The Brisbane Lions have confirmed their AFL and VFL teams for a weekend trip to Sydney to face the GWS Giants at ENGIE Stadium, with the senior side set for a Round 11 clash on Sunday at 12:30pm ET. The VFL team will follow later in the day, with its Round 9 match against the Giants scheduled for 4pm ET.
Ty Gallop returns from concussion and will start in defence, while Will McLachlan comes into the AFL side after being rewarded for his VFL form. Ryan Lester is out after injuring his calf at training on Thursday, leaving Brisbane to reshape a back line that will be under immediate pressure against a Giants side the Lions need to catch quickly in the race back into form.
McLachlan has been named on the bench alongside Jaspa Fletcher, Sam Marshall, Conor McKenna and James Tunstill. The three AFL emergencies are Luke Beecken, Zane Zakostelsky and Shadeau Brain. The match will be shown on Fox and Kayo, giving Brisbane a national platform as it tries to bounce back in Round 11.
The VFL selection brings a few notable changes of its own. Cody Curtin returns after two AFL appearances against Essendon and Geelong, and he is joined by Charlie Hewitt and Liam Jones. Raphael Geesu will make his VFL debut in the Round 9 game, while James Creighton is set to play his 50th VFL game. The VFL side is aiming for consecutive wins, which gives the afternoon fixture a purpose beyond simply feeding the senior team.
There are also absences. Reece Torrent misses with an ankle injury and Darragh Joyce is out with a knee injury, while Hunter Moore, Alex Pope and Will Shepherd have been listed as VFL emergencies. The VFL match will be streamed live via the AFL app.
Brisbane’s weekend in Sydney now carries two clear tests: whether the AFL side can steady itself against GWS, and whether the VFL group can keep building momentum with a debutant, a milestone man and a few forced changes in the same line-up. The Lions know exactly where they stand when the ball is bounced on Sunday; what matters next is whether the team they have named can answer it.
