So, Brisbane is in the top-four.
Who would have thought after the last few years - where they finished 15th, 17th, even 18th on the ladder just two years ago - that the Lions would be sitting in the box seat for a finals appearance come 2019.
Definitely not me, that’s for sure.
I’ll admit I never saw this coming – at least not this year.
Like majority of the AFL community, I expected Brisbane to slowly climb up the ladder and maybe push for seventh or eighth spot in a couple of seasons’ time.
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But another thing I’m more than happy to admit, is that I’ve jumped on the Lions bandwagon.
Being a Richmond supporter my entire life, I couldn’t stand the people who seemed to appear out of nowhere; claiming their love and support for the club when we ended that 37-year premiership drought.
The same people, mind you, who would constantly taunt, criticise, and abandon the Tigers when we’d lose.
I know, I know – it happens to a lot of clubs.
No one likes seeing your side suffer, so of course the natural thing to do is to vent your frustrations.
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I get that, believe me. (This is the same girl who sat through countless losses as a child, sometimes in tears, from the thumpings Richmond endured during the 2000s).
There’s a difference between supporting a side only when they win, and supporting a side through thick and thin.
I am definitely not the latter – I never really gave any attention to Brisbane these last couple of seasons.
But is there really something wrong with wanting a team, other than your own, to do well?
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Maybe it’s because I’ve learnt to support different sides during my work in the industry (two years at Coburg VFL, currently at Essendon FC).
Maybe it’s because I want to see some positives and success stories amongst all the behavioural awareness officers, fights, and abuse.
Don’t get me wrong – I’ll never stop supporting the Tigers, and I still want them win the premiership in September.
But you can’t deny the exciting, dangerous, gutsy, confident brand of footy the Lions are playing right now.
Backed up with stars like Lachie Neale and Dayne Zorko, plus Cam Rayner, Harris Andrews, Hugh McCluggage and Eric Hipwood who are beginning to show glimpses of their full potential; how could you not enjoy watching Brisbane?
And when the likes of Neale are topping the league for stoppage clearances (and second for total clearances and disposals), Zorko leading inside 50s and pressure acts and Andrews a country mile ahead for one-percenters, it only shows just how dangerous the Lions have been.
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Having already doubled the wins they managed last year with a 10-5 ledger, the Lions currently sit in fourth spot.
And you only have to compare their Round 16 ladder positions in recent years to see just how dramatic their rise has been.
I could go on, all the way to 2010 where they sat 13th, but I think you get the idea.
Even their stats prove this is a different group of Lions.
Brisbane is the third highest scoring team of the season, averaging 90.7 points per game (only Geelong and GWS score more).
It also ranks third in the competition for time in forward half, and create the fourth-most forward half turnovers (credit to the pressure put on from players like Charlie Cameron and Lincoln McCarthy).
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The Lions also currently have four players ranked inside Champion Data’s elite category - Neale, Andrews, McCluggage and Daniel Rich.
If you’re still not convinced Brisbane is the real deal, then that’s fine. Not all of us believe in fairytales.
But if you change your mind, the next flight out to Brisbane leaves at 1:35pm.
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