METRICON STADIUM, SATURDAY 7.25PM Lions derby victory a must for rebuild

BRISBANE the QClash. You can generally throw the form book out the window in a derby and the reality is only percentage separates the two sides on the AFL ladder.

But that vastly superior percentage is proof the Lions have taken another major stride this year and are now in a different stage of their development to their rivals.

The difference in public perceptions of the two teams is vast, the Lions have a far healthier list and although it looks like their young blokes are tiring, the Suns are battleweary after enduring the toughest schedule in league history.

When you look at the class within the two sides the advantage goes to the Lions also.

I would hope Gold Coast will find something for this game. They have had a tough year on and off the field which was capped-off by captain Tom Lynch’s decision last week to exercise his free-agency rights.

It was a bitter blow to the club and you can imagine the end of the season can’t come quickly enough for everyone in the organisation.

But there is still a lot to be gained by a strong finish. It can provide something for the recruiters who are trying to convince players to come to the Gold Coast. It gives the coaches a positive point to reinforce must win EXCLUSIVE

over the pre-season and it helps the players’ motivation when they are sweating it out over a long hot summer.

The Suns found something against Sydney a few weeks back and they would be hoping to replicate that.

Brisbane should expect this game will not be a walk in the park. But it should still deliver their fifth win of the season.

You could say it is a nonnegotiable. You don’t define a season by a game and internally there would be plenty of evidence the coaches could point to that would suggest the side has improved this year, with or without a QClash victory on Saturday night.

But this is a game they have to win to sell that hope to the members that next year is the year they could make a giant step and start pushing toward the top eight. More than at any other time in recent years they are a club that people want to support and players from across the competition might be interested in joining because the future looks bright.

A QClash loss would take the shine off a lot of things they have achieved this year and I can’t see it happening.