After several years of being top four and going so close, the Lions have gone hard via the trade period and the draft to take the next step as genuine contenders. Season 2023 looms as crunch time for this outfit who undoubtedly have the quality to feature on the last Saturday in September.
The arrivals of Josh Dunkley, Will Ashcroft, Jack Gunston and Conor McKenna have sent a ripple through the competition and put everyone on notice. The Lions mean business and are determined to make the most of a deep list that is in its prime.
Last season they again went deep into September, however, were unceremoniously dumped from the finals by a rampant Geelong. That follows their straight-sets exit in season 2021 and another preliminary final loss to the Cats in 2020.
Though they finished sixth on the ladder, the Lions won 15 games and were one win off a top-four spot given their healthy percentage. They didn't need the double chance in the end, knocking Richmond out narrowly before stunning reigning premiers Melbourne at the MCG.
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Though the season ended on a sour note, the Lions have plenty of reasons to be optimistic heading into 2023. They are in their prime, boast one of the best on-ball brigades in the competition and have recruited elite talent all over the park.
Brisbane are going to be one of the great teams to watch in 2023, however, with so much potential also comes a heavy weight of expectation. Here are the burning questions ahead of this season for the Lions.
2. Do the Lions have any more excuses?
Quite simply, no, they don't. They have the talent, the coach, the game plan and the experience now to make the Grand Final. The past few years have seen them fall short for a number of reasons, but eventually, there can be no more excuses. The time has come for the Lions to prove themselves a genuine premiership contender.
They have every reason now to deliver and none to prevent them from doing so. But with this comes an added layer of pressure, not that this Lions outfit will care about that. As the great Billie Jean King said; "pressure is a privilege", and this group has the potential for greatness.
If they can shut out the external noise and focus on their own internal expectations, while executing under pressure, there is every reason to believe that this team can make the Grand Final.
Watching how they go about it in season 2023 will be one of the great sub-plots of the year.
