With the Gold Coast SUNS 3rd on the AFL ladder and the Brisbane Lions 2nd, this weekend shapes as the most eagerly awaited clash between the two clubs since the first QClash in Round 7 2011, when the SUNS shocked the Lions by eight points at the Gabba.

Indeed, never before have both clubs been inside the top 10 on the ladder going into a QClash.

Player Count

A total of 236 players have appeared in a QClash – 125 in red and gold and 116 in maroon, blue and gold – with Brisbane holding a 20-7 record overall and an 11-1 record since August 2018.

The SUNS win in that period was Round 20, 2023 at People First Stadium, when Touk Miller (29 possessions), Ben King (five goals) and Matt Rowell (19 possessions, 13 tackles and one goal) swept the Brownlow Medal votes, and Sam Flanders had 32 possessions and Noah Anderson 29 and a goal.

Most QClash Appearances.

David Swallow has played most QClashes for the SUNS at 22, behind only Brisbane’s QClash leader Dayne Zorko (24) and ahead of Brisbane’s Daniel Rich (19) and Ryan Lester (19).

Completing the SUNS top 10 are Jarrod Harbrow (17), Touk Miller (16), Sean Lemmens (15), Ben Ainsworth (14), Sam Day (14), Michael Rischitelli (13), Steven May (13), Tom Lynch (12) and Alex Sexton(12).

The equivalent list for the lions includes Harris Andrews (16), Dan McStay (15), Hugh McCluggage (14), Eric Hipwood (14), Darcy Gardiner (14), Tom Rockliff (13) and Mitch Robinson (13). 

Most Possessions in a QClash

Brisbane’s Tom Rockliff holds the QClash possession record at 47 in Round 18, 2014 at the Gabba, when Brisbane won by nine goals. Astonishingly, next best was teammate Pearce Hanley’s 45 in the same game. Brayden Fiorini’s career-high 41 possessions in QClash #21 in Round 19 2021 at the Gabba is best for the SUNS. Best at People First Stadium is Gary Ablett’s 38 in QClash #7 and Dayne Beams’ 38 in QClash #16.

Tom Rockliff has had six 30-possession games in the QClash from Lachie Neale (5), Dayne Zorko (4) and Jarryd Lyons (4). Simon Black (3), Pearce Hanley (3), Dayne Beams (3), Gary Ablett (3), Brayden Fiorini (3) and Sam Flanders (3) are next best, with Flanders’ 32-30-33 hat-trick coming in the last three games between the clubs. 

Most Goals in a QClash

Four players share the QClash goals record at six – Brisbane’s Ash McGrath in QClash #1, Gold Coast’s Charlie Dixon in QClash #9, Brisbane’s Charlie Cameron in QClash #18 and Brisbane’s Zac Bailey in QClash #22. Nathan Krakouer kicked five for the SUNS in QClash #1, while Tom Lynch (3), Peter Wright and Ben King have bags of five with Brisbane’s Jonathan Brown.

Highest Average Possessions

Gary Ablett averaged 28.1 possessions in nine QClashes to rank highest in average possessions for the SUNS ahead of Brayden Fiorini (26.0), Noah Anderson (24.4), Touk Miller (23.7) and Dion Prestia (23.0).

Brisbane’s Gold Coast-born Dayne Beams is the highest average possession-winner overall at 31.4, from Simon Black (30.3), Josh Dunkley (29.3) and Tom Rockliff (28.5), with Lachie Neale (27.9) completing the Brisbane top five.

Coaches

The SUNS have had six different coaches in the QClash, including two caretaker coaches – Dean Solomon in after Rodney Eade had resigned, and Steven King in 2023 after Stuart Dew departed. Dew (10) has been in charge most often from Guy McKenna (8), Eade (5) and Damien Hardwick (2).

Brisbane have had only three QClash coaches – Chris Fagan will be in charge for the 16th time this week, while Michael Voss and Justin Leppitsch did six each.

Set for his 14th QClash on the SUNS coaching staff this week is Josh Drummond, who played in the first four QClashes with the Lions.

Record Crowds

QClash #26 at the Gabba in Round 8 last year pulled the biggest crowd – 30,285. The biggest QClash crowd at People First Stadium was 21043 for QClash #26 in Round 20 last year.

Marcus Ashcroft Medal

Touk Miller has won the medal for the player judged best afield in the QClash, named after ex-Brisbane star and inaugural Gold Coast football manager Marcus Ashcroft.

Miller has four Ashcroft Medals – won in 2016-18-22-23 – while Dayne Beams’ three is most for Brisbane. Gary Ablett, Pearce Hanley and Jarryd Lyons (playing for Brisbane), Lachie Neale and Dayne Zorko have each won two.

One-time winners have been ex-Brisbane player and inaugural Gold Coast signing Jared Brennan, who won the first QClash Medal wearing red and yellow in 2011, Brisbane’s Simon Black, Tom Rockliff, Jonathan Brown, Matthew Leuenberger, Zac Bailey, Mitch Robinson and Charlie Cameron, and Gold Coast’s Charlie Dixon.

Three players have won the medal twice in the same year - Beams in 2017, Lyons playing with Brisbane in 2021, and Zorko last year.

QClash Brownlow Medal Votes

Jarryd Lyons head the QClash Brownlow count with 12 votes – all in Brisbane colors – one vote ahead of Lachie Neale and two clear of Pearce Hanley playing for Brisbane.

Dayne Beams (9), Tom Rockliff (9), Touk Miller (9), Dayne Zorko (8), Brayden Fiorini (7), Simon Black (6) and Gary Ablett (6) complete the top 10.

Debut in a QClash

Four players debuted in QClash #1 – the SUNS’ Tom Lynch, Sam Day and Joey Daye, and the Lions’ Gold Coast product Bryce Retzlaff. Since then in chronological order QClash debutants have been Brisbane’s Jack Crisp, Sam May, Gold Coast’s Louis Herbert, Josh Glenn and Henry Schade, Brisbane’s Billy Evans and Reuben William, Gold Coast’s Jack Bowes and Ben Ainsworth, Brisbane’s Noah Answerth, Gold Coast’s Josh Corbett, Caleb Graham, Malcolm Rosas Jnr and Elijah Hollands, and Brisbane’s Logan Morris and Bruce Reville last year. 

Highest Scores & Biggest Margins

The highest score in a QClash is Brisbane’s 22-12 (144) at the Gabba in 2019, while the SUNS’ highest is 22-7 (139) at People First Stadium in 2016. The lowest score is Gold Coast’s 6-7 (43) at the Gabba in the shortened games of the 2020 Covid season – two points lower than the Gold Coast’s 6-9 (45) at the Gabba last year. Brisbane’s lowest has been 7-12 (54) at PFS in 2015.

The biggest win was Brisbane’s 91-point triumph at the Gabba in 2019, while the Gold Coast’s biggest was 64 points at PFS in 2015.

Leading Stats-Winners By Average

Possessions: Dayne Beams (31.4), Simon Black (30.25), Josh Dunkley (29.25).
Goals: Luke McGuane (3.0), Charlie Cameron (2.67), Nathan Krakouer (2.5), Levi Casboult (2.5).
Clearances:  Josh Dunkley (7.0), Gary Ablett (6.67), Matt Rowell (6.43).
Tackles: Josh Dunkley (7.0), Gary Ablett (6.67), Matt Rowell (6.43).
Contested Possessions: Levi Greenwood (15.5), Gary Ablett (14.56), Josh Dunkley (13.25)
Free Kick ‘Net’ – Plus: Lachie Neale 11, Daniel Rich 11, Josh Dunkley 9, Hugh McCluggage 9, Charlie Cameron 9, Ben King 9.
Free Kick ‘Net’ – Minus: Sean Lemmens -19, Dayne Zorko -14, Zac Bailey -13, David Swallow -13, Callum Ah Chee -10.