Brisbane Lions planning AFL-AFLW double header at Gabba

Brisbane is planning for a festival of football at the Gabba with talks underway to play an AFLW preliminary final as a curtain raiser to the men’s Round 1 clash.

The Lions were forced to host the AFLW grand final at Metricon Stadium in 2017, losing to Adelaide. Picture: Bradley Kanaris

Brisbane is planning for a festival of football at the Gabba with talks underway to play an AFLW preliminary final as a curtain raiser to the men’s Round 1 clash with reigning premiers West Coast.

The proposal would see $20 general admission tickets sold that would secure fans access to both games.

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The Lions’ AFLW side have never played on the Gabba having been denied access by Stadiums Queensland when they earned the hosting rights to the inaugural grand final in 2017.

That game was played at Metricon Stadium as a curtain-raiser to the Round 1 QClash.

The Lions currently sit on top of conference B and victory over Geelong at Burpengary on Saturday would lock away another finals appearance.

Brisbane have played their games at Burpengary and Hickey Park, Wilston-Grange this year but both venues would struggle to accommodate a finals size crowd.

The Lions AFL side kick off their season against West Coast at 7.20pm at the Gabba on March 23.

Brisbane is opposed to the girls playing at a different venue on the same day as the men or at the Gabba on the Sunday.

Brisbane’s AFLW team is yet to play at the Gabba. Picture: Getty Images

AFLW matches have been free to date but the Lions have proposed ticketing the double header to avoid the situation in 2017 when patrons of the women’s game who wished to stay on and watch the QClash were forced to file out of the stadium and then re-enter.

Lions boss Greg Swann and AFLW CEO Bree Brock see a preliminary final curtain raiser starting at 5pm as the best result for the club and its fans and have already made a formal applications to the AFL.

“That’s the plan, there are issues around broadcasting that need to be sorted out but they aren’t major,’’ Swann said.

“They have never played there before so it would be brilliant for the club if we can do that.’’

Brisbane bounced back to form and exacted revenge on grand final victors the Western Bulldogs at Whitten Oval on Saturday but midfield star Ally Anderson said the club understood they have to maintain that form against Geelong to be any hope of making a third straight grand final.

“The girls are all up and about after that, so hopefully we can have a good week at training and really use that excitement to head into our next game,” he said.