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How to tune into Sport NationDuffield: The Lions will be a massive headache for the AFL
Mark Duffield • September 30th, 2025 9:23 pm
Brisbane has a dynasty – two flags in two years, three Grand Finals in three, seven consecutive finals berths.
The AFL has a problem. The Lions, thanks to three gun father-sons on top of a rebuilt list and academies, are in a position where they could dominate the competition for another five years.
That’s the upshot of a Grand Final that started tight and tough, and finished as one-way traffic. Once Jeremy Cameron was injured and Brisbane realised the Cats had no stick forward of centre to hurt them with, the Lions were as ruthless, clinical and unforgiving as a gun team can be.
Chris Fagan pulled the right rein with how he used Lachie Neale and with the scores locked level at half-time Fagan was able to unleash a dual Brownlow medallist, as fresh as a daisy on the unsuspecting Cats and the match titled violently the reigning premiers’ way.
The rest was inevitable. Cameron was hurt, Harris Andrews was dominating Shannon Neale, and Chris Scott needed two Mark Blicavs – one to keep Andrews honest in attack and one to go in the ruck.
In the end you could have taken your pick of any one of four or five Brisbane players for the Norm Smith Medal. Will Ashcroft, whose poise and ball use in tight was extraordinary, and he certainly was a worthy winner. Any one of Andrews, Charlie Cameron, Hugh McLuggage, Zac Bailey, Jaspa Fletcher or Dayne Zorko would have been just as worthy.
The Cats have some concerns. Paddy Dangerfield was magnificent in their preliminary final win over Hawthorn, but he is 35 and was always going to battle to reproduce an effort like that two weeks in a row. Once he was well held, first by Brandon Starcevich and then by Darcy Gardiner, the rest of their midfield was underwhelming and eventually overwhelmed.
Blicavs is 34, Jeremy Cameron is 32 and Rhys Stanley is 34. Expect the Cats to be very active during the trade period.
And on the flip side, with unrest already building over the Northern Academies and father-son draft picks, the Lions took the field with eight players 22 or under and with – conservatively – five of their best 23 – Jarrod Berry, Jack Payne, Noah Answerth, Eric Hipwood and Keidean Coleman – sitting in the grandstand.
They will bring in Oscar Allen and Sam Draper as free agents in the off-season and they will draft Daniel Annable, an academy prospect rated inside the top five in the talent pool this year.
What you can expect as a result of this is that the disquiet from other clubs over the concessions given to the Northern teams will grow to a roar over this off-season leading into next season.
Father-sons continue to tilt the fortunate of teams dramatically. In 2022 the Cats had Tom Hawkins running around – the last survivor of teams that had won three flags earlier with Matthew Scarlett and Gary Ablett Jnr.
In 2023 Collingwood won with Darcy Moore leading and Nick and Josh Daicos starring and in the last two seasons Will Ashcroft and Jaspa Fletcher – then joined by Levi Ashcroft on Saturday – all made significant contributions to the win.
If you look at their oldies – replacements are ready. Kiddy Coleman shapes as cover for Dayne Zorko, Draper will succeed Darcy Fort and Oscar McInerney in the ruck, Allen will provide cover for young forwards Logan Morris and Ty Gallop. If age gets Neale – Ashcroft, Ashcroft and Fletcher will be ready to take over his role midfield.
It’s a massive headache for the AFL and the complaints of other clubs are going to ring ever louder in their ears.
