Friday, 26 April 2019:
 | | DAYNE ZORKO runs the ball during the Brisbane Lions AFL training session at The Gabba in Brisbane, Australia. | |
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Gold Coast midfielder Touk Miller is hanging out the lure but Brisbane Lions captain Dayne Zorko won't be biting in Saturday's AFL derby.
Miller has got in an early shot at the Lions star, claiming he got under Zorko's skin in a "personal" rivalry last year.
Zorko refused to shake Miller's hand following a round five clash between the two teams last year where the Sun claimed the Marcus Ashcroft Medal as best afield.
When the two teams met again in round 22, Zorko unleashed a verbal barrage at Miller following the Lions' four-point win, then followed the Sun around the field with his hand extended despite the pair sharing a brief handshake at the final siren.
Zorko, who'll play his 150th AFL match against the Suns at Metricon Stadium on Saturday, said he'd learned his from last year.
"Just to not buy into it really," the 30-year-old said when asked what the lesson had been.
"I've just got to go out and my teammates are the most important thing to me out on that field.
"Giving away unnecessary free-kicks or whatever it may be is just not in our team ethos, I'll be looking to go out there and play my role for the team."
Saturday's game comes after impressive 3-2 starts to the season by both Queensland teams.
The Lions head down the M1 motorway without key defender Harris Andrews or midfielder Rhys Matheson after both succumbed to hamstring injuries while Allen Christensen and Nick Robertson are the omissions following a pre-Easter thrashing by Collingwood at the Gabba.
Tom Cutler, Lewis Taylor and Ryan Lester will all make their first starts of the season while draftee Noah Answerth is on debut.
The Suns also have a debutant, with Josh Corbett coming in for Chris Burgess.
Suns' co-captain Jarrod Witts said match-ups against the Lions appeared to be growing in intensity every season.
"Over the last couple of years its grown into its own," Witts told AAP.
"It's so close between us at the moment and these derbies are always close so that really adds to the spectacle."
As to the barbs being traded between Zorko and Miller, Witts welcomed the back-and-forth, saying it highlighted the desire to win between both teams.
"The rivalry that that's sort of created within a rivalry, it's good," the ruckman said.
"He's pretty switched on Touk. Pretty mature for his age and he's in control most of the time, unless it got super out of control we'll just let him go, let him do his thing."
KEY MATCH STATS
* Brisbane have won 10 of the 16 derbies against Gold Coast including three of the past four.
* Gold Coast haven't won three consecutive home matches since round 18, 2016.
* The Suns are averaging 53 hitouts a game this season compared to Brisbane's 35.
