Bruce Reville will be the sixth Brisbane player to make his AFL debut in a Qclash on Sunday night …. and will carry with him a connection to an old club favourite.
Reville will follow a path blazed by Bryce Retzlaff in Qclash #1 in 2011, and followed since by Jack Crisp (2012), Sam Mayes (2013), Billy Evans (2015), Reuben William (2016) and Noah Answerth (2019) in getting his first taste of AFL football in the Queensland derby.
A category B rookie pick in 2023 from QAFL club Sherwood and the Brisbane Lions Academy, he has jumped up the selection pecking order after a strong 2023 VFL season and a brilliant start to this year.
When Reville runs out wearing jumper #38 for the first time at AFL level against the Gold Coast Suns at the Gabba he will carry with him a little piece of long-time Brisbane Bears favourite Troy Clarke.
Reville won the 2016 Troy Clarke Scholarship, awarded annually by AFL Queensland to a regional player in memory of the ex-Bears player and long-time AFLQ Game Development Manager, who passed away in 2013 aged 44.
It was designed to reward a player who displayed the same core values – such as dedication, passion and respect – that Clarke embodied during and after a 68-game career with the Brisbane Bears from 1991-96.
In a nice link between the pair, Reville, born in Papua New Guinea, grew up in Cairns, home town of the 1991 Bears Reserves premiership player.
At the time of the scholarship, presented by ex-Adelaide and Sydney forward Kurt Tippett, a one-time Gold Coast basketballer who got his chance in the AFL largely due to Clarke’s assistance, Revile was playing with the Maryborough Bears and was a member of the U15 Wide Boy Schoolboys Team.
He represented Queensland in the National Diversity Championships in May 2016, where his performance across the carnival earned him a spot in the ‘World’ team that competed at the National Under16 Championships that year. He was also helping out at the local primary school, coaching the girls’ team.
Reville said at the scholarship presentation: “Ever since I was a young boy I have had the dream of becoming a professional AFL player and I feel this scholarship is that one step further for me in that direction. Troy Clarke’s career has been an inspiration to many young players including myself and I’m humbled to be receiving this scholarship.”
Reville will become the sixth player to wear the #38 Brisbane jumper behind Michael Gibson (52 games), Dion Scott (73), Nathan Clarke (6), Tom Rockliff (154) and Connor Ballenden (3).
He will be the first ‘Bruce’ among 347 Brisbane players after only seven players named ‘Bruce’ were among 1157 Fitzroy players, headed by 1944 premiership player Bruce Calverley, who played 89 games from 1936-45.
Reville will play his first QClash as ex-Lions captain Dayne Zorko, who is two games clear of ex-Suns captain David Swallow at the top of the QClash games list, plays his 23rd. Ryan Lester will play his 18th QClash to move to fourth place on the same list behind Daniel Rich (19).
The Lions have an 18-7 head-to-head record in the Q-Clash but after nine wins in a row from 2018-2023 under Chris Fagan they lost the last meeting by 41 points at Carrara in Round 20 last year.
Zorko also leads the Q-Clash win list with 16 from the in-form Lester (13), Harris Andrews, Hugh McClugagge and Darcy Gardiner (10), while looking for their first Q-Clash win on Sunday night with Reville will be Jaspa Fletcher and Jimmy Tunstill, who played their first Q-Clash in the loss last year.
QCLASH STATS LEADERS
Games: Dayne Zorko (B) 22, David Swallow (GC) 20, Daniel Rich (B) 19, Ryan Lester (B) 17, Jarrod Harbrow (GC) 17, Dan McStay (B) 15, Touk Miller (GC) 15, Harris Andrews (B) 15, Sean Lemmens (GC) 15, Sam Day (GC) 14, Pearce Hanley (B/GC) 14.
Possessions: Dayne Zorko (B) 447, David Swallow (GC) 440, Daniel Rich (B) 395, Tom Rockliff (B) 371, Touk Miller (354), Pearce Hanley (B/GC) 351, Jarrod Harbrow (GC) 316, Hugh McCluggage (290), Mitch Robinson (B) 286, Jarryd Lyons (GC/B) 279.
Goals: Charlie Cameron (B) 29, Tom Lynch (GC) 27, Dayne Zorko (21), Eric Hipwood (20), Alex Sexton (GC) 18, Dan McStay (B) 16, Lincoln McCarthy (B) 15, Joe Daniher (B) 15, Ben King (GC) 15, Zac Bailey (B) 13, Harley Bennell (GC) 13, Lewis Taylor (B) 13.
Brownlow Medal Votes: Jarryd Lyons (GC/B) 12, Pearce Hanley (B/GC) 10, Touk Miller (GC) 9, Tom Rockliff (B) 9, Dayne Beams (B) 9, Lachie Neale (B) 8, Brayden Fiorini (GC) 7, Gary Ablett (GC) 6, Simon Black (B) 6, Dayne Zorko (B) 5, Aaron Hall (GC) 5, Matthew Leuenberger (B) 5.
Marcus Ashcroft Medal: Touk Miller (GC) 4, Dayne Beams (B) 3, Gary Ablett (GC) 2, Pearce Hanley (B) 2, Jarry Lyons (B) 2, Lachie Neale (B) 2, Tom Lynch (GC) 1, Zac Bailey (B) 1, Simon Black (B) 1, Jared Brennan (GC) 1, Jonathan Brown (B) 1, Charlie Cameron (B) 1, Charlie Dixon (GC) 1, Matthew Leuenberger (B) 1, Mitch Robinson B) 1, Tom Rockliff (B) 1.
