A while ago, I can remember an interview with Lachie Neale where he stated that he just wanted to be able to walk into a club function and look the heroes of the 2001-03 Brisbane teams in the eye, as equals.
That team did it all, and had an historic three-peat to show for it.
You can understand why Neale felt that way – those Lions sides of early this century are hailed as one of the greatest teams of all-time. When people are asked about great Lions, the names of Voss, Black, Akermanis, and Brown leap to mind. Neale wanted him and his teammates to be mentioned alongside them.
And they’re close now… so very close.
With back-to-back flags under their belt, the current incarnation of the Lions is setting their sights on emulating those wonderful teams. And they have not remained idle in the chase.
An aggressive off-season saw Sam Draper and Oscar Allen join the club, and with a level of top-end young talent unmatched in the league, the Lions have been successful in ensuring that this club has every chance of continuing this successful run, post-2026.
You can skip this next little bit if you’re reading all our previews. It’s the standard intro.
We’re steaming toward a new season, and as we do, it is time to turn our attention away from the glory of last year and look at the possibilities of the new one.
The players have been on the track for a while now – the Christmas break is over, and as we work through January, the charge into the new season ramps right up.
This is where premierships are won and lost. This is where improvements are made and lists come together. This is where the kids show if they’re serious or not, and young projects become the next group of stars. New faces, new colours, old heads with renewed passion… so much feeds into the making of a contender. And as the days tick down toward the intra-club clashes, practice games, and eventually the real stuff, questions are raised about each team and how they’re going to perform in this new season.
And that’s where HB and The Mongrel come in.
We don’t do things by halves here, at The Mongrel Punt. When we do a season preview, we go all in to make sure it is the best, most comprehensive coverage you’ll receive. We pride ourselves on it. If you want to read one season preview for your team, or any team, this series will provide what you’re after.
The way it works is as follows.
Each club has a minimum of 15 questions asked about the upcoming season, their coaches, their players, and their expectations. The answers are not glossed over. We dive deep on each and every one of them – some singular answers would normally be long enough for an entire column. The first five questions/answers are free for you to consume. The next 10-14 for each club are for our members, including a special appearance from Mrs Mongrel to throw her two cents in the mix.
Isn’t it a bit early for a season preview? Well, I suppose, but do you know how long it takes to write seven-to-nine thousand words? That’s 18 x 8,000… gets out the calculator… that’s 144,000 words. The average novel is about 85,000 words, so buckle the hell up with these previews; HB goes deeper than anyone else covering the game..
Also, if there are any issues that arise after the publication of the preview for any team, they will be covered in standalone articles to act as additions to this preview.
You will not read a more comprehensive season preview than this – I guarantee it. This is where we start the run to the new season, and believe me – nobody does it better than The Mongrel.
Let’s get on with it – here’s the 2026 Big Questions about the Brisbane Lions.
1 – DAMN IT, ARE THIS MOB ACTUALLY GOING TO BE BETTER IN 2026?
When an opposition supporter looks at the list of the Lions, it is often met with a sigh of resignation.
Across the board, their talent is unquestionable, and to make matters even worse (for everyone else… or better for them), the talent at a young age is the best in the competition.
I’ll be getting to a few of those players in specific sections on them, but pivoting for a second, we need to look at what the Lions lost after 2025, and what they gained.
Brandon Starcevich departed, taking on a role with the West Coast Eagles. With a couple of premiership medallions under his belt, he moved home to play in WA. Fair enough – I am not sure many Lions supporters have any ill-will toward him.
They also waved goodbye to Callum Ah-Chee, who matured into one of the best finals players at the club over the last couple of seasons. His departure was not as smooth, with the Lions and Crows unable to reach a deal, which saw Ah-Chee land at Adelaide via the pre-season draft.
And finally, Oscar McInerney retired, having returned from injury to make good and play in a premiership team, after cruelly missing the previous year’s finale due to a dislocated shoulder.
But if you’re a Lions fan, it is all about the gains, right?
You damn bet it is!
They have picked up a man who was on the fast-track to being one of the best forwards in the game, before injury cut him down. Oscar Allen, former West Coast captain, joins the club and will slot in as a key forward.
Sam Draper made the move from Essendon to replace The Big O, and will add plenty to the team as the number one ruck.
And then, they were able to add their highly-touted youngster, Daniel Annable, to the side, after matching a bid at pick six in the AFL Draft. It is a move that had several clubs throwing their hands in the air in exasperation, given the Lions had just won a flag. More on that, later.
When you factor in the returns of Jack Payne, Keidean Coleman, Eric Hipwood, and Lincoln McCarthy, you suddenly get hit with the reality that this Brisbane team is nowhere near a fading star in the AFL universe. No… they may just about to burn even brighter.
If you wanted to write a textbook on how to build a successful list and not just keep it competitive (see Geelong), there are a few examples to follow, but to set it up for sustained ultimate success, you’d use this Lions team as the blueprint.
Of course, the loins of Marcus Ashcroft and Adrian Fletcher had a lot to do with the list being so good with the younger players on offer, but look at Logan Morris, and Ty Gallop coming through as key forwards – premiership key forwards. Look at Darcy Wilmot across half-back. And look at Sam Marshall coming through. These are the players who will be in the middle of the Lions team for the next 8-10 years.
This club is going nowhere but deep into finals for years on end.
Oh, but what about further retirements and departures?
A fair question. Lachie Neale may be playing his last season as a Lion. His family is now back in WA and he’ll likely wish to head there after the 2026 season. That’s okay… the torch has been in the process of being passed for a couple of years, now. Hugh McCluggae has a hand on it, and Will Ashcroft has had both hands on it.
Dayne Zorko is coming to the end, though you wouldn’t know it by the standard of his play. They have Wilmot and Fletcher to step into his role. And Keidean Coleman once he gets right, as well.
And as Charlie Cameron winds down, Kai Lohmann should be ready to ramp things up.
People, this team IS getting better, which is a weird thing to say when they’ve just gone back-to-back. In no way am I downplaying the contributions of the Big O, Starcevich, or Ah-Chee, but the way the Lions have constructed this team is about as close to perfect as you can get.
And they remain the yardstick as we head into the 2026 season.
2 – CAN SAM DRAPER BE THE KEY TO A THREE-PEAT
There are a heap of factors that need to align in order to win a flag – Lions fans know this as well as anyone. If that one unpaid free kick in the dying stages of the 2023 decider is paid, maybe we’re celebrating a Brisbane three-peat right now!
Injuries, form, chemistry, coaching decisions… they all need a good dose of luck alongside the skill and execution.
And it is no different with a recruit. However, as the Lions waved a fond farewell to Oscar McInerney, they also extended their arms and embraced the arrival of Sam Draper from the Bombers.
Oscar was all heart. I remember watching him chase Brodie Grundy across the SCG a couple of years back. He was stuffed… his running style was all over the place, head lolling from side to side as he struggled to stay close with the aerobic beast that is Grundy.
But he did it. He gritted his teeth, pushed through that barrier that anyone who has ever played has hit, and as the footy was delivered to Grundy, there was the Big O to provide a timely spoil and break up a potential forward entry. An 80-90 metre chase, late in the game… it provided just one one-percenter on the stats-sheet… but it meant so much more.
That is the expectation of players who don a Brisbane guernsey.
Why do I bring this up? I swear… there’s a reason.
Prior to Brad Scott bringing Todd Goldstein in to finish his career at Essendon, he made the following statement.
“There’s a difference between training hard – and I think everyone trains hard – to what an AFL lifestyle looks like, so that’s an area I’m more concerned about and need to address.”
Without naming names, I was under the distinct impression that Draper was one of the people he was directing those comments at. The fact he brought in Goldstein – a renowned workhorse – to play alongside Draper, kind of confirmed it in my eyes. He wanted Goldstein to demonstrate the ‘AFL lifestyle’ to some of the Bombers. That he brought in a ruckman to do it should not be lost on people.
Has Draper learned the AFL lifestyle?
Will the Lions tolerate anything less?
Draper is supremely talented. He is athletic, powerful, and has surprising pace. That said, without the type of heart demonstrated by his predecessor, all that amounts to little. The physical gifts have always been apparent, but there has been enough doubt about his application to warrant a little bit of worry.
Maybe a new team, a higher standard, and the chance of genuine success is enough to push him to a level he has never before been?
And if he gets there, he absolutely makes this Brisbane team better, and puts them even closer to matching the feats of the great 2001-03 Lions teams.
3 – WHAT DOES A FIT OSCAR ALLEN MEAN TO THIS TEAM?
When Joe Daniher announced his retirement, many thought it spelled the end of the Lions as a force. After all, it looked like the Lions were going to be forced to rely on Eric Hipwood and some untested kids.
To the shock of everyone, they did, and it worked! Logan Morris stepped up, Zac Bailey had a career-best season in front of goal, and Cam Rayner started to provide a rugged marking target inside 50, as well. They not only made do without Joe – they excelled.
And now, they can add a proven 50-goal key forward to the mix, as well.
What a coup!
Of course, the worry with Oscar Allen is that his recent history has seen him plagued with injury. That said, the Brisbane medicos are renowned for their ability to get players up and about. Prior to his ACL in 2025, Linc McCarthy was an absolute success story, and the re-rise of Joe Daniher after an injury-riddled stint at Essendon, saw the spearhead become an integral part of the 2024 flag.
Is Allen the next one to find himself rejuvenated by the Queensland weather (and the best medical staff in the business)?
At his best, Allen automatically becomes the number one forward in the Brisbane front half. He had great hands, is strong through the core, and draws the footy. This also creates more opportunities for those around him.
Logan Morris is already a 50-goal forward, and the returning Hipwood will slot into the familiar third-option position. This then permits Cam Rayner to spend more time moving through the midfield. Throw in the ground level support of Charlie Cameron and Kai Lohmann, and you have a potent setup, with depth to cover injuries (Gallop/McCarthy).
If the Lions are able to get Allen up and about, it improves a forward line that was already the one of the top teams in terms of putting score on the board.
Almost unfair, really.
Yes… almost.
4 – ZAC BAILEY WAS SO CLOSE TO MAKING THE GRAND FINAL HIS OWN – ARE WE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE HIS PEAK?
I admit – I got a little impatient with Zac Bailey over the past few years. I would watch him go about his business, running around at half-forward, bobbing up and kicking goals, and floating in and out of games, and I wondered how much more he was capable of.
I mean, I thought he was able to be so much more. Funny… it turns out… he could!
The 2025 version of Zac Bailey we saw was the version Lions fans were waiting for. Hitting the 20 disposals per game mark for the season, and averaging 1.7 goals per game, Bailey set career high levels in both categories. It seemed the more the Lions started to lean on him, the more he responded, and in the biggest game of the season, only inaccuracy prevented Bailey being the most dominant player on the ground.
He has undoubtedly arrived.
His 2025 finals series saw him average 21.75 disposals and 2.25 goals per game. That is elite in anyone’s book.
And it may have set the table for what is to come.
At 26, Bailey is now in his peak years – a scary thought for the opposition, who may now be realising that the version we saw during the finals could be the version we see on a weekly basis in 2026.
A mid/forward that averages 20 touches and two or more goals per game is rare. So rare, in fact, that we haven’t seen one since Stevie Johnson did it in consecutive years back in 2011-12. That Bailey was able to do that over four finals speaks volumes about the player he is, and the player he could be. Most players don’t see their averages increase during finals.
Bailey bucked the trend.
The problem he poses for opposition coaches is that he is largely un-tag-able. Sure, you can sit someone on him for the entire game if you want, but who gets off the chain when you do? Ashcroft? Neale? McCluggage?
Pick your poison.
Yeah, I may have been frustrated with him a couple of years ago, but that is only because I, and likely you, saw the player he was going to be. We saw the potential match-winner, the bloke who could win the footy and make things happen. And we saw someone who could go on and dominate not just a game in the finals, but a finals series.
If Brisbane get anywhere near the version of Bailey they got in the last four games of 2025, start fitting him for another All-Australian blazer. It’ll be well deserved.
5 – RIGHTO HB… WHERE IS THE ACHILLES HEEL?
This has been a very positive preview thus far, hasn’t it? Not all teams get one as glowing as this because I am not a bullshit artist and I tell the truth… which mean the same thing, I suppose.
Anyway, knocking a team that just collected back-to-back flags is something only a complete arsehead, or Kane Cornes, would do. As such, I haven’t, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a look at where this Brisbane team could fall over in 2026.
And you probably know where that is, right?
Normally, I would write a glowing piece about Harris Andrews. I love the way he goes about it, and have done just that here, here, and here. Told ya… I love the bloke.
However, the fall of the Brisbane Lions happens only if there is a significant inujury, and that injury would be to the best defender in the league. When all is said and done, he’ll be remembered as one of the best defenders in the history of the game – Harris Andrews.
Last year, after watching the way he took charge of matters in some games, I openly wondered why his name was not being more widely considered as the league’s MVP?
He was clearly Brisbane’s most important player, and what else became apparent the longer the season went, was how he conducted that Lions back six like a maestro. The more I watched Brisbane games (and I watched plenty because I enjoy watching the good teams), the more influence I become aware of. Even when Andrews was not dominating the air, the way he commanded that back six to work in unison was a thing of beauty. Some players are leaders in name alone – check out Jy Simpkin at North for proof of that – and others are leaders due to their actions.
Harris Andrews is the latter.
If Andrews goes down injured, as good as the remainder of the Lions are, it could be a blow they cannot recover from. So important is he in the structure of that team, that he is the only irreplaceable player out there.
I reckon there is only one thing that would make Chris Fagan wake up in a cold sweat at this time of year – the thought of his captain experiencing a significant injury.
This is the only thing I can see bringing the Lions undone. Lose Harris Andrews, and they are not the same team.
Keep the big fella healthy at all costs – he is the heart, soul, and big fist of this team.
The remainder of this article, and the next 14 questions are for our members. They support me, and I provide for them. It’s a good deal.
Oh… a Mongrel paywall… the worst of all paywalls. We’re on the march to the 2026 AFL season and it all begins here. The Mongrel’s Big Questions Season Previews are THE best in the business. If you know, you know… if not, maybe it’s time to find out. Pre-Season, Practice Games… we’re all in. Dump the mainstream lip service and dive into articles like this – you will never look back. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. You’re welcome to re-read the first five questions again, but if you do… there is a heap more below.
