IT TOOK Brisbane ace Hugh McCluggage just one session of stoppage craft with new teammate Sam Draper to believe the former Essendon ruckman would be a Gabba cult hero in 2026.

Draper joined the two-time premiers via free agency during the off-season as a virtual replacement for retired Oscar McInerney.

On the way back from a ruptured Achilles tendon that cut his 2025 short, Draper took another step towards Opening Round availability with a strong training session at Brighton Homes Arena on Friday morning.

The 27-year-old got the chance to do some light stoppage work with his new midfield mates, impressing McCluggage no end.

"He tapped the first one down to me and I said 'that's beautiful'," he said.

"'Forty' (Darcy Fort) said 'you haven't said that to me in five years'. He wasn't too happy with me!

"Drapes will be great.

"He could turn into a cult hero for us, I think. He's got the luscious locks, and we saw that goal he kicked for Essendon (against Gold Coast in 2022) … the Gabba would be pretty excited if he did something like that."

Brisbane's other high-profile recruit, former West Coast skipper Oscar Allen, also got through the long session on his way back from knee surgery.

McCluggage said the pair had fitted in quickly at the Lions.

"As we saw on the Channel Seven coverage at the cricket, they made themselves right at home amongst the group, which was awesome," he said with a laugh.

"We love that. We've built our culture around that connection with each other. If you walked into our club, you'd think Oscar and Drapes had been here for a year or two. 

"They've really put themselves out there and thrown themselves into training and are doing really well."