The Look Ahead: Brisbane in 2024

The Look Ahead will be the staple pre-season content piece, setting a tone for all 18 teams. The plan is to use them as a scene setter for team trends and individuals. In other words, don’t expect predictions, expect topics to be introduced – from both a list build and on-field perspective.

For a team in Brisbane’s situation, the focus areas are clear and concise.

Player contracts

Hugh McCluggage is the name who leaps out from the 2024 crop. Personal opinion; it’d be surprising to see anything less than a five-year deal when he stays at Brisbane, given his age and importance to the midfield rotations.

Impressively enough for a team in contention, there is relatively little in the way of long-term, big money deals on Brisbane’s books. It should mean plenty of room to move and lock McCluggage in for the rest of his career.

List demographics

For a team that’s either finished top four or got to the penultimate week of finals for the last five consecutive years, there’s still plenty more juice left in Brisbane.

There’s no critical mass of veterans simultaneously nearing the end, there’s a big group of players in their mid-20s carrying most of the load, and there’s a star Ashcroft both on the list and apparently on the way as well. Must be nice.

Create your own Brisbane Depth Chart

Changes in personnel

In:

From other clubs: Tom Doedee, Brandon Ryan
National Draft: Luke Lloyd, Logan Morris, Reece Torrent, Zane Zakostelsky
Cat B Rookie: Bruce Reville

Out: Marcus Adams, Nakia Cockatoo, Blake Coleman, Tom Fullarton, Jack Gunston, Rhys Mathieson, Darryl McDowell-White jnr, Daniel Rich

Does it all come down to executing in key moments?

When a side is as good as Brisbane, and without any significant departures over the off-season, all the questions are around the margins.

In this case, the focus (or mine, anyway) is on one thing: Over the course of 2023, the Lions ticked off most of the (my) question marks – defensive half ball use, general structure on both sides of the ball, limiting opposition uncontested ball – except for…

Crunch time execution.

At the end of a game there was always a nagging query on how Brisbane could close it out and it all came home to roost on Grand Final day:

I thought it was fitting in a Grand Final decided by small moments, Jordan De Goey’s go-ahead goal came from Collingwood being ultra switched on and knowing exactly what they want to do in every situation. An illustration: pic.twitter.com/o6foifeI3G

— Ricky Mangidis (@rickm18) October 1, 2023

It’s the small margins that make a premiership team. Collingwood knew, right down to the last blade of grass, where everyone had to be and when – and were able to execute it. Brisbane couldn’t match it.

Nothing else on the Lions’ list, barring an unexpected injury run, appears to be in trouble, there’s depth across all lines, not to mention their formidable home record guaranteeing 9-10 wins before they even consider hopping on a plane.

For me it comes down to execution when it matters most. It’s the only thing standing between them and a flag.

What is success for Brisbane in 2024?

Pretty simple: Unless something unexpected happens along the way, a flag should be their aim.