Senior coach Guy McKenna says he’s looking forward to seeing his side perform against seasoned opposition ahead of GCFC’s first trial match against Brisbane Lions Reserves at the Gabba this afternoon.

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‘We’ll be playing against a group that’s training as an AFL side,’ he says. ‘It will be good to see the boys put under that kind of pressure.’

With Lions’ Reserves likely to include up to 14 AFL listed players, McKenna says he’s under no illusions about the tough challenge that awaits his own team, particularly given the relative youth of his own charges.

‘We’ll have an average age of 19 or so. If Harro [Mature Age Rookie Dan Harris] wasn’t playing it’d be probably be more like 17. We expect Brisbane to be a fairly slick unit. Although we’re probably not going to be as fast or capable of kicking the ball as far, I’d expect us to be equally slick. It’ll be a great opportunity to see us test our wares and put them on display.

McKenna says the trial also represents the first real chance to put the club’s pre-season recruitment strategy to the test. With a side that includes eleven new GCFC players, there’ll be plenty to look at.

‘What you look for in a game like this almost takes you back to step one. Back when decisions about the list were made by Scotty [Scott Clayton, Manager List Strategy] and Dom [Dom Ambrogio, Recruiting Manager]. Can these kids make decisions under pressure? Are they clean with their ball handling? They’re the sorts of players you want playing for you. And on Saturday afternoon they’ll have the opportunity to show us what they can do.

McKenna says today's match will be the first in what amounts to a long season of trial games.

‘That’s what this season will be about. It’ll be about us developing a brand of football, developing the players and developing them in different positions and seeing if they can withstand the rigours of VFL.’