Fair haired half-back Daniel Rich can expect to have a dual reason to celebrate after Brisbane’s clash with North Melbourne at the Gabba on Saturday night.
Rich will chalk up his 200th game in the encounter and the Lions can move closer to securing a finals place by beating the Kangaroos.
A dashing player whose career has enjoyed a resurgence under coach Chris Fagan, Rich has been a major contributor to Brisbane’s climb up the ladder this season.
He is always reliable and, most importantly, is at his best under pressure.
While the match will not be a walkover for the Lions the confidence of the players will be on a high following last weekend’s 48-point thrashing of Port Adelaide.
There is a marquee game at Adelaide Oval on Friday night to open the 18th round when Adelaide and Essendon meet.
The Crows are seventh placed – one ahead of the Bombers – and victory is vital to the finals prospects of the clubs.
Perhaps, the decider will be the man-to-man confrontation between Adelaide co-captain Rory Sloane and young Essendon tagger Dylan Clarke, who lowered the colours of North Melbourne’s Ben Cunnington last week.
The skill and experience of Sloane should give him the advantage but the Bombers are on a role with wins in five of their last six matches.
Last Week: 6
2019 Total: 81
Adelaide by 16pts
Richmond by 25pts
Carlton by 38pts
GWS Giants by 10pts
Brisbane Lions by 23pts
Fremantle by 31pts
Geelong by 36pts
West Coast by 29pts
Western Bulldogs by 31pts