It is to the AFL, what Monday night football is the NFL over in the United States – a prime-time weekly showcase of the code.
Friday night AFL matches have long commanded the biggest crowds and highest television ratings, and therefore generally feature the competition’s powerhouse clubs.
For the likes of Collingwood, who are set to play their third of seven Friday night games for 2013 this Friday at the Gabba, the occasion is probably second nature.
Not so for the Brisbane Lions, who haven’t featured in a Friday night match since their last Finals appearance against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG almost four years ago.
The last time the Gabba hosted a Friday night blockbuster was back in Round 4 of 2009, when Collingwood booted the final five goals of a tightly contested match to overcome the Lions by 17 points.
The time before that resulted in a famous two-point win to the Lions in Round 2 of 2008, when Jed Adcock proved the match-winner with a goal in the dying seconds.
Since that time the Lions have hosted their share of standalone matches on Thursday night at the Gabba, but Friday nights have been a rarity.
Senior Coach Michael Voss welcomed the opportunity for his team to be watched by the entire football community around the country.
“We’ve got Friday night lights,” Voss said.
“It’s going to be centre stage for the AFL. It’s a wonderfully exciting opportunity to be playing at our home ground in front of hopefully 30,000+ people.”
“For us as a Club, and as a team, it’s pretty exciting.”
Simon Black echoed his coach's sentiments, saying it will be the Lions’ biggest match of the year.
“It’s always special to play Collingwood, and on Friday night with a national audience makes it extra special," Black told Dom Fay and Michael Whiting as part of the Round 10 Fancast on LIONS TV.
“It’s something you look forward to at the start of the season. Hopefully we can put in a good performance for our supporters and get a good result.”
