Having won three successive premierships in 2001,02 and 03, the Brisbane Lions have been one of the most successful clubs in AFL history, since their inception in 1996. Port Adelaide eventually stopped the Lions from claiming four Premierships on the trot with victory in 2004. Brisbane are the only AFL club representing Queensland.
See the 2010 Brisbane Lions fixtures.
In part two of my series, I look at who will make the top eight and declare who I think will win the 2010 AFL Premiership.
1. Geelong
Despite the loss of Harley and the drama of Stokes, Geelong remains formidable and still is the best side. Ablett, Bartel and Selwood will again dominate. While [...] Read article
Brisbane’s leaders have attempted to quell the hype surrounding the beefed-up Lions in 2010 with the mantra actions speak louder than words.
Judging by a sickening training collision which has teenage sensation Daniel Rich unlikely to play Hawthorn on Friday, it’s more than a mere catchphrase.
A dazed Rich required 22 stitches after clashing heads with full-back [...] Read article
The Brisbane Lions’ decision to remove the Fitzroy lion from its home and away jumpers – and replace it with the much-criticized “Paddle Pop lion” – is remarkable considering just how desperate some clubs are to have a secondary supporter base in another part of the country.
Hawthorn’s relationship with Tasmania has seen a number of [...] Read article
Aggression, whole-hearted desire and courage were all hallmarks of Michael Voss the star AFL player. The triple premiership-winning skipper’s attributes certainly remain at the fore as coach following a bold and stunning 2010 recruitment campaign.
After a sixth-placed finish in his debut season, Voss has made Brisbane’s premiership intentions crystal clear by luring north half a [...] Read article
With much change about to occur in the Australian football landscape over the next few years, I thought it might be instructive to look at end of year financial performances of the AFL clubs for 2009.
Such a study confirms a few of our expectations for the coming years, and allows us to understand the strengths [...] Read article
The Brisbane Lions will ask the AFL for special permission to play a practice match the week before the start of the season after Saturday’s NAB Challenge Series match against Geelong was cancelled because of Melbourne’s stormy weather.
A massive downpour engulfed Visy Park shortly before the scheduled 3pm start, with hailstones the size of [...] Read article
Fitzroy’s old supporters are fighting for the survival of one of the last remnants of the club’s history in a legal battle to ensure its AFL merger partner, Brisbane, keeps its original lion logo.
But the Victorian Supreme Court heard Fitzroy is standing in the way of Brisbane’s financial success by demanding the club continue to [...] Read article
The legal stoush between the Brisbane Lions and the remnants of the Fitzroy Football Club over the new logo is a fight worth having, as far as old Roys are concerned.
Symbols and heritage may not matter as much to a new club, but tell Collingwood to change their black and white stripes and you’ll have [...] Read article
For the first time in three seasons, no AFL player earnt more than $1 million last year. The $1 million barrier was first cracked in 2007, with two players earning seven-digit sums in 2008, but AFL figures show no player’s income reached those heights in 2009.
But the salary divide between an elite few and the [...]
The AFL wants television networks to show matches live when the next broadcast rights deal is brokered for the 2012 season and beyond.
The next five-year agreement is expected to be worth more than $1 billion and AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said the league would also seek a commitment to screen games live.
Currently, the four [...]
With a number of second-year players, including Nick Naitanui, retaining their eligibility, the race for this year’s Rising Star award is already looking like it will be the one of the most hotly-contested since the award began.
Contesting the award alongside the second-year players will be a number of 2009 draftees that look set to make [...]
A Malaysian billionaire is apparently in the mix to bid as a partner for the next round of the AFL TV rights for 2012-2016.
As reported in this article in The Age:
“T. Ananda Krishnan, who has extensive satellite television interests in Asia through his Astro network Fetch, has put the idea of a joint bid for [...]
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has warned that the league will not take a back step to soccer if Australia hosts the World Cup.
In a speech at Thursday night’s official season launch, Demetriou has made it clear that the AFL will not let soccer dictate terms if the bid to host the cup is successful.
Earlier [...]
Geelong’s aura is fading, with rival captains rating St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs as more likely AFL grand finalists than the reigning premiers.
The Cats have won two of the past three flags, with a grand final loss in between.
But in the league’s annual pre-season poll, they received only three of a possible 15 votes [...]
The Western Bulldogs will head into their 2010 campaign expected to be in contention for their first premiership in 56 years.
Rightly or wrongly, there has been much hype surrounding the Western Bulldogs. For the first time, the club will find themselves in an unfamiliar position.
Unlike previous years, they aren’t the underdog.
A lot of the [...]
Michael Tuck medallist Barry Hall couldn’t have started life at the Western Bulldogs any better, prompting many pundits to believe the Dogs have solved their ‘power forward’ problem and are now 2010 Premiership favourites. But some maintain it’s a matter of time before ‘Big Bad Barry’ has another brain-snap.
The 33-year-old, who controversially ended his time [...]
Well there has been plenty of debate over what chance a World Cup bid has if the NRL and AFL will be left out of pocket. Is this the case though?
An ideal situation for the rugby league and AFL during a World Cup would be as follows.
Host 4 NRL rounds over 5 or 6 weeks [...]
AFL administrators face a crucial few months as they work to a tight deadline on their ambitious Greater Western Sydney expansion project.
The league want the Kevin Sheedy-coached “GWS” team to join the competition in 2012, a year after Gold Coast make their AFL debut, but first the 18th team needs a home stadium.
The AFL Commission [...]
