Two Queenslanders will fittingly join the Lions side this Saturday night at the Gabba for the first ever Queensland Clash between the Lions and the Gold Coast SUNS.

Defender Josh Drummond returns for the first time this year after missing the first six rounds, while 19-year-old forward Bryce Retzlaff will make his senior AFL debut.

Drummond, whose left boot is widely considered to be among the best in the game, will be a welcome addition to the back line as fellow defender Joel Patfull moves to play at full forward.

Drummond has suffered from bad fortune the past year, with a mid-season ACL tear in 2010 sidelining him for the season, followed by an interrupted pre-season in 2011, first by a hip complaint and then a quad injury.

Bryce Retzlaff, the other new inclusion for the Lions this week, is a 195cm forward who has shown outstanding recent form for the Lions Reserves.

He has been rewarded with his first senior game since joining the Lions with Pick No. 84 in the 2009 AFL National Draft from Gold Coast club Labrador.

Matthew Leuenberger has been named as the Lions ruckman and will line up for his 50th senior AFL game.

Midfielder Jared Polec and ruckman Broc McCauley have both been omitted from this week’s side.


The full Lions team for Round 7 is as follows:

B: Cheynee Stiller (32), Daniel Merrett (21), Ash McGrath (9)
HB: Pearce Hanley (11), Matt Maguire (36), Jed Adcock (7)
C: Tom Rockliff (38), Simon Black (20), Luke Power (6)
HF: Claye Beams (17), Mitchell Clark (1), James Polkinghorne (31)
F: Todd Banfield (18), Joel Patfull (24), Bryce Retzlaff (37)
Foll: Matthew Leuenberger (23), Jack Redden (30), Andrew Raines (29)
Int: Daniel Rich (10), Jesse O’Brien (34), Tom Collier (22), Josh Drummond (39)
Emer: Josh Green (42), Amon Buchanan (33), Matt Austin (8)


IN: Bryce Retzlaff, Josh Drummond

OUT: Broc McCauley (omitted), Jared Polec (omitted)