The match was originally scheduled for 1:30pm at Southport this Saturday, but has since been moved to 10:45am at H&A Oval on the same day.
Reserves Coach Nathan Clarke said the change was made after Southport Oval was assessed and considered an unsuitable playing surface.
“There was a schoolboy’s footy carnival at Southport during the week, and the rain down there was apparently much heavier than it was in Brisbane,” Clarke said.
“Even some of the games during the week were called off, so the ground must have been in some pretty average nick.”
“So now we’re playing in the earlier 10:45am timeslot - which will be kind of a curtain-raiser to the match between Broadbeach and Labrador.”
Clarke said the change of venue certainly won’t hurt the Lions, whose last trip to H&A Oval only two weeks ago resulted in a triple-figure victory over Broadbeach.
“We’ve had two really good wins there this year,” he said.
“It’s a pretty big ground, so presents a different dynamic. There are also little things like where the centre square and circle are positioned that we’ve gotten used to. I reckon it could be an advantage.”
However, the Lions will need to arrest a poor recent record against the Suns Reserves if they are to maintain their position at the pointy end of the NEAFL ladder.
“It’s something we’ve discussed as a group, and we’re fully aware of what the Gold Coast have been through as a club this week.” Clarke said.
“It will be a good challenge because although we’re going OK, we’ve still got things we want to rectify - and one is our record against the Suns.”
“We’ve had no excuses either because every time we’ve played them, we’ve had similar senior numbers.”
“They’ve simply been too good for us.”
The Lions Reserves will face Gold Coast at H&A Oval (Dunlop Crt, Mermaid Waters) at 10:45am this Saturday 16 June.
