Yes, I’m tipping the Lions to fall at the final hurdle once more in 2018. But it’s a small price to pay for what could become a multi-year domination of the competition.
The thing is, Queensland girls’ football is booming. All of that talent flowing down the pipeline, and most of it will end up in the Lions – yet unlike Western Australia, other teams aren’t yet poaching all the best Queensland players (Tayla Harris excluded).
Last season the Lions didn’t have many stars, but they did have enormous depth, with strong contributions coming from every position.
Craig Starcevich made the most of that depth, and his team played tough, accountable football with perhaps the best swarming pressure in the league.
While most teams had a core of top stars, then the rest a level below, Brisbane applied equal pressure on every single matchup around the ground, making it impossible for less evenly-spread teams to win enough contests to beat them.
And in every draft from now until the Gold Coast Suns arrive, Brisbane will get deeper faster than every other team in the country except perhaps the Dockers.
This time around, the Lions got stronger in every part of the field.
Down back they’ve lost their best defender Sam Virgo to a knee injury, but gained top junior Arianna Clarke, livewire small Ruby Blair, and athletic mature-age Renee Cowan, who would have been in the team last year but for an injured ankle just before draft day.
Up forward they’ve lost Tayla Harris, but gained young Bella Ayre from the Carlton trade, who had probably more good games last season than Harris did.
They also added Kalinda Howarth, a mid-sized athletic forward with that X-factor ability to do things few others would attempt.
And in the middle, Emily Bates and Emma Zielke get some quality help in Jordan Zanchetta (who also would have been prominent last year if not for injury), skilful youngster Gabby Collingwood, and Carlton trade Nat Exon.
There’s also W-League player Emma Pittman, and some interesting rookie draft prospects. Last season the Brisbane midfield were effective enough just kicking long from stoppages — this year they should have the depth to spread wide and run.
There will be a real competition this season in the Lions team just to see who gets a game, especially in the crowded backline.
Next season, another flood of talented youngsters will turn that competition desperate. I don’t think it’s quite enough to get them a premiership this season, but I’ll be completely unsurprised if I’m wrong.
Prediction: 2nd.
In addition to his interest in sport, Joel Shepherd is a professional Science Fiction author. You can read more by him here.
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