MATCH PREVIEW: Brisbane v Redland

NEAFL ROUND 13

Sunday, June 30, 2019
Brisbane Lions (1st) v Redland Bombers (9th)
Gabba, 11.40am

SUMMARY

NEAFL football returns to the Gabba for the first time this year when Brisbane hosts Redland in an AFL curtain raiser on Sunday.

The undefeated Brisbane Lions are hot favourites to beat a Redland side who sit on only two wins at the Round 13 mark.

The Lions punished Sydney Uni on the road last weekend with a 128-point victory, and are set to field an even stronger side this week after naming a full team of AFL-listed players.

RECENT ENCOUNTERS

Round 7, 2018: Brisbane 22.15 (147) def. Redland 13.3 (81) at Coorparoo
Round 17, 2017: Brisbane 20.12 (132) def. Redland 18.6 (114) at the Gabba
Round 7, 2017: Redland 17.15 (117) def. Brisbane 16.8 (104) at Scottsdale Park

TALKING POINTS

1. Despite the contrasting ladder positions Redland love the challenge of playing top of the table teams. This season, Sydney (third) and Southport (second) were both pushed by the Bombers, escaping with seven and six-point victories respectively despite opposite ladder positions. Even though the Lions are a completely different machine to that of Sydney and Southport, it’s been shown Redland does enjoy the challenge of playing above their rank.

2. The Lions continue to get better week by week and there is no hiding the secret to their success is the health of their list. Zac Bailey and offseason recruit Marcus Adams returned last weekend for the Lions with Jarrod Berry and Lewis Taylor expected to return from injury this week potentially via the NEAFL.  Brisbane’s injury list is astonishingly barren, with Tom Cutler the only injury on the list currently. It means the Lions have named a full suite of AFL-listed players to face the Bombers this week.

3. Redland have only won the two games in 2019 but their percentage is currently better then Canberra, who have two more wins at this stage of the season. Their average losing margin is only 21 points, showing that despite their low ladder position Redland have been playing good football but just can’t get the job done.

ROOKIE WATCH

Tom Fullarton collected best-on-ground honours in the Lions defeat of Sydney University with the basketball convert having quite the day against the Students. Fullarton had 24 disposals, 17 of which were contested, and three goals in his performance. He’s having quite the season for the Lions.

STATS THAT MATTER

The Lions 128-point victory against Sydney University last week was the biggest winning margin of the 2019 season to date, and the only one above 100 points. It overtook the Lions Round 4 victory of 97 points against the SUNS and the Lions Round 2 victory of 95 points against the GIANTS as the previous highest winning margins. Historically, it is the biggest margin seen in the competition since Round 17 of 2017 where Sydney beat the NT Thunder by 146 points.

PREDICTION

Brisbane to turn it up for their Gabba debut for 2019. Lions by 30 points.

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