FORM GUIDE
The Brisbane Lions travelled to Perth last weekend well aware of their recent poor record when venturing west. Unfortunately for the Lions it was yet another tough clash at Patersons Stadium with a powerful Fremantle Dockers outfit showing their premiership potential with a commanding victory.

In wet conditions the Dockers were better drilled and disciplined strangling the life out of the young Lions team. One player that fought on admirably for the entire evening was Tom Rockliff who gathered 45 possessions and put on 12 tackles in a fantastic individual performance. His midfield teammate Jack Redden was also very good finishing with an amazing 15 tackles to go with 16 possessions.

The Lions currently sit 17^th on the ladder with a 3-10 record.

The Lions this week are back home at The Gabba to face North Melbourne in a game that will also pay tribute to the recently retired Lion King Jonathan Brown.

North Melbourne is a team still looking for a consistent level of performance this season mixing impressive wins with surprising losses. They took on a much-improved Melbourne last weekend at the MCG and did what they needed to do for the win continually gaining the ascendency as the match wore on.

The Kangaroos record is currently 8-5 and they sit 7^th on the ladder.

TEAM SELECTION
The Lions Match Committee has swung the selection axe yet again, making four changes to the team that took on Fremantle last weekend.

Out goes Nick Robertson, Tom Cutler and Zac O’Brien who have all been omitted, while Darcy Gardiner has been rested this week after playing the past nine straight senior matches.

Coming in to replace them is James Aish, Ryan Lester, Ashley McGrath and debutant Daniel McStay.

McStay becomes the Lions eighth debutant this season after being taken with the Lions pick number 25 in the 2013 NAB Draft.

The Kangaroos have made only one forced change to their winning side from last weekend, with Robin Nahas going out with a shoulder injury. Max Warren comes into the senior side for his debut match.

Good luck to both McStay and Warren in the first match at AFL level.

KEY MATCH-UPS
The Kangaroos have named Drew Petrie and Aaron Black as their tall targets and they will most likely be opposed to Matt Maguire and Justin Clarke. The Lions do also have the added versatility of Joel Patfull in the back fifty should either Kangaroo become a headache for Senior Coach Justin Leppitsch during the night.

Patfull will need to use his experience to judge the third man up scenario with particular precision because Lindsay Thomas will be lurking for anything loose around the contest.

The Kangaroos have named two of their best performing players on the half forward flanks in Nick Dal Santo and Brent Harvey. Dal Santo has been an astute pick up for the Kangaroos who provides class and polish in the middle or when resting forward and Harvey continues to find the football, kick goals at speed and influence contests and matches for North Melbourne. The Lions will possibly send Ryan Harwood to Dal Santo when he drifts forward and Lions Captain Jed Adcock will more than likely be given the task of shutting down Harvey.

In the midfield it would be great to see Tom Rockliff and Andrew Swallow run alongside each other. Rockliff is the Lions best performing player in the middle of the ground so far this season, while Swallow is continuing to improve each game after returning from an Achilles injury. They are two ball winners of the highest quality and leaders for their teammates to follow.

Jack Redden and Ben Cunnington would also be great to see, with both renowned ‘hard nuts’ who can win contested possessions, win clearances and lay tackles that stick.

Levi Greenwood has been in fantastic form for the Kangaroos and there is a possibility that he could line up on Sam Mayes on one of the wings. Mayes should look to exploit his height advantage by dragging Greenwood deep forward when he has the opportunity to mark and goal.

Stefan Martin continues his ruck role with yet another huge challenge, taking on Kangaroos big man Todd Goldstein. Goldstein is having a fantastic year and the Lions will need another big night out for Martin, with assistance from Daniel Merrett, to negate the Kangaroos ruckman and give their midfielders an opportunity to win clearances.

On the Lions half forward line, the fans may possibly be treated to an exhibition of speed with Dayne Zorko and Shaun Atley ready to square off against each other. Zorko has been hitting the goals regularly this season and will be relying on his Mozzie Squad mates in Lewis Taylor and Josh Green when he gets forward to impact the scoreboard and leave Atley in traffic.

Luke McDonald was a father-son selection for the Kangaroos last season and has had a good first season in the AFL, justifying his number eight selection in the NAB Draft. There is every chance that he could find himself opposed to Green to negate his influence or maybe a slightly taller opponent like Rohan Bewick, who is also capable of taking marks inside the forward fifty.

The Lions will be using a two pronged tall forward set up with Daniel Merrett and Michael Close named in the first forward line structure post the Jonathan Brown era. Merrett could find himself playing forward, with a pinch-hitting role in the ruck, for the remainder of the season. The Lions will continue to give game time to the young forwards coming through at the Club and this week Close gets another opportunity to try and lock down a permanent spot in the forward fifty.

Those two players will more than likely find themselves opposed to Michael Firrito and All-Australian Scott Thompson, who have Lachlan Hansen as the third tall to assist in times when the Kangaroos require the third man up.

STATISTICS
When the Kangaroos ventured to the Gabba in the second half of last season it was in similar circumstances to their upcoming visit this weekend.

In 2013 they had faced the Lions at Etihad Stadium in Round Four where they recorded an easy 63-point win and were expected to make light work of the Lions again in Round 16. However, the Lions threw the script in the bin to snatch a 12-point win off the back of a best-on-ground performance by Tom Rockliff, who collected three Brownlow Medal votes, and three goals each to Sam Mayes and Pearce Hanley.

Hanley on that day actually put his hand up for a goal of the year nomination dodging and weaving his way into the fifty-metre arc before finishing brilliantly with a snap shot on goal.

Cue 2014 and the Lions once again get ready to host the Kangaroos after an early season thrashing at Etihad Stadium in Round Nine going down by 87-points. This time round the added incentive is looming large to give Jonathan Brown a send-off that he deserves after giving the Club so much over such a long time.

The Lions should be aware that the Kangaroos have a terrible recent record at the Gabba.

The Lions have won the past five clashes, including nine of the past ten, in Brisbane against North Melbourne. The Kangaroos last recorded a victory at the Gabba in Round Ten in 2005 and the Lions supporters and members will be hoping for more of the same this Saturday evening.

LIONS RESERVES
Last weekend the Lions reserves had the weekend off as the NEAFL Representative team took on Tasmania.

The Lions reserves this week play a curtain raiser at the Gabba kicking off at 3:30pm against their fierce local rival the Aspley Hornets.

The Lions reserves have already played a curtain closer earlier this year at the Gabba following the Lions clash with Geelong. It is a great initiative from the Club to get the reserves some game time at the main venue that the players are striving to play at on a regular basis.

A win is vital for the Lions as they are four wins outside the top six positions, currently sitting 10^th on the ladder with a 3-7 record.


Carl Nimb is an independent writer and Lions Member (#2604559) who will contribute to lions.com.au throughout the season.

You can follow him on Twitter @CarlNimb