It’s been a long time coming for AFL fans, but Round 1 of the men’s competition has finally arrived.
Here are three things to know ahead of our season opener verse Port Adelaide at the Gabba.
Say Hello to the New Recruits
It’ll be a mixture of familiar meets fresh faces for the Lions as they welcome back 3 faces that were absent from their 2021 campaign.
Fan favourite Cam Rayner will make his long-awaited return from an ACL injury, while forgotten warrior Noah Answerth will play his first AFL game since 2020.
Head Coach Chris Fagan said both boys were chomping at the bit to return to the Gabba on Saturday night.
“They’re both very excited about playing tomorrow,” he said.
“Cam had a hit-out against Adelaide a couple of weeks ago at the same ground where he did his knee, which was a bit of a traumatic day for him.
“He got through the game and played well. All he’s got to do tomorrow is play his role. We don’t need him to play the house down, he’s just got to do his role.”
Recruit, Darcy Fort will also make his Lions debut after crossing the border from Geelong late last year.
A Hoodoo to Break
For either Brisbane or Port Adelaide, a hoodoo will be broken at the full-time siren.
Port Adelaide will be looking to set the record straight after poor outings against Brisbane in the last three years.
Head-to-head, Port has lost by an average of 44-points against the Lions and will be looking to start their season off in the right fashion.
For Brisbane, they’ll be looking to notch their first Round 1 victory since 2019.
Having been shocked by a resurgent Sydney side last year, the Lions fell short by 31-points at the Gabba but will look to their form against Port as inspiration.
Keep Your Eyes On…
If last year’s encounter was anything to go by, Lions fans will have their eyes firmly set on Charlie Cameron who was a livewire, kicking four goals last time we met.
Hugh McCluggage was clinical in the engine room, amassing 30 disposals and 6 clearances while Joe Daniher was lively with two goals and 17 touches.
For Port fans, reigning Brownlow Medallist, Ollie Wines will be looking to start his 2022 where he left 2021.
In a near best-on-ground performance last time we played, Wines racked up a whopping 37 disposals and 7 marks while Willem Drew wasn’t far behind with 32 touches.
Without Charlie Dixon in the Port forward line, the weight falls on youngsters Mitch Georgiades and Todd Marshall against an experienced Lions backline in Harris Andrews, Marcus Adams and Darcy Gardiner.
