It's our final home game of the year and we're facing Essendon to secure our spot in finals

Who: Brisbane Lions vs Essendon Bombers
Where: The Gabba, Vulture St, Woolloongabba QLD 4102
When: Saturday 24 August at 7:25pm (local)
Gates Open: 6:00pm, check your ticket for your entry gate.
Entry Conditions: Please read here

Weekly Notices → 

- It's Joe Daniher's 200th game! Shave in a moe to celebrate Joe.
- It's Lions Legacy Round. A round where many of our corporate partners come together and support fundraising of Lions Legacy by donating $X amount each goal scored by the Lions. By prioritising fundraising for Lions Legacy, the Brisbane Lions can ensure long-term success of the Brisbane Lions Academy, and other community initiatives.

Tickets → Tickets are ON SALE for Round 24. You can still become a member today and secure your seat! 

AreaVIP → Sit like a Fan. Feel like a VIP. 

GG → I’m best served in groups and I’m waiting for you to have your next Instagram-able moment. I’m doing footy a little differently and G, I think you’re going to like me.

The Verandah → SOLD OUT

Premiership Lounge → SOLD OUT

TAB Pool Room → Will proudly display iconic Brisbane Lions memorabilia, a home to celebrate Brisbane Lions legends on and off the field.

Lions Park → Located outside Gate 2 starting from 5:30pm. Treat the kids to Bungee trampolines and face painting! We'll have interactive activations from Caltex Spin to Win, Triple M and Hyundai. You'll not miss the large inflatable Sherrin - so make sure to take a snap! We'll have a park performance of Japanese Drummers! 

Food & Drinks → Gabba food and beverage outlets will be open on all levels and gates.

Lions Shop → Our main shop is located near Gate 2, open from 10:00am - late. We will also have a pop up set up in Lions Park from 5:00pm for you to get your merch fix! Gates 2 and 9 are open from when gates open until 10min after first siren. Gate 4, Upper 7, Upper 4 are open from when gates open until 3/4 time. 

Trains & Buses → The easiest way to get to The Gabba. Your event ticket entitles you to TRAVEL FREE, to and from matches, on the Queensland Rail City Network (excluding Airtrain). Brisbane City Council buses or a special event shuttle service from 4 hours prior to the event.

Woolloongabba Bus Station → From March 2024, a new temporary footpath will be open between Woolloongabba station platform 2 and Main Street on AFL game days. You can also continue to use the pedestrian overpass which has both lifts and stairs. For further information, please visit the @TransLink website or contact Cross River Rail at 1800 010 875.

Remember to always plan your trip: Plan ahead →

Parking → There is no public parking at The Gabba. Fifteen minute parking limits apply across most of The Gabba Traffic Area on event days – we strongly recommend taking advantage of the public transport options. Find out more about parking restrictions around The Gabba on the Brisbane City Council website. 

Accessible Parking → An accessibility drop off zone is located near Gate 5 on Linton Street (near Duke St). There is limited accessibility parking across from Gate 5 on Duke St – you will require a PWD permit to access this area and is first in, first served. For all PWD and accessibility information, please visit The Gabba's accessibility page.

Drop Off/Pick Up → Due to road closures and changed traffic conditions we strongly recommend catching public transport to The Gabba, however should you wish to be dropped off or picked up this can be facilitated via designated drop off points just a short walk from the venue on either Princess Street, Potts Street or Hubert Street. Ask your lift legend to type Princess Street, Potts Street or Hubert Street into their GPS. 

Bike, Scooter & Walking → Bike and walking paths are available to access the stadium, snag a e-bike or e-scooter from the City or South Brisbane to get to The Gabba.

Watch → Free to air on Channel 7 or stream on Fox Footy or Kayo. Broadcast kicks off 1:30pm.

Remember! Sign up with a Digital Membership to get discounted Kayo! Become a member today →

It all comes down to this!

Round 24, the final game of the home and away season and the race to finals is going to go down to the wire.

The opportunity to host finals is well and truly up for grabs, so Lions fans here is what’s install for us, as we take a look at this week’s match preview.

Last Time We Met

Last time: Brisbane 12.15 (87) d Essendon 6.9 (45) Round 9, 2023

After trailing by 10 points at half-time, the Lions used a powerful 10 goals to two second half, led by Joe Daniher, to break away from the plucky Bombers. Daniher showed his power in the air, hauling in seven marks, three of them contested, and he was accurate, missing just once.

Brisbane dominated much of the general play, generating 69 inside 50s to just 38 but battled to break away from Brad Scott's men, who did well around the clearances (33-32) and scrapped for their lives. Eventually however, the dam wall broke as our boys hammered away. Lachie Neale (34), Will Ashcroft (28) and Dayne Zorko (25) were all prolific in the midfield, while Harris Andrews and Ryan Lester were resolute in defence.

Come Saturday night, our boys will be eager to down the Bombers as we look to regain the momentum which saw us soar into the top 8.  

Going to the game at the Gabba against the Bombers? Plan your trip →

Excited About

Joe’s 200^th Game!

We are buzzing with excitement, like all Lions’ fans, as Joe Daniher gears up for his 200th AFL game this weekend, fittingly against his former club. Since joining Brisbane, Joey has become a fan favourite, thrilling us all with his electrifying and sometimes unpredictable style. With 91 games and 195 goals for the Lions under his belt, fans will be hoping for a few of his signature BIG Joe Daniher goals to light up the Gabba. You can bet all Lions fans will be ready for Queen Elsa’s “Let It Go,” on the back of a few snags come Saturday night. 

 Match-ups we're keen for

Cam Rayner vs Jake Stringer

All fans will be keeping an eye on two of the games most explosive players come Saturday, Cam Rayner and Jake Stringer. Rayner has delivered some standout performances this season, setting career-highs with 15.6 disposals per game and 25 goals. A proven match winner.

On the other side, Jake Stringer remains a key threat for the Bombers. He's tied for the most goals at Essendon this year with 40 and is arguably their most dangerous player. Stay tuned footy fans Rayner vs Stringer is something you don’t want to miss.

Despite some wayward goalkicking and a late Essendon flurry, Brisbane has sewn up fifth spot and will host an elimination final following a 20-point win over the Bombers at the Gabba.

On a frustrating night for the hosts, the Lions led by 46 points at the final change but had to endure some nervous moments after the visitors piled on five unanswered goals.

Brisbane was the better team for most of the night though and deserved its 11.21 (87) to 10.7 (67) win.

They will play either the Western Bulldogs, Carlton or Fremantle in two weeks, depending on results from the final day of the home and away season on Sunday.

Poor goalkicking was again an issue though, as it was in losses to Greater Western Sydney and Collingwood in the previous fortnight.

Led by Lachie Neale (40 disposals) and Hugh McCluggage (29), Brisbane's midfield was dominant, laying the platform for victory with a 45-25 clearance ascendency.

On a night when players from both teams made strange decisions and often missed simple targets, McCluggage was a class above with his creativity in close quarters and ball use in space.

Neale was at his prolific best, kicking a great snap from 35m and adding two goal assists to go with seven clearances.

Charlie Cameron found some form on the eve of the finals, kicking three goals, including one pearler on the run off his left foot, while Kai Lohmann was also dangerous inside 50, kicking three of his own.

Brisbane has some areas to address heading into its sixth consecutive finals campaign.

It made a number of uncharacteristic errors and over-possessed the ball on occasions when looking for the perfect option, keeping the door ajar for the Bombers.

Brisbane could have, and probably should have, led by more than 12 points at quarter-time, spurning golden opportunities around goal like it had in the previous fortnight.

Eric Hipwood and Jarrod Berry missed gettable chances, while Josh Dunkley totally shanked his set shot from 25m to miss everything.

They opened the gap to 28 points by the main break, with Cameron the beneficiary of some good work upfield, kicking two for the term.

Essendon was not helping itself with some horrible decision-making and turnovers, gifting the Lions field positions and putting itself under immense pressure.

Zach Merrett completed another wonderful season, racking up 37 disposals, while Andrew McGrath and the retiring Dyson Heppell had 34 apiece.

It was a rough finish to a rollercoaster season for the Bombers, that at one stage saw them comfortably sitting in the top four before losing six of their final seven matches.

The Joe Show ticks over to 200

As so often in the 199 games before it, Joe Daniher's 200th had a bit of everything. The Lions full-forward finished with 1.2 and his usual array of highlights and strange occurrences. After missing a set shot from 35m, he immediately drilled one on the run from 55m. Daniher appeared to have kicked a second from the boundary line – with players setting up for a centre bounce restart – before Edge showed it had shaved the post. Throw in a couple of marking contests close to goal where he appeared to have his arms chopped without receiving a free kick, and The Joe Show gave us a bit of everything.

Heppell's farewell

It certainly wasn't the farewell he hoped for, but Dyson Heppell's 253rd and final game was an absolute gem. The Bombers veteran was superb for his team, finishing with 34 disposals and a game-high 12 intercepts. As he has so often through his career, Heppell used the ball well off half-back, going at 85 per cent efficiency. With his brother Jamin back in Australia for the first time in two years to watch, Heppell can be well and truly proud of his final performance.

BRISBANE           3.4     7.9     11.17     11.21 (87)  
ESSENDON          1.4     3.5       5.7       10.7 (67)  

GOALS
Brisbane: Lohmann 3, Cameron 3, Neale, Morris, Hipwood, Daniher, Bailey
Essendon: Langford 3, Stringer 2, Merrett, Martin, Hobbs, Gresham, Draper

BEST
Brisbane: McCluggage, Neale, Lohmann, Ashcroft, Dunkley, Wilmot
Essendon: Merrett, McGrath, Heppell, Langford, Roberts, Martin

INJURIES
Brisbane: Nil
Essendon: Guelfi (hamstring)

SUBSTITUTES
Brisbane: Harry Sharp (replaced Eric Hipwood in the final quarter)
Essendon: Ben Hobbs (replaced Matt Guelfi in the third quarter)

Crowd: 31,663 at the Gabba