HOW IT WORKS

As was the case in 2011, all clubs are split into six pools of three teams and will then play two shortened matches on one night as part of a triple-header in the first week of the NAB Cup.

But unlike last year, the results from round one won’t necessarily determine whether you continue through to the next stage or not.

Instead, ALL teams will go on to play full NAB Cup matches in weeks two and three, which will contribute towards their pre-season standing.

Four points will be up for grabs in each of the first four games (which includes two shortened games and two full games), while percentage will also play a part in helping separate teams.

The best two performed teams over this period will play off in the NAB Cup Grand Final, to be played on Saturday 17 March.

The other 16 teams, who do not qualify for the Grand Final, will be scheduled to play one final pre-season practice match on this same weekend.

LIONS NAB CUP FIXTURE

The Lions will face-off against both the Gold Suns and Melbourne in shortened games consisting of 20-minute halves, before playing Adelaide and Carlton in the following weeks. The fixture is as follows:

Week 1
Brisbane Lions v Gold Coast Suns v Melbourne
Saturday 25 February 2012 (matches starting from 6:10pm local time)
Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast

Week 2
Brisbane Lions v Adelaide
Saturday 3 March 2012 @ 7:10pm (local time)
Alice Springs

Week 3
Brisbane Lions v Carlton
Saturday 10 March 2012 @ 3:40pm (local time)
Fisherman’s Road, Maroochydore

Week 4
To be determined depending on advancements in NAB Cup matches

TICKETING

Please CLICK HERE for information on how to purchase tickets to the Lions' NAB Cup games.

LIONS PRE-SEASON VETERANS

Among the young crop of Lions players are a few ‘old heads’ who have played their fair share of pre-season matches.

Simon Black, who is just four games away from reaching 300 senior matches, also leads the way at the Lions for most pre-season games with 22.

The next best is Ash McGrath with 17, while Jed Adcock and Brent Staker have played 13 apiece.

Interestingly, Lions Captain Jonathan Brown has played just 10 NAB Cup matches throughout his 12 seasons in the AFL. But with a full training program under his belt,  you can probably expect to see the three-time Club Champion grace the field earlier than usual in 2012.

Most Pre-Season Games
22 - Simon Black
17 - Ashley McGrath
13 - Jed Adcock
13 - Brent Staker*
12 - Matt Maguire*
11 - Amon Buchanan*
10 - Jonathan Brown
10 - Daniel Merrett
10 - Cheynee Stiller

*Also played per-season matches with other clubs

NEW FACES

The Lions recruited 12 new faces over the off-season, including 10 first-year players.

Fans can probably expect to see former Bulldog Ben Hudson and former Hawk Jordan Lisle don the maroon, blue and gold for the first time, while all eyes will be on which of the Club’s teenage draftees can impress the most.

Callum Bartlett and Brad Harvey will also be looking to play their first official matches in Lions colours.

Bartlett has endured a horror run with injuries since arriving at the Club at the end of 2009, while rookie Harvey missed the team’s 2011 NAB Cup campaign.

SUPER GOALS

One of most unique, and exciting, initiatives of the NAB Cup is the nine-point ‘Super Goal’ awarded to players who kick a goal from outside the 50 metre arc.

Super Goals are generally hard to come by, as reflected in the fact that only four current Lions players - Jed Adcock, Simon Black, Josh Drummond and Daniel Merrett - have previously scored a nine-pointer.

In addition to getting maximum points, those players also earned their junior clubs FREE sporting equipment because of their achievement.

Jonathan Brown may have never experienced a Super Goal, but he has still kicked more pre-season goals than any other Lions player. Brown has kicked 17 goals from just 10 NAB Cup matches, to rank clearly ahead of Simon Black, who has booted nine goals.

Most Pre-Season Goals
17 - Jonathan Brown
9 - Simon Black
6 - Ashley McGrath
5 - Brent Staker
4 - Daniel Merrett
4 - Joel Patfull
4 - Amon Buchanan

* Also played per-season matches with other clubs

RECENT CAMPAIGNS

The post-merger Lions are one of five teams never to have won an AFL pre-season competition, together with West Coast, Fremantle, Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney. But the Club has won two pre-season Premierships (in 1959 and 1978) from back in the Fitzroy days.

However, the merged Lions have twice made through to the Grand Final of the pre-season competition since the 1997 merger - in 2001 against Port Adelaide and in 2007 against Carlton.

Here’s a quick rundown on how the Club has fared in the past few years:

2011: The Lions made an early pre-season exit after being dominated in the triple-header matches against Essendon and St Kilda. The Bombers defeated the Lions by 62 points in the first shortened match, before the Saints ended the Club’s campaign with a 29-point victory.

2010: The Western Bulldogs eliminated the Lions in the first round of the 2012 NAB Cup at a soggy Manuka Oval in Canberra. In a low-scoring affair, the Bulldogs scored a late Super Goal to claim an eight-point win.

2009: The Lions advanced through to the second round of the 2009 NAB Cup with a gritty nine-point win over St Kilda at Gold Coast Stadium. However, the Lions were bundled out of the competition in the Quarter Finals, when Essendon held on for a two-point win at Etihad Stadium. The Lions weren’t without their chances, with fresh-faced draftee Jack Redden missing a shot after the siren which would have secured victory.

RULES RUNDOWN

The AFL will trial several new rules throughout the 2012 NAB Cup competition, including the following:

• The number of players on the interchange will be reduced to just two players, with two substitutes (rather than three interchange players and one sub).

• As an extension of the rule that have been trialed in the past couple of years, the umpire may pay a free kick for ‘holding the ball’ against a player who drags the ball under his opponent, and may also pay a free kick against a player who holds a ball under his opponent, when he is trying to knock it out.

• A free kick will be paid against the last team to dispose of the ball with a kick or a handball before it goes out of bounds, provided no-one else touches the ball before it goes out. A stricter version of the rule was in force last year, but it was felt the 'last touch' element was too harsh in certain situations, and this has been altered in 2012 to a last kick, last handball or a player walking the ball over the line.

• Ruckmen will not be permitted to make contact with their opponent prior to bounces and throw-ins, with umpires ensuring the players do not make contact with each other until the ball leaves the umpire’s hand. The trial is designed to encourage ruckmen to contest the ball, rather than focus on nullifying their opponent, as well as making ruck contests easier to adjudicate.

It’s important to note that the final round of the NAB Cup will be played with regular premiership season rules, to allow clubs sufficient preparation for the season proper. However, the NAB Super Goal will still be a feature of the NAB Cup Grand Final.