Season preview: Brisbane Lions

LAST YEAR
Played: 22
Won: 10
Lost: 12
Finished: 10th
Best and fairest: Jonathan Brown
 
2009 IN BRIEF
Coach: Michael Voss
Captain: Jonathan Brown
Coaching staff: Justin Leppitsch, Adrian Fletcher, Wayne Brittain (assistants), Craig Lambert, Craig Brittain, Chris Johnson (development), Beau McDonald (ruck).

ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES
Arrivals
Rookie elevation: Scott Clouston
NAB AFL Draft: Todd Banfield (Swan Districts), Todd Cornelius (Tasmanian Devils), Kieran King (East Fremantle), Bart McCulloch (South Launceston), Jack Redden (Glenelg), Daniel Rich (Subiaco)
NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft: Tom Rockliff (Murray Bushrangers)
NAB AFL Rookie Draft: Daniel Dzufer (Brisbane Lions), Daniel Murray (East Perth), Adam Spackman (Morningside), Joel Tippett (Brisbane Lions)

Departures
Retired: Nigel Lappin (veteran – outside list), Beau McDonald
Exchange period – traded: Anthony Corrie (Collingwood)
Delisted: Robert Copeland, Wayde Mills, Matthew Moody, Chris Schmidt, Colm Begley (rookie), Daniel Dzufer (rookie), Haydn Kiel (rookie), Phil Smith (rookie), Joel Tippett (rookie)

FIXTURE
A tough opening five rounds could set the tone for the Lions and new coach Michael Voss as they face the West Coast Eagles (home), Carlton (away), the Sydney Swans (home), Collingwood (home) and Geelong (away).

The Brisbane Lions make seven trips to Melbourne –three games at the MCG, three at Docklands and one at Skilled Stadium.

Of last year’s finalists, the Lions play Adelaide, St Kilda, the Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn just once.

INJURY LIST
Tom Rockliff (shin splints) - Available (will be ready for round one)
Pearce Hanley (ankle) - Test (should be ready for round one)
Simon Black (hand) - 1 week (should be ready for round one)
Bart McCulloch (quad) - 2 weeks (will likely miss the first round)
Jared Brennan (quad) - 2-3 weeks (will likely miss the first 1-2 rounds)
Daniel Murray (groin) - Indefinite
Joel Tippett (back) - Indefinite
Pat Garner (knee) - Season (won't play in 2009)
Daniel Merrett (quad) - Doing full training and id expected back by round one
Jamie Charman (knee) - Doing full training and id expected back by round one

MATT BURGAN’S PLAYER RATINGS
5 -- Simon Black, Daniel Bradshaw, Jonathan Brown, Luke Power (4 players – 20 points)
Brown remains one of the game's superstars and the word out of the Lions camp is that he is fresher than in recent years. A pre-season hand injury won't stop Black from remaining one of the best in the business. Power also remains an elite midfielder. And it would take a brave person to suggest Bradshaw won’t back up his 75 goals last year with another dominant display.

4 -- Jed Adcock, Jared Brennan, Jamie Charman, Bradd Dalziell, Josh Drummond, Travis Johnstone, Matthew Leuenberger, Joel Macdonald, Daniel Merrett, Joel Patfull, Michael Rischitelli (11 players – 44 points)
Drummond has All-Australian potential, but needs to stay injury-free. A quadriceps injury is a concern for Brennan, but he still should play most of 2009. Leuenberger will rise. Merrett and Patfull remain keys down back, and Macdonald is unsung. Adcock, Rischitelli and Johnstone all have the class and Charman is a key figure. A big call maybe, but Dalziell could be elite by season's end.

3 – Mitch Clark, Tom Collier, Scott Harding, James Hawksley, Lachie Henderson, Rhan Hooper, Ash McGrath, Tim Notting, James Polkinghorne, Albert Proud, Daniel Rich, Jason Roe, Troy Selwood, Justin Sherman, Cheynee Stiller, Matt Tyler (16 players – 48  points)
Clark could quite easily climb this year, but injuries have hampered him previously. Sherman also has the ability to lift. Selwood, Stiller and Harding could press up, but consistent years are needed for elevation. Expect Collier, Hawksley, Polkinghorne and Tyler to step-up and Rich to play regularly in 2009. Proud and Hooper have had off-field issues but they have ability and will play roles this year. 

2 -- Matt Austin, Scott Clouston, Aaron Cornelius, Jack Redden, Sam Sheldon, Daniel Dzufer (rookie), Pearce Hanley (rookie) (7 players – 14 points)
Sheldon and Dzufer enter their third season and would expect to see more game time; Austin could run on for Lions in his second year as well. Draftees Cornelius and Redden should also gain a taste. Irish rookie Hanley is likely to add to his tally of two games. Clouston is one to watch and could rise to a regular.

1 -- Todd Banfield, Kieran King, Bart McCulloch, Tom Rockliff, Pat Garner, (rookie), Daniel Murray (rookie), Adam Spackman (rookie), Joel Tippett (rookie) (8 players – 8 points)
McCulloch has suffered a pre-season quadriceps injury, but is a long-term ruck prospect. King is young and needs time. Garner will miss 2009 after undergoing his third knee reconstruction in five seasons, while Rockliff (shin splints) and Banfield (hand) have had interrupted pre-seasons and are also developing. Rookies Tippett (back) and Murray (groin) are out indefinitely.

Total team rating: 134 (12 of 16, league-wide)

THE YEAR AHEAD
Four years outside the top eight is not sitting well with the Lions. To jump back to the finals they need a good run with injuries, development from their second tier players, and goals from avenues other than Brown and Bradshaw. The continued improvement of Adcock, Brennan, Rischitelli and Macdonald and the health of ruckmen Charman and Leuenberger will go a long way towards dictating the Lions’ success. The debut season of Lions number one draft pick Daniel Rich is highly anticipated.
 
WHAT THE CLUB SAYS
“We are putting in some new things and a new game style. The players need to move the ball quicker than we have in the past. We have to gel as a team and start to spread the load.

“Some of our more experienced guys were outstanding last season and we still missed the finals. It shows where we have to get our next level of improvement from.

“ We are by no means in the elite of the competition and haven't got the same luxuries as Geelong and Hawthorn, or being able to flick the on-and-off switch when it suits.”
- Senior coach Michael Voss

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.