They are no more valuable than any other home-and-away games, but there’s always something special about the first game of a new season. Optimism is high among fans, and players are pumped to blow out the cobwebs against ‘real’ opposition after months on the training track.  A fresh start.

In 37 years in the AFL Brisbane have a 16-21 win/loss record in Round 1 (or equivalent) matches, having ridden a multitude of highs and lows.

They’ve opened a new season in every state and against every opposition (except Fitzroy), and have gone 13-7 at home – 11-4 at the Gabba and 2-3 at Carrara in the early days – and 3-14 away.

They’ve had multiple Round 1 wins over Sydney (3-1), West Coast (3-2), Port Adelaide (2-1) and St.Kilda (2-2).

The freshly-retired Daniel Rich, who had played 15 Round 1 games in a row, holds the club record from Simon Black (14), Marcus Ashcroft (13), Michael Voss (13), Darryl White (13), Shaun Hart (13), Nigel Lappin (13), Justin Leppitsch (12), Jonathan Brown (11), Luke Power (11), Jed Adcock (10), Daniel Bradshaw (10), Ash McGrath (10) and Daniel Merrett (10).

Among current players, Dayne Zorko (9), Harris Andrews (8) and Ryan Lester (8) head the list of Round 1 games from Jarrod Berry (6), Charlie Cameron (6), Darcy Gardiner (6), Eric Hipwood (6) and Hugh McCluggage (6).

Statistically, Black has been the standout Round 1 performer, having polled four times in the Brownlow Medal in the season-opener for a total of 10 votes.

Jared Brennan (5), Luke Power (4), Jonathan Brown (4) and Lachie Neale (3) are the only other Brisbane players to have polled more than once in Round 1 games.

Black’s 39 possessions against Hawthorn at the Gabba in Round 1 2007, an equal career-best, is the club’s highest possession count in a season-opener. Next best were Tom Rockliff’s 37 possessions against Gold Coast in 2017, and Travis Johnstone’s 37 in 2009.

Captains Roger Merrett and Jonathan Brown share the club record for most goals in a Round 1 game at six. Merrett kicked six against North Melbourne in 1996, and Brown six against West Coast in 2009.

1987 v North Melbourne (MCG)

The Brisbane Bears opened the first year of the expanded national competition in 1987 when they took on North Melbourne on a Friday night at the MCG – and pulled off one of the biggest upsets in history.

The no-name Bears were given no hope by the pundits, but, led by five goals from ex-Essendon half forward Brenton Phillips, they led at every change and triumphed by 33 points. Phillips picked up three Brownlow Medal votes from captain Mark Mickan (two votes) and inaugural club champion Phillip Walsh (one vote)

Scenes of the Brisbane players signing the club song in the MCG dressing rooms with coach Peger Knights while holding scrap pieces on paper on which the words were written provided endearing memories that will never be forgotten.

1997 v Adelaide (Football Park)

A monumental day in club history when the new-look Brisbane Lions, formed over the summer via a merger between the Brisbane Bears and Fitzroy, played their first game.

It wasn’t the result that coach John Northey was looking for, as they went down to the Adelaide Crows in Adelaide by six goals, but it was a special day in club history.

Marcus Ashcroft (29), Shaun Hart (28) and Nigel Lappin (28) led the possession count as co-captains Michael Voss and Alastair Lynch kicked three goals.

Remember the team? In notional positions, it was:-

B: Chris Johnson, Richard Champion, Danny Dickfos
HB: Darryl White, Jarrod Molloy, Michael McLean
C: Andy Gowers, Michael Voss, Matthew Kennedy
HF: Scott McIvor, Clark Keating, Nigel Lappin
F: Justin Leppitsch, Alastair Lynch, Shaun Hart
R: Matthew Clarke, Adrian Fletcher, Marcus Ashcroft
INT: Dion Scott, Tristan Lynch, Ben Robbins.

1999 v StKilda (Gabba)

It was Leigh Matthews’ first game at the Brisbane helm. His mere appointment was a huge spark to the club after a tumultous 1998 in which coach John Northey was sacked, Roger Merrett stood in as caretaker coach and Michael Voss broke his leg, but when ‘Lethal’ started his rein things went to another level. 

In his first game in charge Brisbane, led by a magnificent three-vote performance from ex-Fitzroy captain Brad Boyd, belted St.Kilda by 89 points at the Gabba – the club’s biggest Round 1 win.

Boyd, devastated by injury after the Brisbane merger with Fitzroy, had 29 possessions and kicked four goals captaining the club in the absence of anointed co-captains Voss and Alastair Lynch.

Chris Scott picked up two votes for 27 possessions and a goal, Craig Lambert one vote for 19 possessions, and Darryl White (five goals), Shaun Hart (three goals) and Chris Johnson (three goals) joined Boyd in covering for the absence of first-choice key forwards Lynch and Daniel Bradshaw.

2005 v StKilda (Gabba)

Only once has the Gabba held the focus of the country to open an AFL season – 2005.

The Lions, premiers in 2001-02-03 and beaten in controversial circumstances in the 2004 grand final when they were denied a hard-earned homeground advantage for the preliminary final, took on a St.Kilda side that had finished third in ‘04.

With a sell-out crowd of 33,369 packed into the Gabba and televisions around the country tuned in, the Lions survived a third-quarter Saints revival to win by 23 points.

It was precisely the same margin at halftime, but after the Saints kicked the first five goals of the third quarter the visitors led by 10 points. Brisbane kicked eight of the next nine before a consolation St.Kilda major in the last 60 seconds. Luke Power was best afield.

2017 v Gold Coast (Carrara)

After the off-season sacking of favourite son Justin Leppitsch, Chris Fagan took charge of the Lions for the first time and celebrated in the best way possible with a win over the arch rivals from down the highway.

Fagan fielded a side that included only five current players – Dayne Zorko, Harris Andrews, Darcy Gardiner, Eric Hipwood and Ryan Lester – and watched with fluctuating emotions as the Lions kicked the first seven goals inside 17 minutes and led by 46 points at half time before the scores were level 14 minutes into the final term.

A Lewis Taylor goal put Brisbane in front with 10 minutes to play, and after an answering major from Tom Lynch for Gold Coast they hung on to win by two points as Dayne Beams, a one-time Gold Coaster and Collingwood premiership player in his second season in Brisbane, was judged best afield.