Brisbane can’t afford to have a quiet AFL trade period and must be active in turning their recent success into a premiership, according to Matthew Lloyd.
The Lions had a strong season and climbed into the top four by the barest of margins in Round 23, only to go out in straight sets against both eventual Grand Finalists Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs.
It’s a familiar tale for Chris Fagan’s men, who have earned the right to a double chance in the last three years but won just one final in that time.
Few clubs can maintain momentum at the top of the ladder for sustained periods, and therefore the 2022 campaign shapes as an important one for the Lions to make good on this successful run.
When asked which club he’d be disappointed in if they did little during the trade period, Lloyd named the Lions as the team that can’t afford to sit on their laurels.
“It’s Brisbane for me,” he told AFL Trade Radio’s The Early Trade.
“Brisbane to me are a club that’s knocking on the door all the time, they’ve blown finals and they should have been in a Grand Final by now.
“They had it all for them at the Gabba last year, failed again in this year’s finals series, belted by Melbourne and beaten by the Western Bulldogs when it was all there for them.”
The Lions missed tall forward Eric Hipwood during the finals after he went down with an ACL injury late in the season, while fellow key target Dan McStay (concussion) also missed the club’s one-point semi-final loss.
Despite those injuries and more, Lloyd isn’t giving the Lions an excuse for their disappointing end to the season.
“They had their injuries but they were also badly exposed through the midfield, they had to bring in Jack Payne so it says to me their depth is an issue in the finals series,” he said.
“There is talk of Mason Cox and Levi Casboult, so it shows they are well aware of their issues and concerns with Hipwood gone for 12 months.
“They got found out through the midfield, they’re seen as a good midfield but they were short against Melbourne.”
It means the Lions have multiple options on the areas to beef up, but either way next year is crucial.
“I’m fascinated what area they identify; it looks like it’s going to be their forward line just to support Daniher for a period,” Lloyd said.
“But next year has to be their year I think.”
However, Brisbane can at least claim one win, after convincing Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale to stay at the club despite the midfielder assessing his options to return to Fremantle.