss: 57 points @ The MCG in Round 19 1997.
Most goals (for): Jonathan Brown (8) @ The Gabba in Round 17 2009.
Most goals (against): Sav Rocca (6) @ Etihad Stadium in Round 16 2001;
Sav Rocca (6) @ The Gabba in Round 12 2002.
RECENT HISTORY
2007: Round 4 - 8.15 (63) to 12.15 (87) @ Carrara (N) - Lost by 24
2007: Round 18 - 10.17 (77) to 5.10 (40) @ The Gabba (N) - Won by 37
2008: Round 10 - 18.21 (129) to 15.8 (98) @ The Gabba (N) - Won by 31
2008: Round 18 - 11.18 (84) to 13.14 (92) @ Carrara (N) - Lost by 8
2009: Round 10 - 15.9 (99) to 12.9 (81) @ Etihad Stadium - Won by 18
2009: Round 17 - 17.14 (116) to 11.9 (75) @ The Gabba (N) - Won by 41
LAST TIME THEY MET
The Lions celebrated their 300th game as a merged Club in style, with a convincing 41-point win over North Melbourne at the Gabba.
After a relatively slow start, the Lions eventually kicked into gear with five unanswered goals to take a 16-point lead into half-time.
An inspiring seven goal third term - which included four from skipper Jonathan Brown - snuffed out any hopes of a Kangaroos fightback as the Lions cruised to their 11th win of the season.
Brown proved the difference up forward with 21 disposals, 12 marks and eight goals.
Brownlow Medal Votes: 3 - J. Brown (BL), 2 - M. Clark (BL), 1 - J. Sherman (BL).
FAST FOOTY FACTS
Lions Statistical Leaders:
Goals: 2nd Brendan Fevola (34), 4th Jonathan Brown (32)
Marks: =4th Jonathan Brown (74)
Contested Marks: 5th Jonathan Brown (21)
Inside 50s: =8th Daniel Rich (48), =8th Michael Rischitelli (48)
Hitouts: 7th Matthew Leuenberger (199)
North Melbourne Senior Coach Brad Scott played 146 matches in nine seasons with the Lions and is a former premiership team-mate of Lions Senior Coach Michael Voss.
The Lions have won four of their past five matches against North Melbourne.
Tom Rockliff collected a career-high 30 disposals last Saturday night against Collingwood.
