The Brisbane Lions will welcome more than 80 past players and officials back to the Gabba this Saturday night for a reunion function surrounding the team’s Round 23 match against the West Coast Eagles.

The event will bring a range old Fitzroy, Bears and Lions players together - from former rover George Coates who represented the Club back in the 1940s to dual premiership player Tim Notting who retired from AFL football only two years ago.

The guest list also features a handful of players who were part of the Brisbane Bears’ first ever season back in 1987, including inaugural Captain Mark Mickan.

Joining them will be former Club Best & Fairest winners Martin Leslie, John Gastev and Scott McIvor, premiership players Shaun Hart, Clark Keating and Aaron Shattock, as well as Simon Hawking who was one of the eight players originally selected from Fitzroy at the end of 1996 to form part of the inaugural Brisbane Lions side.

Other guests include the likes of Mark Zanotti, Michael Gibson and Brad Edwards, who played for both Fitzroy and the Bears at different stages throughout their careers.

For Notting, the casual get-together presents an opportunity for him to catch up with some of his former team-mates.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Notting said.

“I see it as a good chance to spend some time with guys that I probably don’t normally catch up with.”

“I obviously see guys like Shatts (Aaron Shattock) and Trent Knobel a fair bit because I still play footy with them at Labrador. I’m also still close with a few of the boys at the Club like Browny, Jed Adcock and Cheynee Stiller.”

“But other than that, you don’t often get the chance to mix with many of your old team-mates. We’ve all moved on and are involved in our own lives now,” he said.

“That’s why it’s great for the Club to organise these types of events. Even if it only happens once a year, you can make a whole weekend out of it.”

“I played with ‘Spida’ Everitt at Labrador last year and he said that around 30-40 Swans players would organise get-togethers themselves. They would pick a game and whoever could make it would get along.”

“I think organising it around a home game late in the year is good as well. It gives us guys a chance to support the team and have a closer look at the young guys coming through.”

This Saturday night’s reunion will mark the second Brisbane Lions Past Players & Officials function held at the football in 2011. The first event was held in Melbourne surrounding the team’s Round 18 match against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.