2012 AFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON: ROUND 17 - QCLASH 4

Brisbane Lions (6-9, 13th) v Gold Coast Suns (1-14, 17th)
Saturday 21 July 2012
Metricon Stadium @ 4.40pm (local time)

NEAFL - BRISBANE LIONS RESERVES

Brisbane Lions Reserves (12-2, 1st) v Gold Coast Suns Reserves (8-6, 5th)
Saturday 21 July 2012
Metricon Stadium @ 12.30pm (local time)

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INJURY UPDATE

A full injury update will be distributed on Tuesday afternoon following a full playing list medical assessment.

Click here to visit the BUPA Health Centre hosted on lions.com.au

POTENTIAL MILESTONES

Pearce Hanley - 50 games (currently on 49)
Todd Banfield - 50 games (currently on 49)

MARCUS ASHCROFT MEDAL

The player judged best by a panel of independent experts during the matches between the Brisbane Lions and the Gold Coast Suns will be awarded the Marcus Ashcroft Medal.

Ashcroft was a valuable member of the Lions’ side that achieved a hat-trick of premierships from 2001-2003 and was the first Queenslander to play 300 AFL games.

He originally hailed from Southport on the Gold Coast before joining the then Brisbane Bears in 1989.

He was only last month inducted as one of the inaugural members of the Brisbane Lions’ Hall of Fame.

Previous recipients of the Marcus Ashcroft Medal are listed below:

QClash 1 (Round 7 2011): Jared Brennan (Gold Coast)
QClash 2 (Round 21 2011): Simon Black (Brisbane Lions)
QClash 3 (Round 4 2012): Tom Rockliff (Brisbane Lions)

LIONS v GOLD COAST HEAD TO HEAD

The Lions have won 2 of their 3 matches against Gold Coast for a winning percentage of 67%.

Biggest win: 65 points @ The Gabba in Round 4 2012
Biggest loss: 8 points @ The Gabba in Round 7 2011
Most goals (for): Ashley McGrath (6) @ The Gabba in Round 7 2011
Most goals (against): Nathan Krakouer (5) @ The Gabba in Round 7 2011

RECENT HISTORY

2011: Round 7 - 17.14 (116) to 18.16 (124) @ The Gabba - Lost by 8
2011: Round 21 - 18.15 (123) to 8.13 (61) @ The Gabba - Won by 62
2012: Round 4 - 17.9 (111) to 6.10 (46) @ The Gabba (N) - Won by 65

LAST TIME THEY MET

The Lions tilted the QClash ledger back in their favour with a runaway 65-point win over the Gold Coast Suns back in Round 4 at the Gabba.

The Lions took a narrow eight point lead into half-time, but piled on 10 goals to one after the main break to secure their second win of the 2012 season.

Captain Jonathan Brown helped spearhead the surge with three second-half goals - including his 500th career goal - but probably took a back seat to team-mate Aaron Cornelius who was the game’s most productive forward with four goals.

Tom Rockliff proved the standout with 37 disposals and two goals, which earned him the Marcus Ashcroft Medal as the best player in QClash 3, although Daniel Rich probably wasn’t far behind with 22 disposals and three goals from the midfield.

Simon Black (30 disposals), Ash McGrath (28), Mitch Golby (26), Jack Redden (26) and Pearce Hanley (25) also saw plenty of the ball.

The Lions defenders contained the Suns to just one goal and two behinds in the second half, which also contributed largely towards the victory.

FAST FOOTY FACTS

Lions Statistical Leaders (AFL Top Ten)
Handballs: 10th Tom Rockliff (198)
Marks: =6th Jonathan Brown (98)
Tackles: =9th Jack Redden (88)
Rebound 50s: =6th Matt Maguire (59), =8th Pearce Hanley (58)
One percenters: 2nd Joel Patfull (148), 4th Matt Maguire (144)

QClash 4 will mark the first time that the Lions and Suns have played for premiership points at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast. The Lions, however, did face off against the Suns at Metricon Stadium during the 2012 NAB Cup pre-season competition back in February. On that occasion, the Lions scraped home by two points in wet and scrappy conditions.

The Lions currently have six players recruited from the Gold Coast including Vice Captain Daniel Merrett (Southport), Andrew Raines (Southport), Dayne Zorko (Broadbeach), Claye Beams (Labrador), Bryce Retzlaff (Labrador) and Stephen Wrigley (Labrador).

Gold Coast players Michael Rischitelli and Jared Brennan both joined the Suns at the end of 2010 after spending 7 and 8 seasons with the Lions respectively.

Former Lions triple premiership team-mates Marcus Ashcroft and Shaun Hart are now working with the Gold Coast SUNS in off-field roles.

Lions ruckman Ben Hudson collected 23 disposals last Saturday night against St Kilda - his highest return since joining the Lions at the end of 2011. In fact, only once throughout his nine-year AFL career has Hudson collected more disposals in game (he had 24 disposals against Fremantle back in Round 5 of 2011 while playing for the Western Bulldogs).

Lions midfielder Daniel Rich has booted three goals in each of his two matches against the Gold Coast Suns. Rich, however, missed QClash 2 last year due to a foot injury.