The Brisbane Lions will take on Melbourne and the Gold Coast SUNS in Round 1 of the 2012 NAB Cup in a revamped pre-season format.

The full NAB Cup fixture, which was released this morning by the AFL, will also see the Lions face Adelaide and Carlton in the four-round pre-season competition.

The 2012 NAB Cup will feature pre-determined rounds - meaning that there will be no ‘knockout’ format, and no consolation NAB Challenge matches, as in previous years.

All matches will be pre-scheduled for the first three rounds, with the top two teams going through to the Grand Final - the remaining 16 teams will also play one final match on the same weekend.

The Lions’ pre-season campaign kicks off on Saturday 25 February at Metricon Stadium in a three-team pool against Queensland rivals Gold Coast, and Melbourne - a game that is likely to be highly anticipated with the recent departure of Mitch Clark to the Demons.

The games will follow the same format as in 2011, with each team playing two shortened matches against their opponents on the night.

The Lions will then travel to Alice Springs in Round 2 to face Adelaide, while the venue for the Round 3 clash against Carlton is to be determined. The opponent, date, and venue of the fourth round match will be scheduled during the course of the first three rounds.

For a full explanation of the NAB Cup format, including the full fixture, click here.