Brisbane
Coach – Chris Fagan
2019 –
Points For – 1st
Points Against –7th
Top 5 Best and Fairest
- Lachie Neale
- Dayne Zorko
- Hugh McCluggage
- Jarryd Lyons
- Daniel Rich
2019 Rising Star Noms
Noah Answerth (Round 20)
Ins – Deven Robertson, Brock Smith, Keidean Coleman, Jaxon Prior, Sam Skinner, Corey Lyons, Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Grant Birchall, Callum Ah Chee
Outs – Ryan Bastinac, Tom Cutler, Matt Eagles, Luke Hodge, Ben Keays, Corey Lyons, Nick Robertson, Archie Smith, Lewis Taylor, Josh Walker
My Prediction
I did not pick Brisbane to make the eight last season, I certainly thought they would improve but to come within percentage points of winning the minor premiership was not in my scope of imagination. Their young talent really got the job done last year and have built a very talented list. Whether they can go further will be interesting to watch.
Harris and Gardiner are pretty good keys to build a long term back line around. They lose Hodge this year but I think there times last year when he looked cooked and it was time for him to go. Birchall coming in was an interesting choice and I think him and Ah Chee will be looking at the same spot on half back. Witherden and Rich give them two defenders with excellent footskills to set up attack when the ball gets back there.
The midfield is a bit of a beast. Neale had a magnificent year and worked well with Zorko in winning a mountain of the ball. Robinson finally started to get credit last year for the mildly insane hard edge he brings. It is insane to think that they brought in Neale and Lyons last year which gave them so the ability to win the ball so much better. McCluggage found his AFL feet fully las year and started to do the things we all saw in the TAC cup. It isn’t the best midfield in the competition and could use more speed but they work well together and were rarely beaten last year.
The Lions were the highest scoring team last year which was a surprise to me. McStay and Hipwood are great talls and they have McCarthy who was surprisingly ok last year. Zorko and McCluggage spending time up forward helps with them averaging a goal a game. Then Cameron is constantly dangerous and kicked some bags last year. They had a good spread last year.
Stefan Martin is a pretty hand ruck, they wouldn’t want an injury to him. Mcinerney and Smith are the back-ups and not sure you would want too much from either. As long as Martin stays fit, they are pretty well covered. The coach has done an amazing job with the team in changing their direction and setting them up for a consistently high finishing period.
I have trouble shaking my feeling that the Lions were nursed to their position last year with a soft draw and a good run with injuries. They don’t feel like a top four team to me which is probably stupid. I think they are going to drop and a reasonable distance. I think they are bottom of the eight sort of team and somewhere inbetween 6 and 8.