This Saturday afternoon, the all-Queensland AFL clash between the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast Suns will be played out for the seventh time at Metricon Stadium.

I, like many other football fans in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, will make my way to Carrara to see what is arguably the most anticipated QClash in the short history of this rivalry.

The reason for the anticipation is because the Lions and Suns are at similar stages of their development and it should be fascinating viewing. There will be an amazing array of footballers gracing the Metricon turf and some of the head-to-head battles will make for an entertaining afternoon of football.

There is every likelihood we could see Tom Rockliff taking on Gary Ablett, Jack Redden taking on David Swallow and Daniel Rich running alongside Jaegar O’Meara just to name a few cracking match ups.

Then there are the young stars of the 2013 draft class who will experience their first taste of this rivalry including James Aish and Lewis Taylor for the Lions and Kade Kolodjashnij, Clay Cameron and Sean Lemmens at the Suns. They are the kids that will ensure that this rivalry continues to build and grow over the next decade.

The Lions were rated by the experts as having one of the toughest fixtures this season and it didn’t get much tougher than Hawthorn and Geelong first up.

Taking positives out of two defeats can usually be an extremely difficult task but for the Lions that is not so much the case.

They have played some extremely tough competitive football against the best in the business. The Lions have been in each game for the better part of three quarters but it has been costly lapses of concentration in red time that has proved fatal so far.

Senior Coach Justin Leppitsch and the coaching department will have emphasised the point to the players this week that they have the fitness and the have been winning plenty of contested football to play out a solid four quarters.

The key for the Lions, as I see it, is to lock the game down in red time and don’t let the Suns score right before any breaks of play. This will be crucial for the Lions’ confidence and scoreboard pressure.

The Gold Coast came of age towards the end of season 2013. They started gaining belief that they can match it with their competition at AFL level and finished the year with a club-record eight wins.

A first up win against Richmond in Round One this year gave the Suns confidence in their ability to run out games. Their belief is being solidified after yet another grueling pre-season in the Queensland heat and humidity.

The trip to Perth to play a Fremantle side that is manic for structure and pressure was always going to be tough. In torrid conditions the Suns had no answers for a Dockers team driven by the pain of a Grand Final defeat from 2013. Ross Lyon knows a premiership is within their grasp this year and the Suns won’t be the last team that suffers defeat in the west.

Watching football at Metricon Stadium is a great experience for those that have yet to attend one of the AFL’s newest stadiums. For those of us that choose to drive to the stadium the parking is located on the opposite side of Nerang-Broadbeach Road at Carrara Gardens Golf Course.

The walk works its way back towards the traffic lights at Emerald Lakes Golf Course entrance. What I have noticed over the past two seasons watching football at Carrara is the amount of Suns merchandise and the colour red that members and supporters wear on the way into the stadium.

Once inside the gates, the stadium has great open space and flow for the foot traffic making their way to their seats. You can opt to grab a pie and chips at the bar near the Fifth Quarter stage before heading to the seating and taking in the magnificent arena and playing surface.

You can even grab a seat in one of the beanbags in front of the big screen if you feel the urge to relax before taking your seat in the stand.

As the Suns have improved, and expectations have risen, the crowds have been getting bigger and louder – something I experienced first-hand at the Richmond game in Round One.

I implore as many Lions fans as possible to make their way down the M1 on Saturday to one of the best venues in the AFL and cheer on the Lions boys for a sixth consecutive QClash victory, and quiet down the noisy little brother with ambitions of playing finals in 2014.

An added benefit of the QClash this weekend is the curtain raiser NEAFL clash between the Lions and Suns reserves sides.

Having two games of footy for the price of one and two opportunities to beat the Gold Coast on the same day – what is better than that on a Saturday afternoon?

Carl Nimb is an independent writer and Lions Member (#2604559) who will contribute to lions.com.au throughout the season.

You can follow him on Twitter @CarlNimb