According to the Lions players, the noise generated at the Gabba can be equal to anything experienced at other AFL venues around Australia.

The parochial crowd at recent home games against Geelong and North Melbourne were particularly vocal, and played a significant role in helping the Lions secure come-from-behind victories.

However, the sheer weight of crowd numbers for those games won’t compare to what the Lions can expect this Saturday at the MCG.

The Lions’ average home attendance this season is 21,992 – with a season-high 27,170 turning out to witness QClash 6 against the Gold Coast SUNS in Round 15.

Meanwhile, Richmond and their ‘Tiger Army’ have been out in force this season, with their average home crowd figure of 50,236 more than double that of the Lions.

The Tigers might have had their fair share of blockbusters in 2013, but they’ve also managed to draw relatively big numbers against interstate sides.

Over 40,000 went to the ‘G’ to see the Tigers defeat Fremantle on a Sunday afternoon back in Round 17, while 43,615 people saw Richmond’s win over Adelaide in Round 12.

If those figures are any indication, then the Lions can expect to front their biggest crowd of 2013 this weekend.

Not only are Richmond up and running towards September, but the Lions’ Victorian faithful will also be relishing the opportunity to see the team play on the MCG for the first, and only, time this season.

The match will also be held on the traditional Saturday afternoon timeslot, which should also appeal to fans of both teams.

Although the MCG is simply ‘home’ for Richmond, the Lions only rarely get the chance to visit the ‘home of football’.

In fact, four players from last weeks’ Lions side – Sam Docherty, Sam Mayes, Justin Clarke and Elliot Yeo – have never played a senior AFL match there, while the majority of their teammates could probably count on one hand the number of times they’ve graced the hallowed turf themselves.

The biggest crowd the Lions have played in front of so far this season was back in Round 8 against Essendon at Etihad Stadium, when 33,915 people witnessed one of the biggest upsets of 2013.

The biggest home-and-away crowd the Lions have EVER experienced post-merger was in 2003 against Collingwood in the AFL’s first ever Heritage Round.

On that occasion, Collingwood had shot into premiership favouritism on the back of six consecutive wins, while the Lions were struggling to keep in touch with the top four.

Wearing a striking guernsey based on a former Fitzroy design, the Lions produced a dominant opening quarter by blasting eight goals straight in difficult windy conditions to take a 42-point lead into the first break.

History tells us that the Lions would go on to defeat the Pies again in that year’s Grand Final to make it an historic hat-trick of premierships.

So while they Lions might not have that many opportunities to play in front of big audiences, when they do, they quite often rise to the occasion.