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Trade talk: Will Starcevich concussion deter the Eagles?
Jaiden Sciberras • September 28th, 2025 6:30 pm
Brandon Starcevich appeared all but certain to have played out his last game in Brisbane colours, however yet another concussion has thrown a spanner in the works.
The WA-born defender starred for the Lions early in the Grand Final, shutting down the impact of Geelong’s Patrick Dangerfield in phenomenal fashion.
However, it wasn’t all pretty for Starcevich, copping an unfortunate concussion after an innocuous head-high knock from Ollie Dempsey in a marking contest during the third term.
The concussion ruled him out of the final quarter of Brisbane’s Grand Final triumph, capping off a disastrous run of head knocks for the defender.
Earlier this season, Starcevich was out of action for three months due to concussion issues and has now suffered his fourth within just over a year.
“I feel fine. It was obviously a bit scary, but I've pulled up fine," the 26-year-old told AFL Media.
“I potentially (could have come back on) but it was more risk management than anything. I've had a little bit going on this year, so to finish like this, I can't ask for much more.”
The outcome for Starcevich will weigh heavily on the forthcoming trade period, with home-town club West Coast said to have tabled a lucrative six-year deal to acquire the defender’s talents ahead of 2026.
Given his history with concussions, Fox Footy journalist Jon Ralph has conceded that Saturday’s injury is certain to play a role in the Eagles’ play for Starcevich, particularly considering the potential long-term consequences of the repeat injury.
“It’s a challenge,” Ralph told SEN’s Point of View.
“It makes the decision even harder now. Four concussions in 14 months, in it of itself that’s not alarming, but the last one was so significant in terms of the recovery, that he’ll certainly set himself up much better over this one.
“If you’re him and you’re thinking ‘I’d love to stay for a potential three-peat’, a two-year deal is on the table (at Brisbane). They would up the offer to longer than that because they know how good he can be, and let’s face it, he was awesome against Patrick Dangerfield.
“And then if you’re West Coast, you’re thinking ‘if we sign him up, he gets a concussion in round 1 next year…’
“You get three years of diminishing protection in the salary cap, I think the formula is 90 per cent in the first year of retirement, 75 per cent, 50 per cent, and then we’re on the hook for the last two years of a deal that’s probably $900,000.
“It’s really challenging. I just wonder whether he’d say to himself, ‘I’d stay at Brisbane to chase the three-peat, but could you give me a four-year deal’, so that all the things that are swirling around… he would have spoken to his manager Jason Dover in the last couple of days.
“I think ideally, he’d love to go back home with his partner and finish his career in West Coast, but if you’re the Eagles, with all of the dud contracts you’ve had over the last five or six years, the last thing you need is Brandon Starcevich being medically retired very early into a very long contract.”
Speaking post-game, Starcevich admitted that where his future lies remains a difficult decision.
“I'll take a couple of days to enjoy it and then decision time is coming. It's hard either way. It's a tough decision to make and it'll come later.”
Tune in to AFL Trade Radio tomorrow from 12pm on the AFL app.
