Brisbane Lions

For the soccer team formerly known as Brisbane Lions, see Queensland Lions FC.
Brisbane
Names
Full name Brisbane Bears-Fitzroy Football Club Limited, Trading as Brisbane Lions Australian Football Club[1]
Nickname(s) Lions
2015 season
Home-and-away season 17th
Leading goalkicker Josh Green (25)
Best and fairest Dayne Beams, Stefan Martin,
Mitch Robinson, Dayne Zorko
Club details
Founded 1996
Colours      Maroon,      blue, and      gold
Competition Australian Football League
Chairman Bob Sharpless
CEO Greg Swann
Coach Justin Leppitsch
Captain(s) Tom Rockliff
Premierships 3[2] (2001, 2002, 2003)
Ground(s) The Gabba (capacity: 42,000)
Training ground(s) The Gabba
Other information
Official website www.lions.com.au

The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed in 1996 from the merger of the Fitzroy Lions and the Brisbane Bears. It is one of the most successful AFL clubs of the 21st century, having appeared in four consecutive AFL Grand Finals from 2001 to 2004 and winning three premierships (2001, 2002 and 2003).

The club is based at The Gabba. The team is captained by Tom Rockliff and is coached by Justin Leppitsch.

History: Start of a new era

The Brisbane Lions were officially launched on 1 November 1996, joining the national competition in 1997.

Beginnings: 1997–2000

Brisbane Lions logo from 2001 to 2009

In their first year as a combined club the Lions made the finals, finishing in eighth position after being defeated by the St Kilda Football Club in a qualifying final. The following year, however, they finished in last position, despite boasting a talented playing list.

Triple premiership success: 2001–2003

As the Brisbane Lions, the club won its first AFL premiership in the 2001 AFL Grand Final, defeating Essendon 15.18 (108) to 12.10 (82).[3] Lions utility player Shaun Hart won the Norm Smith Medal as best on ground in the Grand Final.[4]:521

In 2002, the Lions won back-to-back premierships when they again defeated Collingwood 9.12 (66) to 10.15 (75) in the 2002 AFL Grand Final in cold and wet conditions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Early in the contest the Lions lost both ruckman Beau McDonald and utility player Martin Pike (who had already had nine possessions in the first quarter) to injury and had to complete the match with a limited bench.

With a number of players under an injury cloud – and having lost to Collingwood in a qualifying final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground three weeks previously – the Lions went into the game as underdogs. However, they sealed their place in history as an AFL dynasty by thrashing the Magpies in cool but sunny conditions. At one stage in the final quarter the Lions led by almost 80 points before relaxing when the match was well and truly won, allowing Collingwood to score the last four goals. The final score of 20.14 (134) to 12.12 (84)[4]:860 saw the club become only the fourth in VFL/AFL history to win three consecutive premierships and the first since the creation of the AFL. Simon Black claimed the Norm Smith Medal with a dominant 39 possession match, the most possessions ever gathered by a player in a grand final.[5]

The 2004 season saw Brisbane remain in the top portion of the ladder for most of the season. Reaching the finals in second position, Brisbane controversially had to travel to Melbourne to play against Geelong in the preliminary final, due to a contract between the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the Australian Football League (AFL) guaranteeing one preliminary final would be played each year at the MCG.[6] Port Adelaide had finished on top of the ladder and hosted the other preliminary final in Adelaide. Despite this setback, Brisbane beat Geelong and reached the AFL Grand Final for the fourth consecutive year. Their opponents, Port Adelaide, playing in their first ever grand final, were too good on the day and recorded a 40-point win.[7]

Rebuild of the Lions' second generation: 2005–2008

The Lions began the 2006 season optimistically, but injuries again plagued the club, whose players recorded an AFL record total of 200 matches lost to injury for the season.

The Brisbane Lions finished runner up in the 2007 NAB Cup and then went on to create history by being the first team in the history of the AFL to have five co-captains. That year, the Lions failed to make the finals for a third successive year in 200.

The Lions began the 2008 NAB Cup shakily, losing to Essendon by 27 points. The team struggled for the season and missed out on the finals with a 10–12 record, losing 3 games despite having at least 5 more scoring shots in each of those games. Coach Leigh Matthews resigned at the end of the season after 10 seasons and 3 premierships with the club.

Michael Voss: 2009–2013

The Lions made a good start in the 2009 NAB Cup under new senior coach Michael Voss by registering a 9-point win over St Kilda. However this was followed by a series of losses in the pre-season to Essendon, Melbourne and Richmond. Their season ended with a 51-point loss to the Western Bulldogs.

The 2009/2010 off-season was dominated by the arrival of Brendan Fevola from Carlton, and the hype was focused on Fevola and Jonathan Brown in the sense that the Lions could capitalise on their strong 2009 season. Indeed, the Lions won their first four matches of the 2010 season to be top of the ladder after four rounds, but they would only win three more games after that to crash to a lowly finish by season's end. One of those wins however, was against eventual premiers Collingwood.

The Lions' 2010/2011 off-season was disrupted by the sacking of Fevola after just one season at the Lions, following repeated off-field indiscretions which included getting drunk in the Brisbane streets during New Year's Eve celebrations. On the field, the Lions won only four games for the year, but only one against any Victorian team, and that was North Melbourne, in Round 9. Despite their worst season since 1998, coach Michael Voss was granted a contract extension after the board recommended that Voss was the best man to take the club forward into the future. Leading into season 2012, only two players from the triple-premiership winning team of 2001–2003 remained: Simon Black and Jonathan Brown.

Brendan Fevola became the 1st Coleman Medallist to win the medal at a club and be traded to another the following year. He originally came from Carlton

The 2013 season started well for Brisbane, defeating Carlton in the final of the NAB Cup, with Daniel Rich winning the Michael Tuck Medal for best on ground and Aaron Cornelius showing some good form. However, things began to decline from then, with losses to the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide. However, in the 5th QClash match against Gold Coast, the Lions won by two points, with Jonathan Brown winning the Marcus Ashcroft Medal. Injuries were beginning to take a toll, with young players Claye Beams and Jared Polec suffering severe injuries. In Round 13, Brisbane defeated second-placed Geelong, coming from 52 points down late in the third quarter to win by 5 points due to an Ash McGrath goal after the siren in his 200th match.

On 13 August 2013, coach Michael Voss was told that his contract would not be renewed.[8][9][10][11]

Playing under Justin Leppitsch: 2014–

On 25 August 2013, former premiership player of the Lions, Justin Leppitsch, was confirmed to be the senior coach of the Lions for the next 3 seasons starting in 2014

On 18 October 2013, Brisbane Lions legend Simon Black announced his retirement.

During round 13, 2014 Lions captain Jonathan Brown was the victim of a facial injury in a clash between the Lions and the Greater Western Sydney Giants. He collided with Tomas Bugg's knee and was taken off the ground. He suffered a concussion, which caused his retirement from football. Along with the retirement of Ashley McGrath in August 2014, no active players remain from any of the club's triple-premiership winning sides.[12]

Corporate

Membership base and sponsorship

Crowds and memberships for the Brisbane Lions grew dramatically during the four seasons in which they made the AFL Grand Final. Since then, with the team being less successful, attendances have declined, but have remained stable over the past three seasons. In 2009 the Lions found it so difficult to sell corporate boxes that they resorted to doing so on a game-by-game basis.[13] 2011 saw the Brisbane Lions suffer their worst ever drop in support, as memberships decreased by 28%.The 2015 season has seen the membership rise to 25,109, a decent figure but still an 18% decrease from the club's peak membership of 30,941 in 2004. Consequently, the Brisbane Lions have the third lowest membership in the AFL.[14]

Year Members Change from previous season Finishing position1 Average home crowd
[15] 		Profit (Loss) Major Sponsor
199719,550 N/A Qualifying Finalist (8th) 24,468 Carlton & United Breweries
199816,674Decrease 571 16th 19,913 Carlton & United Breweries
199916,931Increase 823 Preliminary Finalist (3rd) 21,890 AAPT
200020,295Increase 3,364 Semi-finalist (6th) 27,406 AAPT
200118,330Decrease 1,965 Premiers (2nd) 27,637 AAPT
200222,288Increase 3,958 Premiers (2nd) 26,894 AAPT
200325,578Increase 3,290 Premiers (3rd) 31,717 $2,200,000[16] AAPT
200430,941Increase 5,363 Grand Finalist (2nd) 33,619 AAPT
200530,027Decrease 914 11th 33,266 AAPT
200626,459Decrease 3,568 13th 28,629 AAPT
200723,072[17]Decrease 3,387 10th 28,847 $1,058,000[18] Vodafone
200823,079 Increase 7 10th 28,127 ($2,200,030)[19] Vodafone
200926,324[20] Increase 3,245 Semi-finalist (6th) 29,172 ($603,207)[21] Vodafone
201029,014Increase 2,690 13th 29,933 ($2,713,848)[22] Bank of Queensland, Conergy
201120,792[23]Decrease 8,222 15th 20,461 ($1,855,926)[24] Bank of Queensland, Conergy
201220,762[25]Decrease 30 13th20,343 ($2,513,262)[26] Bank of Queensland, Conergy
201324,130[27]Increase 3,368 12th 21,083 ($1,574,762)[28] National Storage, Vero Insurance
201423,930Decrease 200 15th 19,735 ($3,543,138)[29] National Storage, Vero Insurance
201525,408 Increase 1,478 17th 18,810 ($681,053)[30] National Storage, Vero Insurance
2016* 22,812 Decrease 2,596 Camperdown Dairy International, Vero Insurance

Statistics highlighted in bold denote the best season for Brisbane in that category
Statistics highlighted in italic denote the worst season for Brisbane in that category
1 following finals matches
* as at 6 May 2016

Club symbols

Guernseys

The three types of guernsey are:

Mascot

Bernie "Gabba" Vegas

The Lion's Mascot Manor representative and club mascot is Bernie "Gabba" Vegas, a caricature of a lion dressed in Brisbane Lions jumper, sunglasses, wide lapels, and flares, designed to resemble Elvis Presley.

Song

The club's team song, "The Pride of Brisbane Town", is based on the Fitzroy club song, and is sung to the music of "La Marseillaise", the French national anthem:[31]

We are the pride of Brisbane town,
we wear maroon, blue and gold,
we will always fight for victory,
like Fitzroy and Bears of old,
all for one, and one for all,
we will answer to the call,
go Lions, Brisbane Lions,
we'll kick the winning score,
you'll hear our mighty roar!

Awards and achievements

Team

Premierships: 3 (2001, 2002, 2003)
Runners-up: 1 (2004)
Premierships: 1 (2013)
Runners-up: 2 (2001, 2007)
Premierships: 3 (2001, 2012, 2013)

Individual

Club facts

Premierships

Runners Up

Coaches

Captains

Biggest home crowds

Rank Crowd Round, Season Result Opponent Brisbane Lions Opposition Margin Venue Day/Night/Twilight
1 37,224 15, 2005 Win Collingwood 19.19 (133) 7.13 (55) +78 The Gabba Night
2 37,032 PF2, 2001 Win Richmond 20.16 (136) 10.8 (68) +68 The Gabba Night
3 36,803 4, 2003 Win Collingwood 14.11 (95) 11.15 (81) +14 The Gabba Night
4 36,780 2, 2010 Win Carlton 16.11 (107) 12.16 (88) +19 The Gabba Night
5 36,467 3, 2004 Win Collingwood 21.11 (137) 12.5 (77) +60 The Gabba Night
6 36,197 1, 2003 Win Essendon 14.20 (104) 8.13 (61) +43 The Gabba Night
7 36,149 10, 2001 Win Essendon 15.12 (102) 10.14 (74) +28 The Gabba Night
8 36,077 17, 2005 Win Essendon 17.12 (114) 14.17 (101) +13 The Gabba Night
9 35,898 3, 2002 Win Essendon 17.15 (117) 9.13 (67) +50 The Gabba Night
10 35,823 21, 2004 Win St Kilda 20.10 (130) 13.7 (85) +45 The Gabba Day

Players

Current squad

Brisbane Lions
Senior list Rookie list Coaching staff

Head coach

Assistant coaches

Legend:
  • (c) Captain
  • (vc) Vice captain
  • Injury list
  • Upgraded rookie(s)
  • (ret) Retired
  • (B) Category B rookie

Updated: 27 November 2015
Source(s): Senior list, Rookie list, Coaching staff

NEAFL team

The Brisbane Lions have entered a reserves team in the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) competition since 2011. The club had previously entered a reserves team in the local Queensland Australian Football League in 1998, known as the Lion Cubs but became the Suncoast Lions Football Club in 2004 and were based on the Sunshine Coast. They would win their first premiership in 2001 when they defeated the Southport Sharks in the QAFL Grand Final. A stand-alone Brisbane Lions reserves team was created in 2011 and began playing in the Northern Conference of the North East Australian Football League. In 2012, the Lions won the Northern Conference and overall NEAFL premierships, a feat which was repeated in 2013. The Lions reserves trains and plays at the senior team's secondary training venue Giffin Park in Coorparoo, a four-minute drive from the Gabba.

Reserves premierships

Premierships (3)
Year Competition Opponent Score Venue
2001 QAFL Southport Sharks 13.20 (98) – 13.8 (86) Giffin Park
2012 NEAFL Queanbeyan Tigers 22.12 (144) – 11.9 (75) Manuka Oval
2013 NEAFL Sydney Swans 12.9 (81) – 10.13 (73) Graham Rd Oval

Season summaries

Season Win–Loss–Draw Ladder position Finals result
2011 4–13–1 10th (Wooden spoon) DNQ
2012 14–4–0 2nd Premiers
2013 16–2–0 1st (Minor premiership) Premiers
2014 6–12–0 9th DNQ
2015 2–16–0 10th DNQ

Reserves coaches

See also

References

  1. ↑ Brisbane Lions Trading Name
  2. ↑ "A history of Premierships". Brisbane Lions. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "AFL Clubs" (PDF). AFL. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
  4. 1 2 Lovett, Michael (Chief editor) (2010). AFL Record Season Guide. Geoff Slattery Media Group. ISBN 978-0-9806274-5-9.
  5. ↑ Blake, Martin (28 September 2003). "Black right on the ball". The Age (Australia). Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  6. ↑ Wilson, Caroline (15 August 2014). "Fairer finals clause comes back to bite AFL".
  7. ↑ "Port Adelaide stun Brisbane". 25 September 2004.
  8. ↑ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/brisbane-lions-coach-michael-voss-will-not-be-given-a-new-contract/story-fni5f4q3-1226696515172
  9. ↑ http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/afl/afl-news/lions-sack-coach-michael-voss-20130813-2ru9b.html
  10. ↑ "Voss not boss". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  11. ↑ "Michael Voss sacked by Brisbane Lions". The Age (Melbourne).
  12. ↑ Brisbane Lions' Ash McGrath Retiring From AFL, Triple M Melbourne, 21 August 2014
  13. ↑ Lions hit by fall in corporate box sales heraldson.com.au. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  14. ↑ Macgugan, Mark (19 July 2011). "Clubs post membership record". AFL. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  15. ↑ Attendance Summary
  16. ↑ Jonathan Brown. Life and Football.
  17. ↑ Member Milestones from lions.com.au
  18. ↑ Denham, Greg (May 16, 2012). "Brisbane Lions heading down financially stricken path of Port Adelaide as on-field performance fades". Fox Sports. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  19. ↑ 2009 Brisbane Lions Annual Report (2008 comparison values)
  20. ↑ Lions membership tally rises – Official AFL website of the Brisbane Lions AFC
  21. ↑ 2009 Brisbane Lions Annual Report
  22. ↑ 2010 Brisbane Lions Annual Report
  23. ↑ Clubs post membership record – AFL.com.au
  24. ↑ 2011 Brisbane Lions Annual Report
  25. ↑ "Brisbane Lions Membership". Membership.lions.com.au. 9 February 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  26. ↑ Lions announce financial loss
  27. ↑ "Brisbane Lions Membership Numbers". Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  28. ↑ 2013 Brisbane Lions Financial Report
  29. ↑ "2014 Financial Report" (PDF). Brisbane Bears – Fitzroy Football Club Limited. 31 October 2014.
  30. ↑ "Brisbane Lions 2015 Annual Report" (PDF). Brisbane Lions. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  31. ↑ Tony Eastley (29 October 2009). "Brisbane Lions face court action over new logo". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  32. ↑ Allen, Steve (29 September 2015). "Brownlow Medal 2015: remember when Shane Woewodin shocked the footy world?". The Age. Retrieved 4 May 2016.

External links

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