FORM GUIDE

The Brisbane Lions had the Bye last weekend, which was timely after a tough first ten games only getting the solitary win in New Zealand on ANZAC Day against St. Kilda.

The players had time to rest, relax and get over any niggling injuries and spend some time with family and friends in the middle of a taxing season. It is very valuable and the AFLPA have done a great job of getting a second bye into season for the players.

Currently the Lions are sitting on the bottom of the ladder with a 1-8 record.

Carlton started the year very poorly but has slowly been working their way back towards a possible top eight position. They have won four of their past five games including their last start against Adelaide at the MCG. It was a tense and tight affair and the Blues hung on for a hard fought five-point victory over the Crows.

The Blues are sitting 12^th on the ladder with a 4-5 record and will be desperate to level the ledger at the Gabba on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions will sense a chance at causing an upset against a Blues outfit that has yet to hit their straps in 2014, notwithstanding their recent winning form.

TEAM SELECTION

The Lions Match Committee has made a total of six changes to the side that took on North Melbourne two weeks ago at Etihad Stadium.

All six of Andrew Raines, Ryan Lester, Jordan Lisle, Nick Robertson, Tom Cutler and Michael Close have been omitted.

Coming back into the side is Vice Captain Tom Rockliff and Joel Patfull who both missed the previous match with gastro.

Joining them in the senior line up is Ryan Harwood, Matt Maguire who is back from suspension, Sam Mayes who is back from concussion and rookie Zac O’Brien who will make his debut for the Club.

23-year-old O’Brien has been upgraded to the senior list in place of Patrick Wearden and is fully deserving of his debut after a string of consistent performances in the NEAFL.

Carlton loses both Andrew Walker and Dennis Armfield through injury but will welcome back Andrew Carrazzo and Mitch Robinson for this week’s clash.

KEY MATCH-UPS

Starting in the Lions defensive half, it is the small forwards of Carlton that the Lions need to wary of as they have the ability to blow a game open with their speed and pace.

Chris Yarran, Jeff Garlett and Troy Menzel have been named in the forward half for the Blues with Ryan Harwood, Jed Adcock and Mitch Golby potentially in line for those particular match-ups.

Joel Patfull is also capable of playing against smaller forwards, so could prove another option for Senior Coach Justin Leppitsch.  

Young Blue Menzel is adept at snapping the ball around his body and also has great hands on the lead and quality finishing from his set shots. Menzel is showing composure beyond his years and Adcock is the player that the Lions need to take him out of the game.

Former Lion Lachlan Henderson is the opposition’s key forward and Matt Maguire will have a tough afternoon containing him deep in the Blues’ forward line. It is vital to the Lions chances of winning that Henderson does not kick a bag and it may very well require that Joel Patfull come over the top in any one-on-one marking situation as the third man up to support Maguire.

In the midfield if the teams line-up as named, there is a coupling of fantastic match-ups on the wings with Sam Mayes taking on Dale Thomas and on the other wing two South Australians going head-to-head in James Aish and Bryce Gibbs.

Both Mayes and Thomas love kicking goals, while on the other side Aish and Gibbs will rack up possessions as they please coupled with really high-quality and clever ball use, very rarely wasting possession.

In the centre the fans will see the two blue chip midfielders of the day in Tom Rockliff and Marc Murphy. Both are leaders for their respective clubs and who win plenty of football, which strongly influences the outcome for their respective team.

In the Lions forward half they are looking to stretch the Blues defence going with a three-pronged tall forward line with Jonathon Brown, Daniel Merrett and Jackson Paine all named.

The Lions have three very quick and clever smalls at the tall guys’ feet with Josh Green, Dayne Zorko and Lewis Taylor making a very handy front six.

Michael Jamison will have his hands full directing traffic for the Blues in the defensive fifty throughout the night, with Simon White and the improved Sam Rowe helping out as well.

The Blues have a very handy utility bench named with Jarrad Waite, Andrejs Everitt proving height and versatility to go along with Andrew Carrazzo who can perform a shut down role and Mitch Robinson providing some grunt.

The Lions have gone smaller with Claye Beams, Zac O’Brien and Mitch Golby with only Marco Paparone proving any additional height, showing that they may intend for this clash to become a real tough gut-running affair as the evening wears on.

RECENT HISTORY

The Lions have lost the last five to the Blues with their last home and away victory coming way back in Round 2 of 2010 at the Gabba with Jonathan Brown kicking seven goals on that day.

However, the Lions did defeat the Blues in the 2013 NAB Cup Grand Final at Etihad Stadium with Jonathan Brown kicking five goals and Josh Green contributing three a 40-point win for the Lions.

The two teams are more evenly matched than their current ladder positions suggest and the main thing that Leppitsch would be seeking from the young Lions outfit is a consistent four-quarter effort across the match.

LIONS RESERVES

The Lions Reserves also had last weekend off due to the NEAFL representative fixture against the WAFL at Blacktown. The Gold Coast Suns reserves and UWS Giants faced off in the only scheduled NEAFL fixture.

The Lions Reserves are back this week playing at the fantastic Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex at Burpengary when they take on the Gold Coast Suns Reserves.

The Suns reserves were completing outplayed and outclassed last weekend at Metricon Stadium by the UWS copping a 191-point belting. The Suns will be looking to redeem themselves with only Karmichael Hunt reaching 20 disposals.

The Lions Reserves will seek to take advantage of the hiding that the Suns reserves were dealt in their last start and get their third win of the season and start their charge towards the top six.