The Brisbane Lions will look to make it two wins on the trot as they travel to Marvel Stadium for Round 2 of the VFL against the Footscray Bulldogs.

After a stirring come-from-behind-win in Round 1, the Lions will look to put in a strong four-quarter effort on Thursday night as the curtain raiser to the Bulldogs and Lions AFL clash 

The Footscray Bulldogs will be out to avenge their opening round loss to the Casey Demons, a game they were only down by two points late in the third quarter before Casey ran out 37-point winners. 

Last time we met 

The 2022 contest hosted at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex, was a dominate game for the Lions who kicked 43 points in the first quarter to set the game up. 

The Dogs kicked the last goal of the first term and the first goal of the second to bring the margin back to under 20 points, however the Lions came out swinging after half-time. 

Three quick goals suddenly wrestled back the momentum and the Lions didn’t look back, kicking four goals for the quarter and ran out the match 25-point winners. 

Ruckman Darcy Fort and big-bodied midfielder Rhys Mathieson were instrumental in the Lions win, along with now retired Mitch Robinson. 

Fort and Mathieson combined for 25 clearances, which allowed for Brisbane to play attacking football. 

This time around 

The two sides that will meet on Thursday afternoon will not be the same, with a mix of new AFL talent and VFL stalwarts. 

Ryan Lester will lead the way for the Lions, while the Dogs will be skippered by Lachlan Sullivan who just played in his 50th VFL game against Casey. 

Footscray has named a strong side for Thursday afternoon’s clash, with AFL talent galore. 

The Dogs have bolstered their line up with 14 players from their AFL list. 

The Lions will take in 16 AFL-listed players and plenty of VFL experience in a match where the Dogs will look to bounce back after their Round 1 loss.  

Rhys Mathieson will be one for Lions fans to watch this week after an electric performance against Werribee. 

Mathieson was a driving force behind the Lions comeback, particular around stoppages where he had 11 clearances. 

Tom Fullarton will be a focal point for the Lions attack after a solid outing against the Tigers last weekend, the tall-forward will be looking to make his mark on the scoreboard. 

Deven Robertson returns from tactical substitute duties in last week’s AFL match to support inside midfielders Mathieson and Jarryd Lyons.