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The Brisbane Lions have only three wins from eleven games this season, have the second lowest percentage in the competition, an injury list that totals 728 games of experience and well publicised off-field and financial trouble.
Having made the finals just once since their grand final loss to Port Adelaide in 2004, it’s been a tumultuous period for the Lions. But the past few weeks have provided a ray of hope for long-suffering Lions fans.
The past decade is punctuated by poor on-field performance, questionable recruiting and development – think Brendon Fevola and the ‘Go Home Five’ – political manoeuvring in the boardroom, and the employment and then shock axing of favourite son Michael Voss as coach.
Now there is some internal stability, with property developer Bob Sharpless as Chairman, triple Brisbane Premiership coach Leigh Matthews on the board, and champion defender Justin Leppitsch as coach.
Most importantly for the fans, there is evidence to suggest Brisbane’s on-field fortunes are turning.
The large injury list has afforded less experienced players an opportunity to show what they can do, and it’s given them valuable experience while increasing depth.
Daniel Rich, Matthew Leuenberger, Ash McGrath, Luke McGuane, Trent West and Brent Staker have all been first-choice players in recent seasons. None of them are playing at the moment, and giving their replacements an opportunity to play at the highest level will only spur them on to play well enough to maintain their spot.
It’s these less experienced players who have provided Brisbane fans with some hope. James Aish, Lewis Taylor and Darcy Gardiner have all had significant game time so far this season, and have shown huge amounts of promise.
Aish is already a Rising Star Nominee at 18 years old, and it wouldn’t be absurd to think that he could win it. He’s also a dual premiership player with South Australian club Norwood, and has shown levels of composure and class not often seen in first-year rookies.
Diminutive Lewis Taylor is another who, like Aish, has played all 11 games. Well known for seemingly having his socks glued to his shins, he has shown good awareness in traffic and impressive pace.
Darcy Gardiner, once rated the best key position defender in last year’s draft, has come along quicker than many other tall defenders and has shown impressive signs in his first seven games.
The challenge for the Lions will be keeping the promising youngsters that they have invested in. On top of the aforementioned, Claye Beams, Rohan Bewick, Marco Paparone and Sam Mayes are all recent draftees who have played this year.
Rich will no doubt be looked at by opposition clubs as a potential free agent, as will Leuenberger, Hanley, Rockliff and Redden.
The worst possible result for the Lions would be a repeat of last year, when Elliot Yeo (West Coast), Jared Polec (Port Adelaide), Billy Longer (St Kilda), Sam Docherty (Carlton) and Patrick Karnezis (Collingwood) all sought trades, which were ultimately negotiated, back to their home states.
It was a massive loss of talent, and it will be painful for Lions fans to see these players being successful. All of them bar Karnezis have played for their new clubs this year, with Yeo and Polec being particularly impressive.
If they do manage to keep them and the off-field situation improves, these players will only get better, and the Lions will have a strong, talented core group around which they can build a successful team.
Hopefully the last two weeks have been an insight into the future of the football club, rather than an anomaly.
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