As the home and away season begins to draw to a close, many sides out of finals contention would be forgiven for petering away, but for Brisbane, it’s been quite the opposite.
Sitting 16th on the ladder with four wins to their name, the young Lions’ outfit has refused to go down without a fight and is looking to cause some upsets in the remaining month.
A defining month
Five rounds ago, Brisbane was sitting 17th on the ladder with just one win to its name, and its season was looking like one it would hope to forget.
However its fortunes quickly changed, winning its next three, quickly catapulting it to four wins for the year.
The hat-trick of wins included a 55-point win over Fremantle at Optus Stadium, a 65-point victory against Carlton at home and an upset defeat of Hawthorn in Tasmania, followed by a nail-biting five-point loss to Adelaide.
Being such a young team, confidence is key, and the Lions have been brimming with belief this past month.
The likes of high-prized recruit Cameron Rayner, Alex Witherden and Hugh McCluggage have all stood up to the plate and complemented the Lions’ top end talent, and with results at a season-high at the moment, the side’s morale would undoubtedly be through the roof.
With North Melbourne, Collingwood and West Coast still to come, the Lions have a good chance to shape the eight.
Veteran stars
As is with all young teams, the presence of experienced veterans is crucial for success, and for the Lions, that balance is evident.
Dayne Zorko (29), Dayne Beams (28), Mitch Robinson (29), Stefan Martin (31) and Luke Hodge (34) are just a handful of senior players that lead from the front each week and set the example for their younger teammates.
Skipper Zorko is excelling after taking reins of the captaincy earlier this year, Beams is averaging his highest amount of disposals per game since 2014, Mitch Robinson is playing a crucial role on the game's best midfielders, Martin remains one of the league’s most underrated ruckman in the competition and Hodge leads the backline each and every week.
The acquisition of the former Hawk has proven to be a masterstroke for the Lions, given the leadership and guidance he has had over a relatively inexperienced defence.
The move has been so successful, that it is constantly being touted as potential solutions for struggling sides.
No place like home
When you look at Brisbane’s record at its home ground, it isn’t as eye-catching as some others.
However there’s no doubt the Lions have been much more competitive at the Gabba than away in 2018.
This season, they have won just two of their nine game at home, but of those seven losses, three have been by seven points or less, with the largest losing margin just 27 points.
Attracting a solid crowd of around 20,000 each week, Brisbane is making the journey north a daunting one for rival clubs given its drastic improvement in performance at home.
As a non-Victorian club, the travel schedule can be quite taxing, and with a team as young as Brisbane’s, the toll the travel takes is heightened, which may be a reason behind the side’s stronger performances at the Gabba.
