Brisbane Lions - Season Preview

Back to back premiers, young talent all over the park with plenty of leadership going around to keep the ship sailing in the right direction. This lineup is scary no matter what way you look at it and there will have to be some big names left out of this lineup should they be healthy making the depth unquestionable in this team 

Offseason In’s/Out’s 

IN – Oscar Allen (FA), Sam Draper (FA), Dan Annable (Draft), Cody Curtin (Draft), Koby Evans (Draft), Tai Hayes (Draft) and Ben Murphy (Cat B) 

OUT – Callum Ah Chee (Delisted), Darcy Craven (Delisted), Sam Day (Retired), O Mac (Retired), Dev Robertson (Delisted), Brandon Ryan (Delisted) and Brandon Starcevich (Trade to WCE) 

Off Season Summary – 2 big free agents come into this lineup in Allen and Draper who will both look to make an immediate impact giving the Lions the experienced key forward they have been missing with Hipwood being plagued by injury and being shit. Draper will be a straight swap for the retiring Oscar McInerney. Dan Annable arrives with great excitement but will probably be a year to early for him yet with a running HB line being a log jam for most, may have to spend some time on the wing to get some playing time under his belt 

Predicted Lineup 

B – Wilmot, Payne, Lester 

HB – Zorko, Andrews, Fletcher 

C – W.Ashcroft, Neale, Berry 

HF – Rayner, Allen, Bailey 

F – Cameron, Morris, Hipwood 

FOLL – Draper, Dunkley, McCluggage 

I/C - Lohmann, L.Ashcroft, Gallop, D. Annable, Coleman 

Defender Review – Missing Andrews, Payne and Coleman for large parts of last season didn't hold this team back at all and the names that don’t make this projected 23 proves the depth with the likes of Answerth, Doedee and Gardiner missing out means defender injuries won’t ruin this team in the short term should anything happen 

Midfield Review – With the new ruck rules coming in Sam Draper is going to feast being an athletic ruck who is very mobile he will get around the ground well and may get his share of single ruck contests should an opposing ruck not make it to the contest. The followers we shouldn't expect anything different with Will, Lachie and Josh as the main on ballers with Levi and Bailey getting the rotational duties through the midfield 

Forward Review – Oscar Allen will lead this forward line as their best leader in the forward line since Joe retired helping take some pressure off young Logan Morris allowing him to still succeed but focus on his craft a bit more. Hipwood will be the 3rd key forward down there and is hoping to bounce back to what he once was but I am doubtful of that. Expect Rayner and Bailey to keep up their late last year’s form with their own great games and hopefully Charlie Cameron can bounce back from a disappointing 2025 by his standards 

Players to Break In 

• Tom Doedee – Knee issues and struggling to make his return have plagued him of recent times and will offer better backup than Gardiner if his body is right but will only expect him to break in if we get a key defender injury 

• Sam Marshall – Played a wonderful role last year due to injuries to Lohmann and others so is stiff to miss the 23 but has proved he can do it at the top level and could look to try take the wing role from Jarrod Berry or the I/C from Lohmann 

• Darcy Fort – Rough for him to be moved out the lineup but the incoming of Sam Draper means he loses ruck duties and Allen fills out the key forward line. Should they choose to run 2 rucks the Darcy for will slot straight in for Ty Gallop I expect 

2026 Prediction 

Ceiling – 19-4 (1st) 

Floor – 16-7 (4th) 

Back to back premiers have to be the favorites to do it again but it wont be easy. I expect them to be one of the top 4 teams comfortably separating themselves based on the depth they have at almost every position.

• Flanders