“G ive me 80,000 people at the MCG and I was Hercules,” Brent Crosswell once remarked. “Give me a grey day at the Western Oval and I wasn’t worth a cracker.” Crosswell, who likely would have earned two Norm Smith medals had they existed in his time, would fit seamlessly into the current Brisbane Lions roster. This team thrives on significant occasions and the weight of the game. When the match lacks intensity, such as during quiet games in western Sydney or Tasmania, their performance tends to suffer. Conversely, when the stakes are high, they shine brightly.
This marks Brisbane’s fourth consecutive grand final appearance, and they have consistently been at the top of the ladder for the past seven years. During this period, the competition has undergone significant transformations, from rule changes to evolving gameplay. While their grand final rivals have fluctuated in and out of contention, the Lions have proven to be the steady constant in the league. Despite losing players and adapting their style, their standard of excellence remains intact.
Inconsistent Performances
At times, they can be perplexing. Every six to seven weeks, they might deliver a dismal performance. Against weaker opponents, they may play with casual nonchalance, securing victories in brief spurts. However, when facing stronger teams, especially at the Gabba or the MCG, they show their competitive edge. It’s the matches against mid-tier teams and during the colder months that tend to reveal their lackluster side.
Even at their best, flaws exist within their gameplay. They are not as defensively robust as in past campaigns, having allowed high scores throughout the year. They permitted Carlton to achieve their highest score since 2012, with Brodie Kemp scoring four goals against them in just twelve minutes. By the season’s end, their defensive statistics were comparable to those of North Melbourne. In this finals series, they have surrendered an average of nearly 20 goals per game.
Coach’s Confidence and Risk-Taking
Nevertheless, this is not a team that fixates on poor performances or disappointing quarters. Coach Chris Fagan is known for delivering tough feedback but maintains unwavering faith in his players, rarely dropping them. He often expresses sentiments such as “it better be a one-week thing” and it usually is. Even following a loss or a stretch of conceding goals, their appetite for risk remains unshaken. Dayne Zorko, for instance, will collect the ball at full back, assess the situation, and think, “right, what’s the hardest kick I can take here, with the biggest possible payoff?” This embrace of risk is evident in every press conference and observable in every game and play. This is a team that prefers to take chances, willing to lose by 15 goals rather than abandon their preferred style of play.
They possess remarkable pacing, knowing precisely when to relax, when to intensify, and when to unleash their full potential. With the length of the season ever-increasing, this trait is invaluable. Their operation within the football landscapes of Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth likely provides them with a distinct advantage. For clubs like Collingwood, Carlton, or Adelaide, a lack of success in March or April can create an insular atmosphere, while Brisbane can sidestep much of the surrounding chaos and the calls for drastic changes. Throughout the Fagan era, they have enjoyed the benefit of being consistently respected and competitive, yet never the center of media hype. This grand final marks the first time in four appearances that they enter as favorites.
There is little mystery surrounding their style of play. They assert to their opponents, “The only way we can do it now is the hard way,” No matter the strategies opponents deploy, they continue to tic-tac-toe the ball around and through adversaries. Their talent, discipline, and experience ultimately prevail. They conduct themselves with the confidence of a team that has faced every challenge and knows their superiority when it truly matters.
In comparison to other dominant teams of this century, such as Brisbane, Hawthorn, and Richmond, there has always been a tendency to look for reasons to doubt them. Rarely did they finish atop the ladder after the home-and-away season, and all have experienced early exits in at least one finals campaign. However, they have thrived on taking the long road to success. “The only way we can do it now is the hard way,” Fagan remarked earlier this month. Such comments typically foreshadow the resurgence of Brisbane at their best, a level of play that is nearly unmatched in contemporary football.
