Dayne Zorko has backed under pressure Brisbane Lions captain Tom Rockliff

BRISBANE best-and-fairest winner Dayne Zorko insists Lions players “love’’ captain Tom Rockliff despite his confrontational leadership style.

Tom Rockliff and Dayne Zorko celebrate a Lions win. Picture: Jono Searle

BRISBANE best-and-fairest winner Dayne Zorko insists Lions players “love’’ captain Tom Rockliff despite his confrontational leadership style that hits them “between the eyes’’.

Rockliff’s future as a player and captain at the Gabba is uncertain due to his abrasive and divisive leadership methods.

He won the Players’ Player award at Brisbane’s club champion presentation night on Saturday but there has never been a question about his playing ability.

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The gong goes to the winner of the most weekly Players’ Player awards. They do not keep an overall vote total for the season.

Rockliff’s captaincy remains a serious issue and will be closely reviewed with a palpable mood amongst the club’s hierarchy to explore a change to unify the playing group.

There also remains the chance Rockliff could be traded out of the club.

Dayne Zorko won his second Lions best-and-fairest. Picture: Peter Wallis

Tom Rockliff leads the Lions out. Picture: Sarah Reed

Rockliff received a restrained rather than rousing round of applause when he collected his award.

Zorko and Rockliff had a falling out in 2015 but have made peace.

Zorko conceded Rockliff’s captaincy can ruffle feathers.

“I throw my full support behind him. As far as I am concerned Tom Rockliff is our captain and I stand by him fully,’’ Zorko said.

“I understand Tom’s captaincy has come under a little bit of scrutiny in the way he leads. I think he’s the right man to lead this club.

“I think Tom just hits blokes between the eyes.

“I understand there’s a generation that’s kind of passed where you can no longer hit players between the eyes … but I absolutely love the way he leads.

“The passion that he has for the club and the care that he has for his players, it really is first-class … the players love Tom.’’

Zorko was out with Rockliff and vice-captain Pearce Hanley and other players on Monday afternoon, just hours after ex-senior coach Justin Leppitsch was sacked.

Zorko also conceded the club’s senior players had failed to maintain high standards in 2016.

“In patches, our senior players were very inconsistent. When our senior players fired, our team seemed to go extremely well,’’ he said.

“All of our wins (a club record low of three) were due to our senior players really stepping up … the senior players were definitely a lot more inconsistent than what they’ve probably been.’’

Meanwhile, Lions chairman Bob Sharpless delivered a blunt message to the players to lift their game in 2017.

“We have every confidence in the players that we have here … we expect that the playing group will work hard,’’ he said.

“When you come back (from annual leave) you will work hard because we (the board and administration) can only do so much.

“You have to want it. This stuff ultimately comes from within … we have to come together and want it.’’

The Lions will finalise their sub-committee to select Leppitsch’s replacement early next week with club legend Simon Black a likely starter.

If the club cannot land Paul Roos to be on the committee, premiership-winning senior coaches such as Mick Malthouse or Robert Walls could be approached.