Who: Gold Coast Suns vs Brisbane Lions
Where: People First Stadium, Cararra 
When: Saturday 26 July at 1:20pm (local)
Gates Open: 11:30am

Weekly Notices

VFL Curtain Raiser → The scheduled VFL fixture between the Brisbane Lions and the Gold Coast Suns will now be played at People First Stadium prior to the AFL fixture, with first bounce commencing 9:35am. Come down and support the VFL team in action! Present your AFL ticket to enter free of charge.

Railway closures → Due to ongoing track maintenance and development works, timetabled railbuses will run in place of trains between Boggo Road and Varsity Lakes over the weekend. Patrons are encouraged to allow extra time for travel if using this service (so you don't miss the bounce). Read in more detail on the Translink website.

Tickets

Tickets → Tickets for Round 20 are on sale here. Ticketek staff will be onsite at the box offices (located at gates 1 & 3) on match day to assist with ticketing enquiries. There will be a limited number of tickets available at the box office on the day, however these are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed.

Around the Grounds

People First Stadium → People First Stadium’s full conditions of entry are applicable to this match. The full list of permitted and prohibited items can be found here. People First Stadium is now CASHLESS for all transactions – including; catering, ticketing and merchandise. Lions merch can be found near gate 1.

How to get to People First Stadium

Address → 338 Nerang Broadbeach Rd Carrara, QLD, 4211 Australia

Public Transport → The Stadium Traffic Area will be enforced for this event and monitored by City of Gold Coast. For more information about Council’s Traffic Area, please click here.

Free event shuttles will be running from Nerang Station, Broadbeach South Light Rail Station (outside Pacific Fair on GC Highway) and Boowaggan Road Park ‘n’ Ride. Shuttles will run regularly until the first quarter. They will run regularly again from the end of the game until an hour post-match.

Translink public transport services are also operating – plan your journey here. You can use your event ticket to access free public transport on G:Link services, Queensland Rail services and Surfside Buslines from 4 hours pre-match to 4 hours post-match. Please note: Due to ongoing track maintenance and development works, timetabled railbuses will run in place of trains between Boggo Road and Varsity Lakes over the weekend. Patrons are encouraged to allow extra time for travel if using this service (so you don't miss the bounce). Read in more detail on the Translink website.

Car → Parking in the Blue Carpark will be available to purchase via Ticketek here. If you have pre-purchased a pass, the Blue Carpark entry is off Nerang Broadbeach Road heading Westbound.

Accessibility Parking → Person with Disability (PWD) parking is available in the BLUE CARPARK for ticketholders. PWD parking must be pre-purchased using the link above (if tickets are still available) and a valid Disability Parking Permit must be on display to access the parking spaces closest to the gate.

Other Helpful Links → Accessibility information | Stadium Map | Frequently Asked Questions

Broadcast

Watch → Free to air on 7, or stream on 7plus, Fox Footy, or Kayo from 1:00pm.

Little brother became the bully on Saturday, as Gold Coast bossed Brisbane at the contest and rained goals down in the wet at People First Stadium to win the QClash by a record 66 points.

It was just their second win in the past 14 matches against the 'Big Brother' Lions and moves the Suns, temporarily at least, to seventh on the ladder with a match in hand.

Their 12th win of 2025, the most in a season in club history, was also a record margin against the Lions, eclipsing the previous mark of 64 points.

On a day that started as light drizzle and progressed to pouring rain early in the second half, Gold Coast was too physical, too clean and too skilled in winning 20.10 (130) to 9.10 (64).

Led by captain Noah Anderson, the midfield was unstoppable, taking down the vaunted Lions on-ballers in emphatic fashion.

Matt Rowell shook the hold Josh Dunkley has had over him in recent seasons, winning his first Marcus Ashcroft Medal with 37 disposals that included 14 clearances and 12 tackles.

Jarrod Witts outpointed Oscar McInerney and Darcy Fort in a dominant ruck performance and Alex Davies made a huge contribution in his first match of the season.

It was captain Anderson that took the game from a contest in the second quarter to a one-sided avalanche.

Anderson, set for his first All-Australian blazer, had 14 of his 33 disposals in the match-defining term, added a wonderful goal on the run and had another taken off him when teammate Jy Farrar got his toe onto a kick that was rolling across the line.

Gold Coast kicked seven consecutive goals either side of half-time to turn the victory into a percentage-booster.

Although the ball was wet, Brisbane was uncharacteristically fumbly, inviting more pressure from the Suns.

Ben Long kicked an equal career-high four goals, Farrar and Bailey Humphrey added three apiece as the forward line looked nimble and difficult to match-up on.

The Lions struggled to find winners on a tough day and now face Collingwood at the MCG next Saturday in a match that will have a big say on their top four hopes.

This was not the same Suns team that went goalless in the first half against Adelaide six days earlier on the way to a 61-point belting.

From the outset they were desperate, aggressive and spread well between contests.

The inclusion of Davies had a profound impact, adding physicality around the clinches that helped free Rowell from the tight grasp of Dunkley.

The Lions kicked two of the game's first three goals, but from midway through the first term the home team had the run of play.

They kicked brilliantly from tight angles. Brayden Fiorini curled in a lovely snap, Connor Budarick roved superbly to a Witts contest and Farrar finished on the run after a bone-crunching Davies tackle jarred the ball free from Zac Bailey.

Gold Coast extended its 16-point quarter-time lead to 33 at the half, with Anderson running riot.

The skipper put a big gap in the game late in the half with two blistering goals passages of play in the space of 60 seconds, the second mirroring his match-sealer against Collingwood two weeks earlier after finishing off a one-two with Sam Flanders following a centre clearance.

Rowell shakes the Dunkley straight-jacket
In five matches against Gold Coast since switching to Brisbane, Josh Dunkley has put the clamps on Matt Rowell and been a major reason for the Lions' 4-1 record in that period. The Suns' midfield heartbeat was having none of that this time around though. Averaging just 18 disposals in his head-to-head battles against the rugged Lion, Rowell went to work from the outset, finding the ball in congestion, getting out in space and working relentlessly to get on top. The inclusion of Alex Davies cannot be underestimated, with the big-bodied Sun seeking out Dunkley to give his teammate space. The result? Thirty-seven disposals that included 14 clearances for Rowell and surely some more Brownlow Medal votes.

One result can change a lot
Not only does the win move Gold Coast one step closer to qualifying for its first finals campaign, it suddenly puts a big question mark over just how high the Lions can finish. They will end this round in second place, or third if Adelaide wins Saturday night's Showdown, but with a tough run of matches to go, things are now tight. Next week it's Collingwood at the MCG, followed by Sydney at the Gabba, Fremantle at Optus Stadium and Hawthorn at the Gabba.

Long's big return to form
Ben Long was in the All-Australian conversation midway through the season, but has gone slightly off the boil in recent weeks, kicking six goals from his past seven matches. Against the Lions though, he burst back to life, kicking an equal career-high four goals and proving a difficult match-up for Brandon Starcevich. Long was terrific at leading towards the oncoming kicker, and when given his chances around goal, was a dead-eye.

GOLD COAST    5.1    10.3   15.6   20.10 (130)
BRISBANE        2.3    4.6     5.8    9.10 (64)

GOALS
Gold Coast: Long 4, Farrar 3, Humphrey 3, Ainsworth 3, King 2, Read, Holman, Fiorini, Budarick, Anderson
Brisbane: Rayner 3, Neale, McCluggage, Marshall, Hipwood, Bailey, Ah Chee

BEST
Gold Coast: Anderson, Rowell, Witts, Davies, Humphrey, Long
Brisbane: Bailey, Rayner, Lester, Neale

INJURIES
Gold Coast: Nil
Brisbane: McKenna (hamstring)

SUBSTITUTES
Gold Coast: Leo Lombard (replaced Sam Collins in the fourth quarter)
Brisbane: Sam Marshall (replaced Conor McKenna at half-time)

Crowd: 20,833 at People First Stadium