The Brisbane Lions will reignite their rivalry with the Southport Sharks in the VFL at Brighton Homes Arena on Saturday afternoon.

The Round 4 clash will be the first official meeting for the two sides since Southport’s triumph in the 2022 Qualifying final.

After two pre-season matches, where the Lions were victorious on both occasions, this match-up promises to be a mouthwatering prospect.

The Lions are flying high after two gutsy wins in Round 1 and 2, followed by a solid, four-quarter performance against Collingwood.

Southport, however, opened its season in fine fashion, beating Sandringham by 86 points before falling to North Melbourne and Werribee in the past two weeks.

This weekend has all the hallmarks for a bruising encounter as the Lions look to end a three-year drought against their home-state rival.

Last time we met

Coming into the 2022 Qualifying Final, the Lions had won four games in a row to lock in a home final for the first week of the finals series.

Looking to knock off the second-placed Lions, Southport travelled up the motorway to Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex and completed a 49-point win.

Southport’s big man Brayden Crossley played a magnificent game while Boyd Woodcock took control through the middle of the ground as did Jacob Dawson.

In a game where the Lions never got going, ending in their lowest score for 2022 (38-points), James Madden was excellent across half-back alongside James Tunstill in the midfield.

Kai Lohmann kept Brisbane in the match early as did Darcy Fort and Callum Ah Chee, but Southport was too strong, sending the Lions to a do-or-die Semi-Final final against Carlton.

This time around

The Lions will enter Saturday’s clash full of confidence but must be weary of a hungry Southport outfit.

Coming off the back of two straight losses, the Sharks will be wanting to turn their early season form around and re-establish themselves as contenders.

Fraser Thurlow has been dynamic in front of goal kicking seven goals in two games for the Sharks, as has Zac Foot who has kicked eight goals in the first three rounds.

This will be an interesting match-up against a Lions defence that have only allowed 68 points on average per game.

Thanks to captain Ryan Lester and tall backman Harry Arnold and Lockie Rayner, the Lions have been able to win the aerial battle on the defensive end and will welcome back experienced AFL-listed defender Darcy Gardiner from injury this weekend.

The Lions ball movement from the back half has also been slick in recent weeks thanks to James Madden, Harry Sharp and Ah Chee.

Southport has a plethora of ball winners across the ground including Woodcock, Jacob Dawson and Mackenzie Willis along with Jackson Edwards.

The midfield battle will be an intriguing one with both sides boasting well-established and experienced players in their engine rooms.

Rhys Mathieson and Dawson are two of the top five accumulators of the footy through three rounds.

Jarryd Lyons is another key possession winner averaging over 29.5 touches, including a 40-disposal game against Collingwood last Thursday.

Fort will be another vital cog to the Lions midfield with his expert ruck work being a catalyst for Brisbane’s clearance dominance last week.

The Brisbane forward line was an area for growth after the first two rounds not firing on all cylinders but the clash against Collingwood put any doubts to bed.

The Lions kicked 17 goals against the Pies including five goals in the first quarter and six in the final term with a large spread of goal kickers.

Wylie Buzza has been in outstanding form booting multiple majors in every game so far to have eight goals through three rounds.