QClash will put pride on the line
LIONS star Dayne Zorko says restoring some pride in Sunshine State footy is the mission for the battered combatants in Sunday’s QClash at the Gabba.
Both Brisbane and Gold Coast were on the end of floggings to forget last Saturday with a combined losing margin of 173 points for the Queensland clubs.
The Lions slumped to a recordequalling low score of just 17 points in the 93- point thrashing from reigning premiers Richmond at the MCG in a throwback to the days of the ‘‘ Bad News Bears’’.
Meanwhile, the suitcase- living Suns got thumped by 80 points by West Coast in Perth.
While grassroot footy numbers continue to prosper across the state, the performances of the Lions and Suns are still the all- important shopfront window for the code in Queensland.
That window is sporting a couple of cracks after the Round 4 romps, with their involvement in the multi- code stoush with Stadiums Queensland diverting attention away from the on- field woes of last weekend.
“This is a really big game for us. It is certainly a showcase game and there might be a little bit more in it for both teams, absolutely,’’ Zorko said.
“The Suns had a really good start to the year before a difficult road trip to Perth and we feel like we’ve played some really good football too, especially in the first three weeks, before last Saturday which was a blip on the radar.
“I know through being the Auskick Ambassador that Queensland footy is going really well and the numbers keep growing every year.
“Both Brisbane and the Gold Coast have shown signs this year that they are progressing and developing and I’m sure both sides will be looking to bounce back strongly.’’
Zorko said Brisbane moved on quickly from the Richmond loss when the Lions did not kick their first goal until deep into the third quarter.
“We did not want to spend too much time reflecting on it with the QClash this week so we put it behind us and our Tuesday training session was one of the best sessions we’ve had this year,’’ he said.
“That’s a really encouraging sign from an emerging group to show that maturity, move on and really get set for the QClash.
“Contested ball has been strong focus all week.
“Everyone raves about it because if you don’t have the ball, it is very difficult to do anything and Richmond really owned the contest last week.’’ a