A first for Hanley.
Irishman Pearce Hanley will become the first player to play for both sides in a Queensland derby as Q-Clash 13 opens the 2017 Toyota AFL premiership at Metricon Stadium Saturday night.
Hanley, traded from the Brisbane Lions to the Gold Coast Suns over summer, will play his first Q-Clash in the red strip of the Suns after wearing the maroon of the Lions in 11 of the first 12 matches between the two Queensland clubs.
The 28-year-old 129-gamer, who will wear #1 for the Suns worn previously by Marc Lock (one game) and Jaeger O’Meara (44 games), already has a lofty place in Q-Clash history.
He shares with new Suns teammate Gary Ablett the honor of twice winning the Marcus Ashcroft Medal as best afield in the Q-Clash.
After collecting the Ashcroft Medal and three Brownlow Medal votes in Q-Clash 11 early last season he heads the Q-Clash Brownlow Votes aggregate with eight.
Ex-Lions skipper Tom Rockliff has seven Q-Clash Brownlow Medal votes, and Ablett and ex-Lions champion Simon Black six each.
Also, Hanley, with 298 all-time Q-Clash possessions, is ranked second only behind Rockliff (310).
Tomorrow night Hanley will join Jared Brennan and Michael Rischitelli, foundation signings at the Suns, as players who have represented both clubs.
But he’ll be the first to played for both Queensland AFL clubs against the other.
As the Queensland football world prepares to converge on Metricon for the AFLQ grand final between the Brisbane Lions and the Adelaide Crows tomorrow before Q-Clash 13, former Cairns junior Jack Bowes will also grab a slice of Queensland football history.
Nineteen-year-old Bowes, captain of the Queensland U18 side last year, will debut in Q-Clash 13 alongside new clubmate and fellow 2016 draftee Ben Ainsworth.
They will take to 13 the number of players who have debuted in a Q-Clash.
This is a list which began with Tom Lynch, Sam Day, Joey Daye and Bryce Retzlaff in Q-Clash 1, and also includes Jack Crisp in Q-Clash 3, Sam Mayes (QC5), Louis Herbert (QC8), Josh Glenn and Henry Schade (QC9), Billy Evans (QC10) and Reuben William (QC12).
No less than five Suns players will play their first Q-Clash tomorrow – Bowes, Ainsworth and off-season trade pick-ups Michael Barlow, Jarrod Witts and Jarryd Lyons.
There will be no less than 10 changes to the Gold Coast side from Round 1 last year, with Hanley, Bowes, Ainsworth, Barlow, Witts, Lyons, Jesse Joyce, Kade Kolodjashnij, David Swallow and Peter Wright the inclusions.
They replace Sam Day, Michael Rischitelli and Jarrod Harbrow (injured), Nick Malceski (retired), Dion Prestia (Richmond), Trent McKenzie, Jesse Lonergan, Tom Nicholls and Ryan Davis (not selected), and Clay Cameron (de-listed).
Jake Barrett, new to the Lions this year from the GWS Giants, and Queenslander Ben Keays will also play their first Queensland derby.
There are seven changes the Lions side from Round 1 last year, with Barrett, Keays, new captain Dayne Beams, Dayne Zorko, Eric Hipwood, Michael Close and Nick Robertson in for Hanley, Allen Christensen, Josh Schache and Marco Paparone (injured), Claye Beams, Jono Freeman and Josh Walker (not selected).
Harbrow will miss his first Q-Clash after being the only player to play in the first 12, allowing Hanley and Rockliff to join him as the Q-Clash games record-holder.
New Suns co-captain Tom Lynch will play his 11th Q-Clash, while Zorko, picked up by the Lions after being passed over by the Suns, will play his 10th.
The Suns posted the highest ever Q-Clash score last time the teams met, kicking 22-7 (139) to win by 26 points at Metricon, but the Lions, who prevailed by 13 points in Q-Clash 11 at the Gabba, enjoy a 7-5 edge overall in a rivalry that is growing all the time..
ALL-TIME Q-CLASH APPEARANCES
12 – Jarrod Harbrow (GC)
11 – Tom Rockliff (B)
11 – Pearce Hanley (B)
11 – Matt Shaw (GC)
10 – Tom Lynch (GC)
10 – Jed Adcock (B)
10 – Sam Day (GC)
10 – Michael Rischitelli (GC)
10 – Daniel Merrett (B)
ALL-TIME Q-CLASH GOALS
22 – Tom Lynch (GC)
13 – Harley Bennell (GC)
12 –Jonathan Brown (B)
11 – Brandon Matera (8)
10 – Dayne Zorko (B)
10 – Daniel Rich (B)
ALL-TIME Q-CLASH POSSESSIONS
310 – Tom Rockliff (B)
298 – Pearce Hanley (B)
230 – Jack Redden (B)
225 – Gary Ablett (GC)
218 – Jarrod Harbrow (GC)
207 – Dion Prestia (GC)
192 – Dayne Zorko (B)
177 – Daniel Rich (B)
HIGHEST SCORES
Gold Coast – 22-7 (139) – Carrara – QC12
Brisbane – 18-15 (123) – Gabba – QC2
LOWEST SCORES
Gold Coast – 6-10 (46) – Carrara – QC4
Brisbane – 7-12 (54) – Carrara – QC9
BIGGEST CROWDS
Gabba – 21,170 – QC6
Carrara – 16,593 – QC7
By Peter Blucher
