The high-flying Melbourne Demons (4-1) will square off against the Brisbane Lions (1-3) at the MCG on Thursday in AFL Round 5 action.
Tipped to be a premiership contender again, the Lions have stumbled early in 2024 amid murmurs of a dressing room divide. They finally kick-started their season with a 70-point win over North Melbourne last week.
Now, all eyes turn to the MCG, with the Lions' having lot to prove. Is Brisbane only capable of thrashing a team expected to be in the bottom two like last weekend, or can they take the scalp of Melbourne and put themselves back in the hunt for top four?
Melbourne, on the other hand, have made a strong start to the campaign. They knocked off Port Adelaide away from home to sit pretty at 4-1, and will fancy their chances of further success here.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch Melbourne Demons vs Brisbane Lions in the AFL, plus plenty more.
Melbourne vs Brisbane date and start time
| Date | Thursday, April 11, 2024 |
| Start time | 7:30 pm AEST, 7:00 pm ACST, 5:30 pm AWST |
| Venue | Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) |
| Location | Yarra Park, Melbourne, Victoria |
How to watch Melbourne vs Brisbane on TV & stream live online
There are several options to watch the Melbourne Demons vs Brisbane Lions AFL game in Australia, including Network Seven, Foxtel, Foxtel from Telstra, and Kayo Sports.
The best way to livestream the aforementioned AFL game is through Kayo with a seven-day free trial. It also does not have a lock-in contract or equipment fees, which means you can cancel anytime if you are no longer using it.
All you need to decide is whether you want to pick Kayo One at $25 per month (1 stream and up to HD), or Kayo Basic at $35 per month (2 streams and up to 4K).
What channel is Melbourne vs Brisbane game on?
The game will be broadcast live on 7mate on free-to-air TV, and will also be available to watch Fox Footy on pay TV. Triple M, ABC and AFL Nation will provide the radio coverage.
Streaming the game with a VPN
- Overview of VPN services that allow access to geo-restricted streams
- How to set up and use a VPN service to stream the match
You can watch the game from wherever you are in the world by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service such as NordVPN/ ExpressVPN. A VPN will allow you to create a secure connection online when you are abroad on holiday or for work and you want to stream the game live.
If you are not sure which VPN to use or how to use a VPN, we have taken a look at the best options available out there for watching live sports - check out the best VPN services review here.
Here’s an easy step-by-step guide on how to use a VPN to watch a game when you are overseas:
- Install VPN of your choice - see our reviews here for the best options.
- Select the location you wish to connect to. This is easy - if you are visiting the UK and you wish to continue watching one of your U.S. streaming services, you would select the US.
- Grab the popcorn and get ready to watch!
Melbourne vs Brisbane team news
Melbourne Demons team news
West Australian Koltyn Tholstrup will make his Demons debut against Brisbane tomorrow night, following a solid start to the VFL season
After back-to-back wins of monumental value in Adelaide across the last fortnight, Melbourne have clearly found their winning formula and could stick with the same playing squad.
There will be one forced change, though, with Kysaiah Pickett unsuccessful in his appeal to reverse his one-match bump ban at the Tribunal on Tuesday night.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Rucks | Soldo, Sweet, Ratugolea, Visentini |
| Defenders | Burton, McKenzie, Clurey, Aliir, Zerk-Thatcher, McCallum, Marshall, Houston, Farrell, Burgoyne, Williams, L. Jones |
| Midfielders | Rozee, Sinn, Butters, Boak, Bergman, Wines, Charleson, Drew, Lorenz, Jackson, Mead |
| Forwards | Marshall, Finlayson, Lord, Scully, Walsh, Powell-Pepper, Riolli, Horne-Francis, Georgiades, Dixon, Anastasopoulos, Evans, Scully, Byrne-Jones, McEntee, Narkle |
Brisbane Lions team news
The Lions come to the MCG with not too many injury or selection issues this week, with just Zac Bailey's ankle injury from last Friday's encounter at Norwood Oval looming.
If he becomes unavailable, James Tunstill may enter into the starting lineup, giving veteran Jarrod Lyons an opportunity to make his way back into the side as a substitute.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Rucks | Fort, Lane, McInerney |
| Defenders | Berry, Doedee, Madden, Coleman, Prior, McKenna, Fletcher, Starcevich, Michael, Payne, Joyce, Answerth, Wilmot, Zakostelsky, Gardiner, Ryan, Smith, Lester, Fort, Lane, McInerney |
| Midfielders | Lohmann, Robertson, Ah Chee, Dunkley, McCluggage, Ashcroft, Neale, Rayner, Lyons, Sharp, Bailey, Torrent, Reville |
| Forwards | Daniher, McCarthy, Cameron, Hipwood, Smith, Tunstill, Brain |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 14/07/23 | Melbourne Demons 105-104 Brisbane Lions | AFL |
| 24/03/23 | Brisbane Lions 93-82 Melbourne Demons | AFL |
| 09/09/22 | Melbourne Demons 79-92 Brisbane Lions | AFL |
| 19/08/22 | Brisbane Lions 57-115 Melbourne Demons | AFL |
| 23/06/22 | Melbourne Demons 117-53 Brisbane Lions | AFL |