Queensland football will take centre stage at this Sunday’s Lions and Suns NAB Challenge match at the Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex.
The main event will be the all Queensland NAB Challenge game between the Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast SUNS, with the first bounce at 3:40pm.
There will be a real Queensland flavour to the match, with the Lions having a possible 13 Queenslanders to pick from, and the SUNS six.
Both clubs will be very keen to start 2016 on the right foot, and gain the mental upper hand before they meet each other in QClash11 in round 4.
However, Sunday will not just be about the NAB Challenge game, with a showcase of community football and talent.
In a curtain-raiser to the NAB Challenge game, the Moreton Bay Lions and Redcliffe Tigers will continue their storied rivalry in the sixth annual Councillors Cup.
It was Moreton Bay who claimed the first three encounters, before Redcliffe got one back in 2013, but the last two years have been all Lions, who will aim for three in a row this Sunday.
The SUNS and Lions jerseys will be going head to head a little earlier than the main event, with the two clubs’ Youth Girls academies taking part in a trial match.
The trial, which is the first of two this year, will help determine the final make up of the Queensland team for Youth Girls Nationals in Melbourne in May.
Players will be assigned teams based on their talent zone similar to the Under 18 boys.
The two trials won’t be the last time you see the SUNS and Lions female academies go head to head this year, with four more games on the schedule for 2016.
It’s the perfect opportunity to get a glimpse of the next wave of Queensland female stars, especially with the AFL Women’s competition due to kick off next year.
Don’t think that the action is restricted to the two ovals. There is going to be plenty of fun activities for the kids, like the AFL playground, around the complex.
Match Schedule
Oval 1
12:30pm – Councillors Cup: Moreton Bay vs. Redcliffe
3:40pm – NAB Challenge: Brisbane Lions vs. Gold Coast SUNS
Oval 2
1:50pm – Youth Girls trial match: Brisbane Lions vs. Gold Coast SUNS
Fore more information, or for tickets, click here
By Andrew Wiles
Follow @andrewjwiles