THE tense tug of war between Brisbane and Collingwood over midfielder Dayne Beams is set to erupt in Round 1 next year with the clubs poised to meet in a Gabba blockbuster.

The 2015 fixture has not been finalised but a Lions-Magpies clash has been pencilled in for Saturday, April 4.

Brisbane have had a mortgage on the Easter Thursday timeslot for a number of years.

But with the Cricket World Cup pushing back the start of the AFL premiership, the 2015 season will not start until Easter Thursday with Carlton and Richmond likely to play at the MCG to get the season under way.

media_camera Dayne Beams is set to remain with Collingwood in 2015. Picture: George Salpigtidis

As compensation for losing their one ‘‘blockbuster’’ timeslot, the AFL has offered to send a crowd-pulling club to the Gabba for Brisbane’s season-opener.

The tentative fixture was in place before Brisbane and Collingwood entered into trade talks for Beams.

If it goes ahead, it will have all the build-up of a final given the rising tensions between the clubs.

Who Beams will be playing for on April 4 remains up in the air.

media_camera Brothers Claye and Dayne Beams chat after a recent match.

Collingwood announced it had ceased talks with Brisbane at 5pm on Friday, a deadline the Magpies created themselves. The AFL trade period officially finishes on Thursday.

The Magpies have demanded that Brisbane include a player in any trade for Beams. Brisbane have stuck to their guns and offered picks No.5 and No.25 at next month’s national draft.

Brisbane will continue to work towards getting a trade done.

Beams, who is under contract with Collingwood for 2015, wants to come home to Queensland to be closer to his father Phillip who is battling bowel cancer.

A series of Lions players have been linked to a possible trade for Beams by Melbourne media outlets which has frustrated Brisbane who have had to douse rumours and assure players they will not be sent to Collingwood.

Lions coach Justin Leppitsch responded with a tweet on Friday, “BL (Brisbane Lions) fans. Don’t listen to those that have plans to destabilise us. Kids will not be traded’’.

He went to cheekily suggest Scott Pendlebury wanted out of Collingwood to demonstrate how easy it was to start a rumour with no truth to it.

The clubs have been uneasy with each other since Magpies president Eddie McGuire led the campaign to have Brisbane stripped of salary cap concessions after the Lions beat Collingwood in the 2002 and 2003 Grand Finals.

McGuire also launched a scathing attack on the academies systems in Queensland and NSW earlier this year.