WHEN & WHERE: 7:30pm (EST), Saturday, 13 September, Gabba
COVERAGE: Network Ten (all states)
HEAD TO HEAD: Played 11. Brisbane 7 – Adelaide 4.
LAST TIME: Brisbane 16.11 (107) d Adelaide 12.17 (89), round eight, 2003 at Gabba. The Crows went into the game without forwards Wayne Carey, Scott Welsh and Brett Burton, opening with Graham Johncock and Andrew McLeod in the goal square. It yielded good results early, with the visitors leading by 23 points during the second term. The Lions reduced it to 12 at the main break before a five-goal-to-two third quarter opened up a six-point edge at the last change. With the game in the balance entering time-on, it was Alastair Lynch who stepped up with his sixth and seventh goals to give Brisbane the points in a high-quality contest.
THE MEDICAL ROOM: Adelaide has Graham Johncock (hamstring), Scott Welsh (ankle) and Martin Mattner (back) under fitness clouds this week. All three will be tested. For Brisbane, captain Michael Voss sat out the entire final quarter against the Magpies after re-aggravating a knee injury he has been carrying for the latter part of the season. Coach Leigh Matthews declared Voss unlikely to play early in the week but was selected when the teams were announced on Thursday night. Craig McRae (back-related hamstring), Clark Keating (jarred shoulder) and Chris Scott, who pulled up with groin tightness are on the sidelines and all three will have to prove their fitness before this week’s match.
THE FORM: The Lions lost to Collingwood for only the second time in 11 matches in last Saturday night’s enthralling qualifying final, ending a two-game winning run. Adelaide arrested a three-game losing streak by comfortably accounting for a disappointing West Coast at AAMI Stadium.
WHO’S HOT: Brisbane forward Jonathan Brown exerted a huge presence in last Saturday night’s qualifying final, enthralling the crowd with what was undoubtedly the play of the match. In the second term, Brown shrugged off his direct opponent Jason Cloke and charged into the centre square following the bounce, taking possession before handballing to team mate Jason Akermanis. In the blink of an eye Brown had re-gathered the footy inside 50 and coolly slotted through a wonderful left-foot goal. For Adelaide, Nigel Smart and Ben Hart were just wonderful in defence, denying the Eagles successive goals until the final quarter when the result had already been sealed. The plethora of midfield runners also kept West Coast under constant pressure, with Mark Ricciuto, Tyson Edwards and Andrew McLeod particularly outstanding.
WHO’S NOT: For all of Brown’s hard work and aside from Alastair Lynch’s three opening-term goals, the Lions were unable to make their periods of ascendancy count on the scoreboard, kicking only one goal after half-time.
KEY MATCH-UPS: A superb battle through the middle should ensue, with both teams housing a stable of stars. For the home side, Jason Akermanis, Simon Black and Nigel Lappin face the equally well-credentialed Andrew McLeod, Mark Ricciuto and Mark Bickley. In terms of the key-position contests, look for Justin Leppitsch to mark Wayne Carey and at the other end Ken McGregor is Brown’s likely opponent.
ALL-TIME CLASSIC: Round nine, 2001, at the Gabba. The match was a classic in every sense of the word. The Crows survived a kick for goal after the siren, with Marcus Picken’s 55-metre attempt falling short, to win by five points. Brisbane kicked 10 goals to nine in the first half and led by 20 points midway through the third term but Adelaide came back strongly to open a handy 16-point break during the last quarter. Darren Jarman, Andrew McLeod and Simon Goodwin starred for the Crows, while Brett Burton booted four goals for the Crows. Nigel Lappin was the Lions’ best with four majors, while Lynch also had four to his name.
