A record Queensland playing contingent is set to turn out in the most eagerly-awaited Q-Clash in history at the Gabba on Sunday night.
Subject to final selection, definitely 15 and possibly 16 ‘locals’ will be part of QClash28 between the Brisbane Lions and the Gold Coast SUNS.
Each side fielded seven Queenslanders last week, and with Brisbane defender Jack Payne certain to return from illness the record of 12 Queenslanders in a QClash, set in 2018 and equalled last year, will fall.
And if the SUNS include Academy graduate Sam Clohesy in their final line-up, after he was named on an extended interchange bench Thursday night, the homegrown representation could be as high as 16.
In QClash15 at the Gabba in Round 5 2018, when the Gold Coast won by five points after leading at each change, the Lions played Harris Andrews, Jacob Allison, Dayne Beams, Charlie Cameron, Eric Hipwood and Dayne Zorko and the SUNS played Jack Bowes, Jarrod Harbrow, Jesse Joyce, Alex Sexton, Rory Thompson and Lachie Weller for a record 12 Queenslanders.
In Q-Clash #26 at the Gabba in Round 8 2024, when Brisbane won by 34 points, it was Andrews, Cameron, Jaspa Fletcher, Hipwood, Payne, Bruce Reville and Zorko, and Closehy, Will Graham, Ethan Read, Jake Rogers and Jed Walter for 12 again. The average number of Queenslanders in the Q-Clash is 8.8.
The lowest homegrown representation was five in QClash7 in Round 3 2014, when Clay Cameron, Harbrow and Thompson were part of a SUNS side that posted a 53-point win over a Brisbane side which included only Daniel Merrett and Zorko.
QClash28, to be played at 7.20pm Sunday ahead of the public holiday on Monday, will be the first in which both Queensland sides go into the match sitting inside the top eight on the AFL ladder. Easily.
Brisbane are sitting second at 6-1 and Gold Coast third at 5-1, with a game in hand.
The Lions enjoy a 20-7 head-to-head record against the Suns, having won 11 of the last 12. It’s 12-3 at the Gabba and 8-4 at People First Stadium.
Zorko will play his 25th QClash on Sunday night to extend his lead at the top of the QClash leaderboard. His 24 appearances in the local derby for an 18-6 record leads the games list from Gold Coast’s David Swallow (22), Brisbane’s Daniel Rich (19) and Ryan Lester (19) and Pearce Hanley (17).
Brisbane co-captain Harris Andrews and former SUNS captain Touk Miller, set to play crucial roles this week, will play their 17th QClash this week, while Hipwood will play his 15th and Cameron his 13th.
Zorko is the all-time leading possession-winner at the QClash with 519, followed by Swallow (464), Rich (395), Miller (379), Tom Rockliff (379) and Hanley (351). The retired Harbrow (316) is the highest-ranked Queenslander at the SUNS.
Cameron is the all-time leading goal kicker in the Q-Clash with 32, followed by former SUN Tom Lynch (27), Zorko and Hipwood (21), retired Brisbane premiership hero Joe Daniher (19), SUNS spearhead Ben King (19) and SUNS veteran Alex Sexton (18).
Jarryd Lyons, one of three players to wear the colours for both clubs, heads the Brownlow Medal vote count in the QClash with 12 followed by Brisbane’s Lachie Neale (11), Hanley (10), Rockliff, Beams and Miller (9) and Zorko (8).
Sam Day, in his first season at the Lions after 14 years at the SUNS, on Sunday night will become the fourth player to play for both clubs in the Q-Clash, joining Lyons, Hanley and Callum AhChee.
