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As someone who grew up watching the legendary Brisbane Lions team of 2001-03, being amazed by the likes of Simon Black and Jason Akermanis in particular, to see the club in its current state of being is highly depressing.
A club that was once the most respected and feared in the competition has now ceased all pretences of relevancy and is becoming something of a laughing stock, regarded by other teams as little more than a poaching ground for inevitably disaffected young talent.
The history of the Gold Coast Suns is much shorter but they are no less disappointing. After flirting with finals just two years ago, it now looks like their exciting future will prove to be little more than a pipe dream.
That is the state of AFL in Queensland. Right now, the two clubs that reside there are among the very worst in the league, and most concerning, it seems to be the result of a systemic, on-going failure to be competitive rather than a temporary squall.
Most concerning for both clubs is their inability over the past eighteen months to keep their playing lists healthy and on the field. Both teams do in fact have a significant amount of talent on their lists, but just can’t seem to get a run at it.
For Brisbane it is Tom Rockliff and Dayne Beams who are the biggest concerns, two All-Australian calibre midfielders who should be leading the Lions into a new golden age, but instead are spending most of their time in and around the recovery room.
The same can be said of the Gold Coast Suns when it comes to Jaeger O’Meara and David Swallow who have been barely if at all sighted since the end of 2014, not to mention Gary Ablett and Dion Prestia who while fit now have been in and out of the side on a regular basis across that same time period.
Without knowing what goes on inside the four walls of a club it’s impossible to say why so many key players in Queensland teams seem to be perpetually injured. However common sense suggests that where there is smoke there is fire, and the situation can only be assessed as bad luck for so long before other possibilities must be considered.
Both teams are currently in the position of taking a focus on youth and attempting to build toward future competitiveness. This is an admirable goal but they are leaving themselves hamstrung by their inability to retain their young talent.
The Lions troubles here are well known, having lost a number of quality young prospects over the past few years, the most successful outside of the club so far being Elliot Yeo and Sam Docherty, but also the likes of James Aish, Jared Polec and Billy Longer, not to mention mature players like Jack Redden.
It’s looking more and more likely that Sam Mayes’ name will be added to that list this off-season, and who knows what others might follow.
Gold Coast haven’t been hit too hard yet, but if you believe the rumour mill they are set to have the heart ripped out of the club this off-season with Prestia and O’Meara already having one foot out the door, and the likes of Swallow, Sam Day and Adam Saad all ‘considering their options’.
Such an en masse departure would see them virtually return to square one, losing all but a little of the young talent they drafted in their first few years of existence. Young gun key forward Tom J Lynch has been a great story for them this year but he would become the only story they have to tell.
AFLQ CEO Dean Warren says there is no crisis in the state of Queensland at the moment, pointing to increased participation numbers, the performance of NEAFL teams, and the rise in Queenslander AFL draftees as signs that football is thriving in the sunshine state.
It’s certainly a boon to have that success at a community level but one can’t ignore the troubling position of the two AFL clubs in the state.
What reason would anyone other than a die-hard fan have to go to the footy in Queensland these days, when in all likelihood the only spectacle to see will be the team getting smashed? Competitiveness is essential to drawing interest from more casual fans.
I’ve no doubt that despite Warren’s comments, the AFL will be taking a serious look into the situation in Queensland. There are three things in particular that I think simply must be on the agenda.
Firstly, a review into the injuries that both clubs have suffered from 2015 onwards. Is there more to this than just bad luck? There could be any number of potential explanations, and I think an independent review of the medical practices of both clubs may reveal a lot.
Secondly, a serious look at the senior coaches of both clubs. Justin Leppitsch has failed to address any of the issues that existed at the club when he arrived, and Rodney Eade has taken the Suns backwards at an alarming rate. They may still have the potential to turn it around, but a decision needs to be made on whether or not they are worth sticking by.
Thirdly and finally, a multi-faceted strategy for player retention must be developed. Brisbane have made some steps towards this independently, but the AFL should be looking at what it can do to make interstate players feel more at home in Queensland.
Dare I say it, the return of a retention allowance should be seriously considered, thought if it is brought in it must be just one part of a comprehensive plan to increase player retention rates, rather than being the sole measure designed to achieve this.
At the end of the day, I want to see Brisbane roaring again like the Lions of old, and I want to see the Suns rise. I don’t think I’m alone in this.
So to the brighter minds than mine running things behind the scenes at the AFL I say please, do what needs to be done. The time is now.