FORM GUIDE
The Brisbane Lions are heading into QClash8 coming off their second bye for the season.

They suffered a narrow 12-point loss in their last start in Round 17 against the West Coast Eagles at the Gabba. It was a scrappy game dogged by inaccurate kicking from the Lions, which allowed the Eagles to scrape home and keep their slim finals hopes alive for 2014. The Lions on the night just lacked a bit of polish in a game that was there for the taking. In any case, they have now had a week off to refresh and rejuvenate themselves for their second clash against their local rival the Gold Coast Suns.

The Lions currently have a 4-12 record and sit 17^th on the ladder, alongside four other teams also on four wins.

The Gold Coast Suns are also coming off their second bye and a last start loss to the Western Bulldogs in Round 17 in Cairns. It was a disappointing showing from the Suns in their first match without Gary Ablett Jr, only really putting in one solid quarter (the second quarter) before being well outplayed and out-enthused by the Bulldogs in the second half of their contest. They have now lost all six matches in which Ablett Jr has not played for them since joining in 2011.

The Suns currently have a 9-7 record and sit 9^th on the ladder.

The QClash is a rivalry that is still building and developing but QClash8 may be the one that really kicks this contest up a level. The Lions have a chance to spoil the Suns attempt at a maiden finals appearance in their fourth season in the AFL, while the Suns have the chance to push the Lions ever closer to the wooden spoon and improve both their record at the Gabba and in the QClash overall as well as getting themselves back in the top eight.

It is all there for the fans to witness who make their way to the Gabba for a twilight kick off at 4:40pm this Saturday.

TEAM SELECTIONS
The Lions Match Committee has made two changes to the side from their Round 17 fixture. Marco Paparone has been omitted and Mitch Golby goes out with a foot injury. They welcome back Vice-Captain Tom Rockliff from suspension and Jack Crisp also comes into the senior side after solid NEAFL form this season.

Guy McKenna and Suns Coaching Committee have made two forced changes with young star Kade Kolodjashnij out with a hamstring injury and Tom Murphy missing through suspension. Coming in to replace them is Luke Russell and Clay Cameron.

CONGRATS RYAN LESTER, NICK ROBERTSON, AND ROHAN BEWICK
Congratulations this week goes to Ryan Lester who this week plays his 50^th career game for the Lions. He gets the chance to celebrate his first milestone for the Club in front of his home crowd at the Gabba.

He joins a growing list of young stars in the Queensland capital that have celebrated milestone games this season.

Congratulations also goes to Nick Robertson and Rohan Bewick who have both extended their respective playing contracts with the Lions this week.

Robertson has signed on for a further two seasons until the end of 2017, while Bewick has a one-year extension that takes him until the end of 2015.

KEY MATCH-UPS
The Suns have favoured a three-pronged forward line for much of the year with Tom Lynch, Charlie Dixon and Sam Day all finding themselves with regular game time together in their fourth seasons in the AFL.

We can expect to see Matt Maguire, Justin Clarke and Joel Patfull lining up on these three young guns at the start of the day.

It is vital that they do not allow these Suns players to take early marks and kick goals as it only allows their confidence to grow as the game wears on. Spoiling and third-man-up tactics will be the order of the day, meaning Darcy Gardiner and Daniel McStay become ever more important to the Lions backline this weekend.

The two main threats at the feet of the Suns big men are Harley Bennell and Jack Martin. We have seen this season what Bennell is capable of when given space and time so a tight lock down role is necessary when he rests forward and that job may possibly go to Ryan Harwood running off the half back flank. Martin is still finding his way at AFL level after missing a good chunk of the year with a shoulder injury sustained in Round One but he has shown glimpses of the skill and composure that he is so highly rated for. Jack Crisp or even Jed Adcock may take him when he finds himself forward.

In the midfield Stefan Martin has been absolutely huge for the Lions in the six matches that he has taken the number one ruck mantle. He has battled some of the biggest monsters in the AFL seemingly every week and this week will be another challenge for him. He is giving away eight centres in height to Zac Smith but he does have significantly more experience at AFL level and the previous six matches will have given him a solid preparation for a younger and less experienced opponent.

At their feet will be a quality midfield tussle for the fans to experience with the Lions regaining Tom Rockliff who will be partnered during the day by Pearce Hanley, James Aish, Ryan Lester with Sam Mayes and Claye Beams probably running off the wings. It is a good quality group with the ability to win their own footy, spread quickly from the contest and they all like getting forward to kick a goal when they can.

From the Suns perspective they will have Captain-for-the-week Dion Prestia leading Jaegar O’Meara, David Swallow, Michael Rischitelli and Danny Stanley with Jarrod Harbrow and Matt Shaw running off the wings for them. They are an exciting group with talent to burn and I wonder whether Senior Coach Justin Leppitsch may consider a hard tag on Prestia for the afternoon, possibly Bewick?

Prestia is a ball magnet and has benefitted enormously from playing alongside Ablett Jr in his formative years and combing a tag with the burden of Captaincy on the day may put too much pressure on his shoulders to handle.

The Lions are going with their preferred two-pronged forward line with Daniel Merrett and Michael Close again named at full-forward and centre half-forward and they will see Rory Thompson and Steven May go to them for the afternoon. It will prove to be decisive for the Lions as Thompson and May have been in good form down back forming a solid partnership and the challenge for Merrett and Close will be to take some marks early to put pressure on this young duo.  

The Mozzie Squad of Lewis Taylor, Josh Green and Dayne Zorko will be important as always to the Lions chances of kicking winning score and they will need to use their biggest asset – speed – to run the Suns defenders all over the Gabba. Sean Lemmens, Greg Broughton and maybe one of Alex Sexton or Jesse Lonergan will find themselves down back during the game to try and nullify this impressive group of Lions.

STATSITICS

The Lions lead the QClash head-to-head record 5-2 but suffered a huge 53-point loss earlier this season in Round Three in sweltering conditions at Metricon Stadium. Leppitsch still rates that performance as the Lions worst effort of the season, which speaks volumes considering a couple of other losses they have had this year.

The Suns have a terrible record at the Gabba only winning one of the six games they have played there, losing to the Lions four times and also once each to Carlton and Melbourne. Their only win came way back in QClash1 in 2011 with an eight-point victory.

All coaches in 2014 are preaching from the same song sheet when it comes to winning contested possessions. The Lions are ranked 18^th in the competition averaging 125.1 per game, while the Suns are ranked second winning an average of 146.9 per game. This is a considerable gap that needs to be overcome by the Lions on the weekend.

Another area of the game that generates plenty of focus is the clearance count and again the Lions have struggled on this front ranked 16^th in the competition with an average of 11.1 per game compared with the Suns who are ranked equal fourth with an average of 13.2 per game.

The media are currently firmly of the belief that without Gary Ablett Jr the Suns cannot win and the evidence being relied upon is the six matches he has missed all being losses for the Suns. The monkey on the back will continue to grow with each loss without their inspirational skipper and the Lions have a chance to extend this seven wins without Ablett Jr.

In a tough season for the Lions they have been good value at the Gabba securing wins against the Blues and North Melbourne as well as running both Essendon and West Coast within two goals and they will back themselves against a young Suns outfit missing the best player in the game.

LIONS RESERVES
Last weekend the Lions reserves and the Gold Coast Suns reserves both had much needed byes heading into their rivalry clash this weekend.

The Lions reserves lost a nail biter to the North Territory Thunder just prior to their bye, going down 107-106. Jackson Paine kicked five goals and Jordan Lisle kicked four while other good contributors on the day included Nick Hayes, Zac O’Brien and Nick Robertson.

If not for inaccurate kicking at goal (26 shots to 22) the Lions reserves could very well have snatched a win against their more highly fancied opponents.

This week they face the Gold Coast Suns Reserves, who have yet to register a win in season 2014 and sit on the bottom of the ladder.

The game kicks off at 11:30am at Giffin Park for those who will be heading down to have a look before the senior sides lock horns at the Gabba later in the afternoon.

NEAFL Finals look beyond the Lions Reserves this season, given they currently have a 3-10 record and sit 11^th on the ladder.