Gold Coast SUNS captain Gary Ablett insists the budding rivalry between his club and the Brisbane Lions is in good health, suggesting the bi-annual QClash fixture is already becoming a marked event in the players’ football calendar.

“If you were to ask the players on both sides I’d say it has (kicked off),” Ablett said.

“Both (teams) go out there and we want to win. No doubt it is a big game for us so we will come into the weekend fired up and ready to win.”

Although the competition is just two rounds into the home and away season, there is already plenty at stake for both Queensland teams.

For the Lions, their first win for 2014 awaits them should they get past the boys from the Glitter Strip, while Gold Coast starts a two-game home stand with a match-up against reigning premier Hawthorn to follow next weekend, as the SUNS look to continue their recent good form at Metricon Stadium.

Aside from all that, there is a genuine desire to capture the bragging rights of being the best team in Queensland.

The players, coaching staff and administration teams all buy in to the friendly fire, and clearly the fans do, too.

The six QClash matches have posted an average crowd attendance of more than 20,000, including a record-high 27,170 in round 15 at the Gabba last year.

In that contest, as happened in some of the SUNS’ close losses in 2013, a fourth quarter lapse saw the Lions take control of the game as they kicked five goals to two in the final term to secure a 33-point victory and the QClash Cup.

Ablett ,though, is confident that won’t be the case this time around.

“If you looked back in the past we played well for two, three quarters, but it was that one quarter where we let ourselves down and they (opposition) would kick five, six goals and then there was just no coming back from that,” he said.

“So our focus is to start well and finish well, and if we do that than we are a chance of winning the game.”