Brisbane's young midfielders poised to replace Lachie Neale after Collingwood
Lachie Neale is leaving Brisbane for Collingwood, but the Lions look built to keep winning.
Lachie Neale is leaving Brisbane for Collingwood after the Lions' third consecutive premiership, but the club appears built to keep winning. Will Ashcroft backed younger brother Levi and teenager Daniel Annable to develop into top-level midfielders to replace Neale's role.
The grand final team had an average age of 27 years and 302 days. Most stars are still in their twenties.
Only Dayne Zorko, Charlie Cameron, Darcy Gardiner, Ryan Lester and Darcy Fort are over 30. Brisbane added experienced recruits Sam Draper and Oscar Allen last year.
Both played key roles in this premiership. Conor McKenna intends to play one more season and Fort is reportedly set to sign a fresh one-year deal.
The Ashcroft brothers, Jaspa Fletcher, Ty Gallop, Darcy Wilmot, Kai Lohmann and Logan Morris remain in their primes ahead.
- 27 years and 302 days
- Grand final team average age
- 5 (Zorko, Cameron, Gardiner, Lester, Fort)
- Players over 30
- Sam Draper, Oscar Allen
- Recent veteran recruits
Why it mattersBrisbane's remarkably young list, combined with retained senior experience and proven recruitment, positions the club to challenge for multiple premierships in coming years despite losing a key midfielder.
AustraliaBrisbane is set to dominate Australian football for the next five years, with rivals needing significant list upgrades to challenge the young Lions dynasty.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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