Brisbane Lions

[Sedat]

Re: Brisbane Lions

It's unreal how the Lions put this list together and they're a great example of of getting the balance of the draft, trading and father son picks right and they're very likely to be better again next season.

They've got two great picks coming in with Levi Ashcroft and Sam Marshall and will have McInerney, Doedee and Coleman available.

If they can manage complacency, they'll be the ones to beat again next season.

They are a good lesson for us - they started contending for finals in 2019 and have saluted 6 years later. At the end of 2021 they were 1-5 in finals (most of them at home) and are now 9-6 in finals, their only loss being under a kick in last year's GF.

Good teams don't panic and know exactly where they are on the premiership clock, and also what they need to do to keep adapting and adjusting to get even better - both game plan and personnel. We have work to do on the list but we should consider ourselves a contender next year and for the next few years to be honest. Our game plan profile this year was competition best (and very similar to Brisbane), so we are finally heading down the right path game plan wise. We wasted the 2 years after 2021 but we didn't waste this year IMO (very poor final aside).

Ripping it all up and starting again is not the way IMO.

[GVGjr]

They are going to be a genuine contender again.

From Code Sports
Brisbane season 2025 preview:
The Lions finally proved the doubters wrong and won last year’s grand final in convincing fashion after a jolted start to the season. No Joe Daniher and the always difficult task of backing up a strong consecutive season looms for Chris Fagan’s men. Callum Dick analyses the path towards back to back premierships.

SURPRISE PACKET OF 2024
Kai Lohmann had played just eight games in his first two seasons and came close to returning home to Victoria at the end of 2023 but smartly chose to stay in Brisbane. In lieu of an injured Lincoln McCarthy and down-on-form Charlie Cameron, Lohmann became the Lions’ most reliable small forward. His finals series was immense, kicking nine goals in four games including four in the grand final thumping of the Swans.

INS AND OUTS
IN: Levi Ashcroft (No. 5 draft pick, father-son), Sam Day (Pre-Season Draft), Ty Gallop (No. 42 draft pick, Academy), Sam Marshall (No. 25 draft pick, Academy)

OUT: Joe Daniher (retired), Kalin Lane (delisted), Jarryd Lyons (retired), James Madden (delisted), Carter Michael (delisted), Jaxon Prior (delisted), Harry Sharp (trade, Melbourne)

BRISBANE'S PREDICTED BEST 23
FB: Brandon Starcevich, Harris Andrews, Darcy Wilmot
HB: Keidean Coleman, Jack Payne, Dayne Zorko
C: Jaspa Fletcher, Will Ashcroft, Hugh McCluggage
HF: Cam Rayner, Eric Hipwood, Jarrod Berry
FF: Charlie Cameron, Sam Day, Callum Ah Chee
FOLL: Oscar McInerney, Josh Dunkley, Lachie Neale
INT: Kai Lohmann, Zac Bailey, Levi Ashcroft, Tom Doedee, Logan Morris

Daniher is the obvious omission but former Sun Sam Day should get first crack at assuming his role. The Lions will also be buoyed by the return of defensive duo Tom Doedee and Keidean Coleman, the latter was on course for a breakout season last year before rupturing his ACL. Ryan Lester would be a stiff out but it’s a very competitive side to break into and spots will be up for grabs so it’s a toss up between him and Doedee to who makes the final 23.

WHO’S PLAYING FOR A CONTRACT?
It’s a big year for Deven Robertson, who spurned a chance to move west at the end of 2023 but failed to break into Brisbane’s starting side last season. Was mooted to move again during the trade period before that fell flat.
Interest has now waned on the midfielder’s services and he needs a big season to bump up his stock if he still wants a move and starting spot elsewhere in 2026. Will be even tougher to break into Brisbane’s midfield next year with Levi Ashcroft and Sam Marshall arriving.

Coach
Chris Fagan is safe as houses. All the noise early last season has been forgotten after the Lions’ premiership breakthrough. Even as some in the public eye agitated for Fagan’s removal, the club’s hierarchy always remained committed to its man. Now with a flag in his pocket that won’t change. The only question marks will come when Tasmania enters the league in 2028, with the native naturally tied to a move back home to help launch the club. If he were to move to Tasmania, it’d likely be in a director role of some description, rather than to coach his second club.

LAST YEAR IN CONTRACT
Brandon Starcevich, Bruce Reville, Callum Ah Chee, Conor McKenna, Darcy Craven, Darcy Fort, Darcy Gardiner, Darragh Joyce, Dayne Zorko, Deven Robertson, James Tunstill, Kai Lohmann, Lincoln McCarthy, Logan Morris, Luke Beecken, Reece Torrent, Ryan Lester, Zane Zakostelsky

[Mofra]

TBH I think they have to play Fort as a forward/second ruck given O'Mac's injury history and age. They need a second KPF to keep the opposition defenders accountable otherwise they may be susceptible to intercept marking talls blunting their attack. They'll be absolutely fine once the ball hits the deck though.

The defence will get re-jigged. Can Zorko keep his formline up at 34 years old? Kiddy walks back into the side

[Dogs 24/7]

They have some gaps but it's an impressive list. I wouldn't bet against them as a top 4 side.

[jeemak]

Have a look at their wings/ flankers/ pockets/ forward of centre players (bolded):

BRISBANE'S PREDICTED BEST 23
FB: Brandon Starcevich, Harris Andrews, Darcy Wilmot
HB: Keidean Coleman, Jack Payne, Dayne Zorko
C: Jaspa Fletcher, Will Ashcroft, Hugh McCluggage
HF: Cam Rayner, Eric Hipwood, Jarrod Berry
FF: Charlie Cameron, Sam Day, Callum Ah Chee
FOLL: Oscar McInerney, Josh Dunkley, Lachie Neale
INT: Kai Lohmann, Zac Bailey, Levi Ashcroft, Tom Doedee, Logan Morris

It's modern day footy porn. Even the guys I haven't highlighted are going to be awesome in their roles sooner rather than later.

If that's not the best side put together in the last ten to fifteen years................even with the odd reach/ new draftee being included over others............then I don't know shite about footy.

[Stevo]

Have a look at their wings/ flankers/ pockets/ forward of centre players (bolded):

BRISBANE'S PREDICTED BEST 23
FB: Brandon Starcevich, Harris Andrews, Darcy Wilmot
HB: Keidean Coleman, Jack Payne, Dayne Zorko
C: Jaspa Fletcher, Will Ashcroft, Hugh McCluggage
HF: Cam Rayner, Eric Hipwood, Jarrod Berry
FF: Charlie Cameron, Sam Day, Callum Ah Chee
FOLL: Oscar McInerney, Josh Dunkley, Lachie Neale
INT: Kai Lohmann, Zac Bailey, Levi Ashcroft, Tom Doedee, Logan Morris

It's modern day footy porn. Even the guys I haven't highlighted are going to be awesome in their roles sooner rather than later.

If that's not the best side put together in the last ten to fifteen years................even with the odd reach/ new draftee being included over others............then I don't know shite about footy.

It's an awesome team purely on talent and I think I read here that their list management approach over a number of years was based on building talented running players who can play forward and in the midfield in the even conditions up in Brisbane.
Unless something really strange happens they are right in contention again this year.

[GVGjr]

Lions stand a game away from AFL dynasty

The Lions are 120 minutes of footy away from cementing themselves as the AFL’s next great dynasty. What should scare rivals? They’re not going anywhere for a long, long, time.

The Brisbane Lions are 120 minutes of football away from cementing themselves as the next great AFL dynasty.
What should send shivers down their rivals’ spines is next year, they could be even better.
Chris Fagan already boasts an embarrassment of riches with arguably the deepest list in the competition at his disposal but there is plenty more to come for a club that could be in the premiership window for another half-decade – at least.
West Coast captain Oscar Allen will depart his boyhood club to join the Lions in the upcoming trade period and Essendon ruckman Sam D

A young forward line whose only perceived flaw is the absence of a genuine tall target will soon have two at its disposal – one a forward first who can ruck and the other vice versa.
The ‘Go Home Five’ are a distant memory in the Queensland capital with Brisbane now a bona fide destination club capable of going toe-to-toe with even the heavyweights in Victoria.
Draper’s teammate, Jordan Ridley, was also weighing up a trade request to Brisbane before ultimately deciding to remain at Bomberland.
It is not all roses for the reigning premier, however.
Callum Ah Chee could play his last game in the maroon, blue and gold on Saturday with the premiership utility expected to join the Adelaide Crows as a free agent at season’s end.
And lockdown defender Brandon Starcevich still has a big decision to make on whether he wants to return home to Western Australia on a big money move, or stay at the Lions for less and chase further success.
Both players have been instrumental in recent years and in a perfect world, the Lions would love to keep both.

But if Chris Fagan can successfully pilot Brisbane back to a grand final after losing Joe Daniher to a shock retirement – and watching best-23 players drop like flies seemingly every second week – then the good life can no doubt roll on even if the two premiership Lions depart next month.

So how is it that they can bring in Allen, Draper and potentially more on competitive contracts while boasting a long list of elite players worth their own sizeable pay packets?
The secret to success, as we have seen this September, is the kids.
Eight – count them eight – players who faced Collingwood in last Saturday’s preliminary final were aged 22 or younger.
Darcy Wilmot has not missed a game since debuting in an elimination final against Richmond in 2022 and first had Daniel Rich then Dayne Zorko to learn the rebounding ropes from.
Kai Lohmann has had more than his fair share of injury struggles but the weekends not spent playing league footy were more than made up for by working under arguably the greatest small forward of the past decade in Charlie Cameron.

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Will Ashcroft and Jaspa Fletcher began their careers in 2023 and have only known grand finals.
Ashcroft’s debut season was cut short by an ACL tear but if anything it made the father-son even hungrier to prove himself – a Norm Smith Medal just 13 games into his injury return testament to that.
And Fletcher has gone from fringe winger to ultimate utility in 2025, transforming his game in a single off-season to become one of the best intercept medium defenders in the league.

Off the heels of Brisbane’s 2023 grand final heartbreak came Logan Morris, who arrived with pick 31 in that year’s draft and kicked two goals in a grand final less than 12 months later.
In year two his 52 goals and counting not only leads all Lions, it places the 191cm forward among an elite group including Lance Franklin and Jeremy Cameron to reach the half-century at age 20.
And last year, having just toppled Sydney by 60 points to win the premiership, the Lions added two first-round talents in father-son Levi Ashcroft and academy graduate Sam Marshall.
Later, at pick 42, they blocked a bid from Geelong on unknown academy forward Ty Gallop.

The younger Ashcroft stepped into the deepest midfield in the competition from day dot and has played every game in his debut season, averaging a touch under 20 disposals.

Like his brother before him, he looks made for the big stage and destined to be a core piece of the club’s success for a decade and longer.
In his first days at the club Marshall topped the 2km time trial and did not look back. It took him much of the regular season to stamp his starting ticket but with each passing week the Sunshine Coast product grows.
His first quarter of the preliminary final put many of his experienced rivals to shame.
And then there is Gallop, who in just his fifth league game booted three goals and clunked a game-high three contested marks to be the No. 1 rated player on the ground last weekend.
His Leo Barry-like pack mark and cool-as-you-like set shot goal to seal the win was not typical of a player of his inexperience.

Yet the Lions keep unearthing them. Ty Gallop snaps a goal Ty Gallop picked a great time to show his promise. Picture: David Caird
In November the club will add Lions Academy jet Dan Annable, who will arrive in the national draft as another top-10 talent ready to roll off the production line and straight into the engine room.
The core of Brisbane’s list still has five-plus years of its best footy ahead of it.

Cam Rayner is still only 25. Zac Bailey just turned 26 on Tuesday. Hugh McCluggage and Jarrod Berry will only be 27 at the start of next season.
As Lachie Neale’s stellar career winds down, the 32-year-old will become the cream on the cake rather than the base layer holding it all together.

Josh Dunkley is only 28, as is Harris Andrews – much to the chagrin of opposition coaches who by now must be sick of trying to magic up new ways to disrupt the bedrock of Brisbane’s backline.
Brisbane has also been able to cash in at the draft. Picture: Michael Klein
The fly in the ointment next year will be Bailey. We have already heard of the Bombers’ big money offer for the damaging mid-forward and that noise will only grow next year as he edges closer to the end of his contract.

Few would begrudge Bailey leaving for more money – especially if the Lions add another one or two flags to their tally before his time is up.
But it would not shock to see him remain in Queensland and chase sustained success with a group as close-knit as any in the competition. M
For years Geelong’s foes have begrudgingly marvelled at the Cats’ ability to attract players for less.

At some point over the past nine years, Fagan found a similar formula.

Is it any wonder the two winningest clubs of the past decade face off in the grand final on Saturday?

In November the club will add Lions Academy jet Dan Annable, who will arrive in the national draft as another top-10 talent ready to roll off the production line and straight into the engine room.
The core of Brisbane’s list still has five-plus years of its best footy ahead of it.
Cam Rayner is still only 25. Zac Bailey just turned 26 on Tuesday. Hugh McCluggage and Jarrod Berry will only be 27 at the start of next season.
As Lachie Neale’s stellar career winds down, the 32-year-old will become the cream on the cake rather than the base layer holding it all together.
Josh Dunkley is only 28, as is Harris Andrews – much to the chagrin of opposition coaches who by now must be sick of trying to magic up new ways to disrupt the bedrock of Brisbane’s backline.

The fly in the ointment next year will be Bailey. We have already heard of the Bombers’ big money offer for the damaging mid-forward and that noise will only grow next year as he edges closer to the end of his contract.
Few would begrudge Bailey leaving for more money – especially if the Lions add another one or two flags to their tally before his time is up.

But it would not shock to see him remain in Queensland and chase sustained success with a group as close-knit as any in the competition.
For years Geelong’s foes have begrudgingly marvelled at the Cats’ ability to attract players for less.

At some point over the past nine years, Fagan found a similar formula.
Is it any wonder the two winningest clubs of the past decade face off in the grand final on

[GVGjr]

You have to admire the balance Brisbane have achieved wit their recruitment via both the drafts, player trades and Free Agency

It's a good comparison to Geelong who are a club that focuses on the now with trading for experienced players and they expertly top up with later picks in the draft.

[Dogs 24/7]

It goes to prove that clubs should invest heavily in a strategy that works for them.
Ours needs to be more of a draft and develop and top up with experienced players looking to make a move.

[Bornadog]

Brisbane have done a brilliant job and with Oscar Allen and Draper coming in and academy players, they will be up there for a long time.

[GVGjr]

Brisbane might have to try and fit these players back into the senior side next season

Keidean Coleman, Noah Answerth, Jack Payne, Oscar Allen, Sam Draper, Jarrod Berry, Lincoln McCarthy and Eric Hipwood

[Grantysghost]

Brisbane might have to try and fit these players back into the senior side next season

Keidean Coleman, Noah Answerth, Jack Payne, Oscar Allen, Sam Draper, Jarrod Berry, Lincoln McCarthy and Eric Hipwood

Doedee?

We should try and dislodge one of Coleman or Doedee.

[azabob]

Doedee?

We should try and dislodge one of Coleman or Doedee.

Over 2024 and 2025 Coleman has played two games and Doddee has played one.

Brisbane have the best medical team in the entire league and they can’t get them right.

Hard pass.

[Grantysghost]

Over 2024 and 2025 Coleman has played two games and Doddee has played one.

Brisbane have the best medical team in the entire league and they can’t get them right.

Hard pass.

Cmon man you're not even trying. We have the best fitness team in the world, and the most beautiful. No body has a fitness team and facilities like us.