Brisbane Lions players and coaches, there for captain Dayne Zorko’s 30th birthday, dominate the crowd.

New recruit Marcus Adams is the odd man out. He had just undergone surgery and was in no shape to socialise.

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At the time he didn’t think his absence would be noticed, after all he was a newbie and how often does a whole club get together anyway?

What he hadn’t yet worked out was the kind of leader Zorko is.

“He is a man of the people, I reckon I would have been the only bloke who didn’t go,’’ he said.

“I don’t think in every sporting club you get that, there is usually cliques.

“Maybe there are blanket invitations to things but it is rare that everyone goes.

“There isn’t a cliquey nature at Brisbane and he is the major reason for that.’’

Zorko let Adams know he was missed in the days after the party when he checked in to see how the surgery had gone and continued to go to great lengths to make him feel included during his recovery – even when the serious business of the season began and the injury rehab group can feel like the loneliest place on Earth.

“He will always let you know he knows where you are at and he will always check on you,’’ Adams said.

“Someone with his energy, he can give you that spark, he makes you feel like you are in his mind.

“He is unique, he gives everyone time, he is a mini-‘Fages’ really.

“Everyone talks about ‘Fages’ and he is great, but I think what he (Zorko) means to his footy club probably doesn’t get enough credit.’’

Fagan’s admiration for Zorko extends beyond his on-field feats which he insists are still largely underrated across the AFL.

“He is just as good defensively as he is offensively, which is elite, and that is very hard to do,’’ Fagan said.

“I suppose why he has been able to change things around for our club is he is so positive.

“He has a can-do attitude and he is an optimist.

“That has been important for this group, they needed someone like that.’’

Lions chairman Andrew Wellington says Zorko’s greatest trait as a leader is the way he embodies the principles Fagan preaches.

“Chris and (Lions general manager of football) David (Noble) always talk about a growth mindset and Dayne is a great example of that.

“He has grown tremendously since becoming a captain.

“He leads on the field but he also leads off the field, he connects at every level.’’

A couple of former Lions captains and premierships teammates, Alastair Lynch and Jonathan Brown, are also huge fans.

“He is team first, he has great spirit and he loves the club and everyone there,’’ Brown said.

“He has done a fantastic job, that can’t be understated.’’

team player

Lynch has marvelled at how Zorko has modified his game this year to suit Fagan’s game plan, selflessly forgoing major midfield minutes to provide opportunities for the likes of Jarrod Berry and Hugh McCluggage.

While his possession tally has dipped, Zorko has reinvented himself as the competition’s premier pressure player.

“He is working harder than he ever has for his teammates and that mindset from the captain sets the example that is a big part of why they have improved,’’ Lynch said.

Zorko has won the past four Merrett-Murray Medals as the Lions’ club champion yet could have his run ended this year in a season where he has become the complete footballer.

“Being a leader of the football club you need to be open to change and I have learnt that team success is built off the back of everyone playing a role,’’ Zorko said.

“I am glad I have been able to change the perception of me in that way.’’

While justifiably proud of his individual achievements, which have already guaranteed him an automatic entry into the club’s Hall of Fame as soon as he becomes eligible, he takes greater satisfaction in the role he has played as captain in the club’s resurgence.

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“It is a nice feeling that I have been able to come in and captain a side that has been able to flip, not only our culture but also the perception in the AFL that the team up in Brisbane is doing a really great job, they are retaining their players and the performances are going well too.

“To be able to lead the way we go about things is an awesome achievement and something I am really happy with.’’

THE HODGE EFFECT

You cannot talk about Brisbane’s leadership without mentioning Luke Hodge, the man Zorko admits is his greatest influence.

Fagan knew what he was doing when he lured Hodge out of retirement at the end of 2017.

A decision of the magnitude of the Hodge recruitment needed to be signed off at the very top and Wellington confirms the board didn’t take much convincing when Fagan presented his bold proposal.

“We could very quickly see the merit in it, there wasn’t a long debate,’’ he said.

“The impact is two-fold, one is the tangible impact on the knowledge he can impart and the help he gives players on the field.

“Like Dayne he really cares about his teammates.

“The intangible one is when a guy like Luke Hodge, who has been so successful over his career, if he says to our players ‘If we do A and we do B then we can be successful’, it carries so much credibility.’’

However Fagan says it wasn’t what Hodge had achieved in his previous life at Hawthorn that made such an impact on the Lions, but what he did once he got here.

“Hodgey walked into the place already with enormous respect for what he had achieved in the game and his reputation as a leader,’’ he said.

“He didn’t have to earn the respect of the group but because of the sort of bloke he is he didn’t assume that was the case.

“From the moment he arrived he worked extremely hard to build relationships, to set an example, and that may have surprised blokes to see a legend act that way.’’