The Brisbane Lions have maintained their core of leaders who led them to premiership glory for the 2025 season.
Harris Andrews and Lachie Neale have been backed to continue thriving as co-captains after the pair completed career years respectively in 2024, Neale earning an All-Australian selection with his near-career best 29.3 disposals per game.
Hugh McCluggage and Josh Dunkley will be co-vice captains again in 2025, with Charlie Cameron, Cameron Rayner, Brandon Starcevich, Jarrod Berry and Oscar McInerney rounding out the nine-player leadership group.
"[Andrews and Neale] have done an amazing job," Lions general manager of football Danny Daly said. "Both have led from the front; they are very different [leaders] but in the same breath they are very important to the style of leadership we have."
On the continuation of McCluggage and Dunkley as co-vice captains, Daly highlighted how well the two support Andrews and Neale's leadership.
"We have some really in-depth and quality leadership meetings amongst the four of them from time to time," he said.
"[McCluggage and Dunkley] add something a little bit different from Lachie and Harris and they support those guys really well, so we're happy again to roll with them."
The Lions large leadership group provides a wide scope of insight for their playing list, with members of the leadership core featured across all three lines, with Cameron in the forward line, Neale, Dunkley and McCluggage in midfield and Andrews and Starcevich in the backline.
"When you have a playing list of 45 people and a big footy department it is really important to have a diverse range of opinions, ideas and leadership - which we feel complements our brand and style really well," Daly said.
While Brisbane concluded that they would maintain 2024's leadership group, it wasn't an immediate decision.
โEven though we won a premiership last year, I think it is important that our players and staff don't get caught up in being satisfied with where we are,โ Daly said.
"Some younger boys we have on our list... need to develop to become potential leaders one day, so we have a bit of a group beneath the leadership group we're working with as well."
The process highlights Brisbane's commitment to sustaining long-term success and establishing a quality leadership group. Neale and Andrews will be looking to make sure of the former with a third consecutive grand final as co-captains of the club in 2025.
