Brisbane must stop the go-home factor

Calls are growing for Brisbane to consider its position on Dayne Beams’s trade potential.

For some, this is purely a transactional, non-emotional equation. For others, who have followed the club for years and live and breathe the roar of the Gabba, it is quite another.

For the rest, who wonder what it would be like following an expansion club in Queensland – Brisbane was expended 31 years ago and relocated to Gabba 26 years ago – allow me to give you an insight.

The Lions must keep Dayne to his contract.

This year followers of all clubs have deeply etched emotions over the relinquishing of the captaincy and the interviews and stories of Dayne’s wrestle with heavy grief over the loss of his father to cancer.

The identification, sympathy and connection that he has achieved with all fans, not just those in Brisbane, is enormous. For his popularity, inspiration, and man-of-the-people identity, this midfield tattooed marvel is perhaps up there with Lance Franklin or Dustin Martin at the moment.

It must be remembered that Dayne Beams’s captaincy was the panacea of the murky and miserable degradation of Tom Rockcliff’s captaincy and ultimately his currency as a beloved powerhouse midfielder for the Lions.

As we have seen recently, Brisbane hasn’t got many appropriate captaincy choices – even Dayne Zorko has been shown up as he has struggled with his on-field attitude and lack of class in adversity. Brisbane losing another captain so quickly and in mercenary fashion would rip away all the goodwill and connection that has been built up over the last few years.

(Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Losing Rocky was painful to a lot of fans, but having Dayne definitely eased the burden of losing our biggest star player to the go-home factor to date –although it was shown again to be the get-out factor more than anything else.

The two transactions almost cancelled each other out. Losing one rising star nominee and All Australian winner for another as captain, this time a local boy who came home to be with his sick and dying dad, was accepted.

We have to remember what Brisbane gave up to get Dayne Beams.

This is the same man the Lions traded for with Collingwood. The Magpies in return received draft picks and players that culminated in a team comprising Jordan De Goey, Levi Greenwood and Jack Crisp, all three comfortably in the third-best team of the year. All three of these quality players would make Brisbane a better team right now.

I do not know what Brisbane would get for a trade – Terry Wallace hypothesised on Melbourne radio station SEN that draft picks 12 to 15 would be fair – but it would not equal these three midfielders. One is a lock-down specialist, another is a very handy half back flanker and De Goey could be the next Dusty or better.

Brisbane would look at those players in a trade for Beams, but they’ll never get that now.

Half of that trade done four years ago was on the futures market. Crisp was an okay up-and-coming midfielder who could be good. He has become that and has played all 88 games since being traded. Levi Greenwood was discarded by the Kangaroos as a reliable B-grade midfielder who has continued to play well.

You would hope Pick 5 would go really well, but as ex-Lion and current Magpie James Aish, who was Pick 7 in the 2014 draft, demonstrates, that’s not always the case.

Brisbane cannot afford one of their few players over 25 and one of the league’s best-liked identities to be traded for a potential win in few years time.

(AAP Image/Joe Castro)

It is well known that Brisbane and Gold Coast give up too much in trades, and they need to so they can pry players away from other clubs, whereas big Victorian clubs get good players almost whenever they want due to the go-home, MCG, big crowds and finals success factors. Gold Coast has warm water, white sand and Sea World (the polar bears are great). Brisbane up until recently had a series of past champion, ginger coaches and Jonathan Brown.

Earlier this year talkback radio in Melbourne was saying to merger of the two Queensland clubs would stop the AFL wasting money on the Gold Coast. That talk has at least stopped for Brisbane.

Brisbane’s story is one of exciting young guns and a couple of old heads playing fast, high-scoring football and rising rapidly up the ladder. Now is the time to stay on trend and keep talking about who is coming, not who is going.

The fans in Brisbane have been bruised and battered from a long and continuous list of good-quality players leaving for various reasons, some even to be closer to home.

How much better would Brisbane be right now with Elliot Yeo, Sam Docherty, Jared Polec, Jack Crisp, Jack Redden, Tom Rockcliff and James Aish? Even from the middle of the three-peat years the Lions lost a number one draft pick in Des Hedland, who was never the same player at Fremantle. Mitch Clarke left for Melbourne and then the Cats. Lachie Henderson was traded and, like Crisp, had an excellent career.

Reports that the Lions may be able to pry Lachie Neale from Fremantle, notwithstanding him being in last year of his contract, is excellent, but talk of coupling the two issues, although headline-worthy, is spurious.

Currently Dayne Beams has two years to run on a lucrative and secure contract with an exciting club on the rise. They appear to have a well-liked and good coach with a very competent off-field administration. The team is getting more competent and stronger and looks to him as a strong leader.

The club appears to have been extremely supportive during a difficult time. Whether he resumes the captaincy, wants to stay in the leadership group or even doesn’t want to do media, Dayne Beams will be a pillar upon which Brisbane’s success will rest.

The question is whether the Brisbane Lions say a resounding no to the go-home, get-away factor. As a leader of this fine country said once, it’s time.

By Brad.