THE FIVE CRUCIAL MOMENTS IN BRISBANE’S JOURNEY BACK TO THE AFL’S TOP TABLE

2014 – SWANN BECOMES CEO

After a bitter board battle and the loss of the “go home five” in the 2013 AFL trade period, the sacking of club legend Michael Voss as head coach left the Lions in complete turmoil. Greg Swann’s appointment in mid-2014 as chief executive came with the mandate of restoring pride to the battered club.

2016 – LEPPITSCH AXED, FAGAN COMES IN

After three seasons Swann made the decision to sack Justin Leppitsch as head coach and appoint Chris Fagan as head coach. The club also undertook a complete overhaul of the football department with David Noble joining as football manager. Fagan and Noble are credited with being crucial in the Lions rebuild.

2017 – HODGE LURED NORTH

Four-time Hawthorn premiership winning captain Luke Hodge had been retired for just a few weeks when Fagan, a long-time assistant coach and football manager at the Hawks, lured the then 33-year-old to strap on the boots again. The move has been a masterstroke, with Hodge providing leadership and knowledge to his teammates and playing 39 games in his two seasons with the Lions.

2018 – A BUMPER RECRUITMENT DRIVE

Fremantle’s Lachie Neale was the crown jewel in an off-season recruitment drive that also included Lincoln McCarthy from Geelong, Western Bulldog Marcus Adams and ex-Gold Coast midfielder Jarrod Lyons. All four have become crucial parts of the Lions team and Neale is firmly in the running for a Brownlow Medal after a stellar first season in Brisbane.

2019 – THE HOODOO BUSTERS

Luke Hodge says Brisbane’s round-one win over premiers West Coast gave the Lions the belief 2019 was going to be a special year. The Lions hadn’t beaten the Eagles since 2012 but they showed no fear to claim a 44-point win at the Gabba in March. Since then they’ve ended long winless runs against North Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Geelong.