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The Brisbane Lions play host to Carlton FC on Friday night at the Gabba in the opening round of the 2024 AFL season.
Brisbane will be looking to put their heartbreaking Grand Final defeat behind them, and they will be keen to kickstart a fresh challenge in their bid to win the club's first premiership since 2003. An Opening Round meeting at the Lions' formidable fortress, where they won every matchup last season, provides the perfect springboard for last year's runners-up as they look to go one better in 2024.
Carlton will enter the season full of optimism, having surged into a preliminary final last year with 11 wins in their last 12 games, including two finals victories. The Blues' campaign ended at that stage at the hands of the Lions, but as the saying goes, "revenge is a dish best served cold," and this appears to be their best chance to break a Gabba curse against the hosts that dates back to 2013.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch Sydney vs Melbourne in the AFL, plus plenty more.
Brisbane vs Carlton date and start time
| Date | Friday, March 8, 2024 |
| Start time | 7:40 pm AEDT (7:40 pm AEST, 7:10 pm ACST, 4:40 pm AWST) |
| Venue | The Gabba |
| Location | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
How to watch Brisbane vs Carlton on TV & stream live online
There are several options to watch the Brisbane Lions vs Carlton FC 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 Brisbane vs Carlton game on?
The game will be available to watch on Channel 7 on free-to-air TV, and Fox Footy on pay TV. ABC, AFL Nation, and NEMBC Nation (Spanish) 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!
Brisbane vs Carlton team news
Brisbane Lions team news
The Lions have a relatively clean bill of health heading into their 2024 AFL season opener, with 2023 ACL victims Will Ashcroft and Tom Doedee both expected to return by mid-season.
Conor McKenna will be assessed late before the game as he continues to struggle with a hamstring problem, and James Tunstill is expected to be called up if the Irishman fails to recover.
Speedster Darcy Gardiner was tested as a forward in pre-season and could be selected to pose problems for Carlton's defence.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Ruck | Fort, Lane, McInerney |
| Defender | Doedee, Coleman, Prior, McKenna, Gardiner, Ryan, Michael, Wilmot, Zakostelsky, Darcy, Andrews, Lester, Starcevich, Payne, Joyce |
| Midfielder | Robertson, Ah Chee, Dunkley, McCluggage, Berry, Ashcroft, Neale, Zorko, Lyons, Sharp, Madden, Fletcher, Torrent, Reville |
| Forward | Lohmann, McCarthy, Rayner, Cameron, Tunstill, Smith, Brain, Hipwood, Answerth, Daniher, Morris, Lloyd, Ryan |
Carlton FC team news
Carlton will definitely be without the services of stars Sam Walsh (back) and Jacob Weitering (calf), dealing a major blow to their hopes of starting the season on a high.
Forwards Jesse Motlop and Jack Martin have also been ruled out.
Orazio Fantasia is likely to make his debut, while Lachie Fogarty, David Cuningham and Jordan Boyd are all potential inclusions in the side.
In Weitering's absence, Lewis Young and Mitch McGovern will take over as key defenders.
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Rucks | De Koning, Pittonet, Binns, O'Keeffe, Mirkov |
| Defenders | Cowan, Williams, McGovern, Newman, Binns, Marchbank, Weitering, Pittonet, Newman, Wilson, Boyd, Cincotta, Saad, Kemp, Marchbank, Weitering, Marchbank, Weitering, Marchbank, Durdin, Akuei |
| Midfielders | Hollands, Cerra, Kennedy, Acres, Docherty, Carroll, Walsh, Hewett, M. Carroll, Cottrell |
| Forwards | Silvagni, Motlop, Fogarty, McKay, Fantasia, Durdin, Martin, Cunningham, Young, Monahan, Moir, Owies, McKay, Curnow, Lemmey |