Brisbane premiership great Alastair Lynch outlines why the Lions can get even better without Joe Daniher

A Brisbane premiership great has boldly declared the Lions can get even better this year — even without their talisman Joe Daniher. CALLUM DICK explains why.

Could the 2025 version of the Brisbane Lions be even better than the premiership-winning side of 2024?

Club great Alastair Lynch says “absolutely”.

Chris Fagan’s side will have to defy recent history if it is to rescale the AFL summit and repeat as premier this season.

Not only did the Lions’ predecessors – Geelong (2022) and Collingwood (2023) – fail to defend their flags, neither side even returned to feature in September the following season.

And with no Joe Daniher to spearhead the attack, the reigning premiers have lost one of their most important pieces for the title defence.

But Lynch, who played in Brisbane’s premiership three-peat era of 2001-03, believes the modern day Lions still have a list capable of building a dynasty of their own.

“Daniher is still the question mark, how much of an impact his absence will have on the side, but they are absolutely in contention to back up and go for another flag,” Lynch declared.

“We probably won’t understand that impact for six or seven weeks. I imagine it’s going to be a fair omission with him out, because he’s had three very solid years where he’s been around that All-Australian squad level and played a valuable role as that backup ruck as well.

“Once all those ACL (injuries) come back, their list looks better (than 2024).

The Lions will get Tom Doedee back from an ACL injury. Picture: Lachie Millard

Lincoln McCarthy could bolster the forward line.

“They’ve been around the mark for a long time but (last year) they found that little bit of grit to put teams away when they needed to and they will go in extremely confident that they can back it up – not overconfident, because you do need a bit of luck at the right time in this competition as we have seen over the last couple of years.

“But Brisbane is well positioned to contend for another flag … they believe it more than they ever have.”

Since the turn of the century, the reigning AFL premier has been just as likely to miss the finals entirely the following season as it is to go back-to-back. Each has happened on five occasions since 2000.

But in the last decade it has become considerably more difficult to back up the following year. Of the past nine premiers, four have failed to feature in September the following season.

However, the Lions find themselves in a somewhat unique position having won last year’s grand final with a host of A-Graders missing through injury.

Oscar McInerney, Keidean Coleman, Lincoln McCarthy and Tom Doedee all missed the thrashing of the Swans and the latter three sat out the majority of the season with ACL injuries.

McInerney will be fit for Opening Round while McCarthy and Doedee are expected back within the first month. Coleman has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation but should also be available by the time the whips are cracking.

The Lions won the flag from fifth last season after a horrible start to the year, compounded by the staggering injury list.

The Lions will have to find a way to overcome the loss of Joe Daniher. Picture: Lachie Millard

This year, Will Ashcroft is fit to start the season and coming off a Norm Smith medal-winning performance on grand final day.

His brother Levi Ashcroft has joined the club as a father-son and was among the top talents in last year’s draft class.

“It’s hard not to get excited … off the back of what Will has done over the last couple of years and especially on grand final day,” Lynch said.

“The reality is, (Levi Ashcroft) is an 18-year-old kid that has just come into the competition. We should be patient, but I think everyone is looking at him with anticipation. Have we got another star like Will?

“If he can make half the impact Will has in the first couple years of his career, that will be huge.”

Originally published as Brisbane premiership great Alastair Lynch outlines why the Lions can get even better without Joe Daniher