Etihad Stadium, Friday, March 15, 7.45pm
MISSING
Carlton: Jarrad Waite (calf), Andrew Collins (ankle), Nick Graham (knee), David Ellard (hamstring), Rhys O'Keeffe (foot), Andrew McInnes (knee)
Brisbane Lions: Simon Black (knee), Brent Staker (knee), Matthew Leuenberger (Achilles)
LAST WEEK
Carlton: The Blues faced an Adelaide outfit that finally found its mojo after a disappointing pre-season. While they had trouble stopping Crows forward Taylor Walker and coughed up big leads on two occasions, the Blues showed tremendous fighting spirit. They ran down a five-goal final quarter deficit to almost pinch victory, losing by just three points.
Brisbane Lions: The Lions took advantage of a depleted Collingwood squad to march into their first pre-season decider since 2007 with an emphatic 34-point win. Far from full strength themselves, the Lions were missing Black, Redden, Leuenberger, Maguire and Staker, but showed a stark improvement from 2012 with four-quarter intensity and a more ferocious hunger around the contest.
WHAT THEY SAY
Carlton: "We made a number of basic errors in our back half. It's just another extension of being better under pressure. We must improve defensively." - Mick Malthouse
Brisbane Lions: "It's all about winning games and creating that culture. To have a little trophy in the cabinet would be nice. It's been a while." – Daniel Merrett
WE SAY
Carlton: One area the Blues had trouble with against Adelaide last week was the stoppages. However, the season debut of Chris Judd and the return of remodeled midfielder Bryce Gibbs should help arrest that problem this week. A trophy would be a handy way for Mick Malthouse to start his tenure with the club.
Brisbane Lions: Huge test for the Lions. Are they genuine top-eight contenders this year or a team that's been blessed with a cosy ride to the Grand Final? A near full-strength team playing Carlton on the slick Etihad Stadium surface should give us a fair indication.
