THREE months after one of its most disappointing losses of the season, the Brisbane Lions have a chance to atone against Gold Coast on Saturday night.
The Suns sprung the eight-point upset in round seven on the back of brilliant performances by former Lions Jared Brennan and Michael Rischitelli and a season-best effort from Nathan Krakouer.
With just four rounds of the season remaining, both clubs are languishing near the bottom of the table and desperate for some off-season bragging rights.
The fitness of Suns superstar Gary Ablett is being closely monitored after he missed last week's loss against Geelong with a hamstring problem, while the absence of enforcer Campbell Brown (pelvis) puts a big dent in Gold Coast's defence.
For the Lions, Joel Patfull will miss the last four rounds after sustaining two fractures in his hand against Adelaide, while coach Michael Voss said on Tuesday injury-prone half-back Josh Drummond would return to the seniors.
Forward Scout
The Club: Gold Coast Suns
2011 so far: It was hard to know what the expectations were for Gold Coast in its first season, but it's fair to say whatever they were, they've matched them.
The Suns have three wins, but even more impressive has been their strong showings - for patches - against competition powerhouses Collingwood, St Kilda and Geelong (first time around). They have exposed 30 debutants to AFL and are in a sound position to improve next season.
The Coach: Guy McKenna was a 267-game warhorse for West Coast as a player and built his reputation on tenacity and toughness. Since retiring and moving into the coaching ranks, he spent five seasons as Mick Malthouse's assistant at Collingwood before accepting the inaugural job with the Suns. 'Bluey' has tried to implement an attacking game plan this season, refusing to use taggers or drop an extra man into defence, no matter how bad the scoreline looked. Along with the club's recruiting policy, he has taken a long-term view to success.
The Star: Gary Ablett. After two premierships and a Brownlow Medal at Geelong, Ablett came to the Suns with nothing to prove, yet the 27-year-old has managed to enhance his reputation this season. With minimal senior support around him, the Gold Coast captain has averaged 30 touches a game and continued to be one of the best three players in the competition.
His vision and ability to keep his feet in traffic is unrivalled and he's a dangerous target when going forward. Andrew Raines should get the big job on him, if he plays.
The Sleeper: After eight seasons at the Lions, Jared Brennan came back to haunt his old team when they met earlier in the season. The freakishly skilled utility took a pack mark and followed up with a goal in the early stages and never looked back on his way to winning the Ashcroft Medal. He has had a solid season with the Suns - averaging 19 disposals per match - and can still turn a game on his own in a quarter. Can play anywhere on the ground but does his best work in the middle or as a small forward when resting.
The Young Gun: While Essendon's Dyson Heppell and West Coast's Luke Shuey have attracted the bulk of the attention for this year's NAB AFL Rising Star Award, Sun David Swallow should not be forgotten.
The 18-year-old has played all bar one match this season and has been stationed in the toughest spot on the ground for a young player - the centre square. He has won just as much ball as Heppell and Shuey and stamped himself as a first class clearance player. A brilliant - yet under-rated - debut season in a struggling team.
Strengths: With Ablett, Swallow, Brennan and Rischitelli around the ball, the Suns' clear strength is their contested footy. They smashed the Lions in that department the first time the teams met and a repeat on Saturday night will lead to an identical result.
Weaknesses: While they have won more than their fair share of contested ball, Gold Coast has had trouble getting the ball into the forward 50 all season. They don't spread the ball quickly and often rely on Ablett or Swallow bursting from a pack or a Trent McKenzie long bomb to get it forward. If the Lions shut down the Suns' runners, the delivery for forwards Josh Fraser, Tom Lynch and Charlie Dixon is often rushed and sub-standard.
Michael Whiting covers Brisbane Lions news for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @mike_whiting
