Brisbane Lions fans are encouraged to arrive early at the Gabba this Saturday to witness the first NEAFL curtain raiser at the venue in almost four years.

The Lions Reserves will host Aspley from 3:30pm at the Gabba, before the senior team takes on North Melbourne from 7:40pm.

Development Coach Mitch Hahn said the occasion was an important one for the development of the Club’s younger players.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to play at the Gabba. It’s a special place to play at, and the boys will be reminded of that privilege. I’m sure they’ll lift for the game,” Hahn told lions.com.au.

“Hopefully in last quarter the crowd starts to build, so our younger guys get a bit of an understanding of what it’s like in a senior environment.

“Our fourth quarters have been poor in recent weeks, so we’re hoping that support from a home crowd makes a difference.

“The boys train there, and they know how to play the ground. We want to make it hard for other teams to play there.”

The Lions’ opponent, Aspley, moved into the NEAFL top four recently with a win over Redland, and boast a couple of experienced players who themselves will be quite familiar with the Gabba surrounds.

Two-time Lions premiership player Robert Copeland and Club-100-gamer Cheynee Stiller are among a handful of Hornets players with senior AFL experience that will prove critical to the outcome.

A win is essential for the Lions if they are to make any ground on a potential top six finish.

The Lions currently sit four games and considerable percentage behind sixth-placed Ainslie, with just eight matches remaining in the regular season.

The side will be buoyed by the inclusion of first-choice ruckman Matthew Leuenberger, who will play his first match since undergoing knee surgery 10 weeks ago.