WHERE AND WHEN: The Gabba, Thursday April 5, 7.40pm
LAST TIME: Carlton 19.10 (124) d Brisbane Lions 9.9 (63), round 12, 2011 at Etihad Stadium
TV, RADIO AND BETTING: Click here for broadcast guide and odds

Both teams are coming off rousing first-up wins with Carlton over-running Richmond and the Lions dismantling Melbourne. The Blues were easy winners on the one occasion they met last year, but this time should be different with a near full-strength Lions showing a more even spread of contributors. A test against one of the premiership heavyweights will show just whether the Lions have made early season inroads or not.

THE FOUR POINTS
Brisbane Lions
1. How the Lions recover from such a short break could tell a tale. They have just five days between matches and do not have a main training session scheduled - just a light run the day before the match. Carlton is a quick, athletic team that will exploit any fatigue.

2. The Lions' midfield was brilliant against Melbourne, not only winning the ball, but just as importantly going forward and kicking goals. Tom Rockliff, James Polkinghorne and Pearce Hanley were all multiple goalkickers, and replicating their work forward against the Blues is crucial with the revamped Lions front half.

3. While others may debate the pecking order of Carlton midfielders, there's little doubt the Lions still put Chris Judd on a pedestal. With Andrew Raines making his way back from injury through the reserves, the Lions have no recognised run-with player. NAB Rising Star nominee Claye Beams has the discipline and size to match the Blues' champion.

4. Carlton's lethal small forwards Eddie Betts and Jeff Garlett give most teams headaches, and the Lions are no exception. Just how the likes of Jed Adcock, Ash McGrath and Hanley cope with them will go a long way towards determining a winner.

Carlton
1. The battle of the big men will be a beauty between these two sides. Matthew Kreuzer and Shaun Hampson combined very well against the Tigers with Kreuzer's athleticism around the ground complementing Hampson's work in the forward half where he booted three goals. The Lions showed they pulled the right rein in talking Ben Hudson out of retirement with the former Bulldog proving an excellent foil to Matthew Leuenberger in the win against the Demons.
 
2. It will be interesting to see who gets handed the substitute's vest for this game. Kane Lucas was the sub last week and made a big impact with two goals when subbed in for Jordan Russell at three-quarter time. If you do well as a sub one week does that earn you a full game or condemn you to another week wearing the dreaded green vest?
 
3. Carlton coach Brett Ratten will achieve the rare feat of having played and coached 100 AFL games with the same club when the Blues take on the Lions. Ratten played 255 games for Carlton in a career spanning 14 years and reaches the coaching milestone after taking over from Denis Pagan with six games left in the 2007 season. His coaching record stands at 50 wins, 48 losses and a draw heading into his 100th match in charge.
 
4. Ratten described veteran Lions playmaker Simon Black as like a fine red wine getting better with age after his 30-possession performance against Melbourne. He looms as a key figure again this week, but Ratten has Andy Carrazzo to call on to do the big job. Ratten rated Carrazzo his best player against the Tigers after he gathered 31 touches while running with Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs