AFL Brisbane Lions: Danny Daly on Dayne Zorko contract, Jed Adcock replacement and trade period

Brisbane footy boss Danny Daly has provided an update on when Lions fans can expect an announcement on the future of former captain, veteran Dayne Zorko.

Brisbane footy boss Danny Daly expects a replacement for outgoing assistant coach Jed Adcock will be “sorted by the weekend” while a one-year deal for veteran midfielder Dayne Zorko is not far off.

It comes as the Lions made a further three list changes on Friday, informing Rhys Mathieson, Blake Coleman and Darryl McDowell-White Jr they would not be offered contracts for next season.

Brisbane Lions General Manager of Football, Danny Daly. Picture: Richard Walker

Adcock this month shocked the Lions by accepting a role on Alastair Clarkson’s coaching staff at North Melbourne for next season, ending a seven-year stint as assistant coach at Brisbane.

The Lions had been linked to Collingwood midfield coach Scott Selwood, however the highly-rated assistant chose to see out his contract at the Magpies.

“Scott was a person of interest but he’s contracted to Collingwood and that’s where it’s all ended up,” Daly told this masthead.

“Hopefully we’ve got (Adcock’s replacement) sorted by the weekend – hopefully it’s done and dusted and we can announce something on Monday.”

Adcock transitioned to backline coach last season and oversaw a much-improved Brisbane defensive system that helped propel the Lions into a grand final.

Under his guidance the likes of Jack Payne and Ryan Lester enjoyed career-best seasons, while co-captain Harris Andrews won his first club best and fairest.

Jed Adcock left the Lions after seven years as an assistant coach. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos)

“You never want to lose your good people and Jed had been with us for seven years and done a great job,” Daly said.

“In the same breath I think it’s great for Jed to be able to go somewhere else and develop as a coach – I think he has aspirations to be a senior coach, so whilst we were disappointed to lose him we respect the fact he wants to develop and he’s going on to work under one of the best coaches in Alastair Clarkson.

“I think a new coach coming in can be good for the playing group. A different voice, different ideas.

“Potentially we’ll go with the same structure of what we do as a backline group, it’s just about finding the right voice and ideas hence why it’s taken us a bit of time to make sure we get the right person to fill Jed’s shoes.”

Daly also revealed the club was close to agreeing a new one-year deal with Zorko, who came out of contract at the end of the season.

“He’s keen to go around again and we’re keen for him to go around again, it’s just in the hands of his management group now to sort all that out and get it done, but he’ll be on board for another year,” Daly said.

“Now that the trade period is done and Dayne is back (from holidays), we expect it to get done pretty quickly.”

Dayne Zorko is expected to sign a one-year deal. (Photo by Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Brisbane had not anticipated being active during the trade period, having previously snapped up Adelaide free agent Tom Doedee.

But the grand finalists were thrown head first into the chaos when Jack Gunston requested a trade back to Hawthorn despite having a year still to run on his Brisbane contract.

The Lions ended the trade period with 200cm mid-season draftee Brandon Ryan on their books after a player and pick swap with the Hawks.

“(Gunston’s request) was obviously a surprise – it only came across our desk late last week,” Daly said.

“He was in America and reached out to Fages to let him know and so obviously we then spoke with Hawthorn.

“Our boys had been watching (Ryan) last year in case we had a mid-season draft pick – if we’d had a pick he would have been in the frame for us.

“So when the Gunston situation came about we needed to add to our forward stocks, because Tommy Fullarton had just gone to Melbourne … so Ryan was one we thought would be a good replacement.

“We flew him up and showed him around the club on Saturday and he had a bit of a look around Brisbane then decided he was really keen. It all happened very quickly, but that’s what you have to do in trade period.

“He’s certainly a player we needed at our footy club.”

Brisbane delisted cult figure Rhys Mathieson on Friday. (Photo by Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

As for Doedee, Daly expects the key defender not to feature until the later stages of next season as he recovers from a ruptured ACL.

“We wouldn’t imagine he’ll be back until the mid-season break and then he’d probably need a few games in the VFL to get going again and used to our system,” Daly said.

“So hopefully in the back half of the year he could have a good impact for us leading into hopefully another finals campaign.

“We don’t expect the world from him, but we hope over the next few years he becomes a really important part of our backline.”