The Gabba (Brisbane) — Queensland’s AFL Stronghold

The Gabba is a cricket ground that the AFL borrows on alternate weekends, and somehow the Brisbane Lions have built a small dynasty on the back of it. Round-shaped (which is rare for a stadium that hosts both cricket and footy), Brisbane-humid (which is brutal in March), and home to one of the more passionate inner-suburban crowds in the AFL — the Gabba is the unsung hero of national footy. It hosted the 2020 COVID Grand Final. It birthed the Lions’ triple-flag era of 2001–2003. And it’s about to be redeveloped into something genuinely ambitious for the 2032 Olympics.

The History: Woolloongabba’s Sporting Centrepiece

The Brisbane Cricket Ground — universally known as the Gabba, short for Woolloongabba (the suburb) — was first used for sport in 1895. The original purpose was cricket; Test cricket has been played here since 1931. The ground hosted Sheffield Shield, club cricket, and the occasional rugby league match for most of the 20th century. The first Test match here, December 1931, was Australia vs South Africa.

The Gabba’s footy story is more recent. The Brisbane Bears (the AFL’s first attempt at Queensland expansion, founded 1987) initially played at Carrara on the Gold Coast. The Bears merged with Fitzroy in 1996 to become the Brisbane Lions, who relocated to the Gabba as their permanent home. The first AFL match at the Gabba: 1993, a Bears game. From 1996 onwards the Lions made it home.

The Gabba has been progressively redeveloped:

• 1992–1996: Original grandstands replaced.
• 1996–2003: Capacity expanded to ~37,000.
• 2003: Light towers and modern broadcast facilities added.
• 2025–2032: Major redevelopment for Brisbane 2032 Olympics — new stands, increased capacity to 50,000, full pitch reorientation possible.

The Footy: Lions’ Den

The Brisbane Lions play their home AFL games at the Gabba. The pitch is unusual — it’s a true circle, which is rare for AFL ovals (most are oblong). Dimensions: ~155m × 152m, almost equal axes. This produces a quirky game style; ruckmen contest more central stoppages than on most grounds, and the boundary line is closer to the goalposts than at MCG-style grounds.

The Lions’ home form at the Gabba has historically been excellent. The 2001–2003 premiership three-peat was built on a Gabba fortress that visiting Victorian teams found brutal in the humidity. The Lions’ 2025 fourth flag (under Chris Fagan) extended that home-ground record.

The 2020 Grand Final: COVID’s Strangest Footy Moment

October 2020. Victoria locked down. The MCG closed. The AFL Grand Final relocated to Brisbane for the first time in history. Richmond 12.9 (81) defeated Geelong 7.8 (50) on 24 October 2020, in front of 29,707 fans. Dustin Martin won his third Norm Smith Medal. The Tigers won their third premiership in four years.

The Gabba pulled off the Grand Final flawlessly. The crowd was capped due to COVID restrictions but the atmosphere was unreal — partly Lions fans, partly travelling Tigers and Cats supporters, partly Brisbane locals who turned out for the occasion. The post-match was held with strict bubble protocols; players’ families were flown up under quarantine. It was strange, beautiful, and unrepeatable.

Famous Moments

• 2001 Grand Final qualifier — Lions thrashing Essendon at the Gabba on the way to their first flag.
• 2020 Grand Final — Richmond 81, Geelong 50. Dusty’s third Norm Smith.
• 2002 Grand Final qualifier — Lions defeating Collingwood at the Gabba in a brutal preliminary final.
• 2023 preliminary final — Lions defeating Collingwood and progressing to a Grand Final loss to the Pies.
• 2024 Grand Final qualifier — Lions winning the prelim and going on to win the 2024 flag (Brisbane 18.12 (120) Sydney 8.7 (55)).
• 2003 Lions vs Hawks — round 1 fixture, the Lions’ first home game after winning the 2002 flag, 36,000 in attendance.
• The 2014 Test cricket finish — Australia beating India by 4 wickets, Mitchell Johnson 7-fer.

The 2032 Olympics Redevelopment

Brisbane hosts the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Gabba is slated to be the centrepiece athletics venue. The redevelopment is enormous:

• Capacity expansion to 50,000 for both AFL and athletics modes.
• New roof structure (likely partial, similar to Optus).
• Athletics track for Olympics, removable for AFL/cricket.
• Total cost estimate: $2.7 billion.
• Construction window: 2025–2030.
• Lions to relocate during construction (likely to Wide Bay or a temporary venue) — debate ongoing.

The redevelopment will see the Gabba effectively rebuilt as a modern multi-purpose stadium. The footy implications are significant — a 50,000-seat home ground gives the Lions parity with most southern stadiums and could transform Brisbane’s AFL profile.

Trivia for the Pub

• The Gabba is one of the roundest stadiums in international cricket — almost a perfect circle.
• The Gabba hosted the first day-night Test cricket match in Australia (2015).
• The Lions’ longest home winning streak at the Gabba: 17 consecutive games (during the 2002–2003 dynasty).
• The 2020 COVID Grand Final was the first Grand Final played outside Victoria in over 100 years (the brief 1942 wartime Grand Final at Princes Park aside).
• The Vulture Street End and the Stanley Street End are the two cricket-named ends; AFL fans use neither.
• The Gabba is one of only three AFL home grounds that hosts Test cricket (MCG, Adelaide Oval, Gabba).
• The 2003 expansion saw the Gabba become the most expensive stadium upgrade in Queensland history at the time.

The Rumours

The redevelopment timeline keeps slipping. The Queensland state government has been wrestling with whether to demolish-and-rebuild or progressively upgrade. As of late 2025, the demolish-and-rebuild option is favoured, with the Lions playing at Suncorp Stadium (Brisbane’s rugby league venue) during the 2027–2030 construction window. Lions fans hate this. The AFL is concerned about retaining momentum. The state government insists it’s the only viable timeline.

The other rumour: another AFL Grand Final at the Gabba. The 2020 GF set a precedent. If MCG availability is ever compromised again, the Gabba (post-redevelopment) is a natural backup. Some Brisbane fans dream of a 2030s Grand Final at home.

The Verdict

The Gabba is one of the AFL’s quirkiest fortresses. The round shape, the humid Brisbane air, the cricket-first identity — none of it should add up to a footy temple, but the Lions have made it one. The 2032 Olympics will redefine the venue; the question is whether the post-redevelopment Gabba retains the soul that built three flags in three years and another one in 2024.

If you’ve never been, get up there for a Lions home game. The walk from South Brisbane Station, the Vulture Street pubs before the bounce, the proper Queensland heat in March — it’s an experience the southern stadiums can’t replicate. The Gabba is the AFL’s Brisbane outpost, and it punches well above its weight.