Hindsight is a beautiful thing, and in the world of football we as fans tend to get caught up in the events of days gone past.

Every footy fanatic has that one player that they long to see take the field, however long gone their days of handling a Sherrin may be.

Whether it be Daicos or Doull, Ricciuto or Richardson, fans can usually point to a single figure that captured their imagination during their formative years of watching AFL football.

Similar to our 'If your club could steal one player...' series, this trio of pieces will go through all 18 teams in the league, pointing at the weak spots in their best 22 and picking one of four past players to slot into their lineup and remedy their club's ailments.

We start off today with the first six teams of the competition based on alphabetical order.

Back
Next

Brisbane 

Option 1: Jonathan Brown

One of the most imposing presences to ever play the game, triple premiership player Jonathan Brown is one of a kind.

At 6'5" and 102kg, the sight of Brown leading at full tilt would send a shiver down any opposition defenders spine. His tally of 594 goals in 254 games was a sizeable return for a key forward, with the Victorian-native lining up at his preferred spot at centre half-forward.

Embed from Getty Images

Brown won a plethora of accolades over his career, with one Coleman Medal, three club best-and-fairests and two All-Australian blazers rounding off what was a star-studded career for one of the game's true hardmen.

Option 2: Simon Black 

Simon Black is a name amongst Lions fans that is incredibly revered considering the immense career he forged in Brisbane.

One Brownlow, three flags and a Norm Smith medal is just the tip of the iceberg when scrolling through Black's honours, with the gut-running midfielder arguably the best engine room player to tread the turf at the Gabba alongside partner-in-crime Michael Voss.

The fact that he was in the upper echelon of midfielders for so long makes him that much more special in the eyes of not just Brisbane fans, but neutrals too.

Option 3: Justin Leppitsch

Another hardman in the Lions' three-peat setup was big-bodied defender Justin Leppitsch.

The Victorian started his career at full-forward, his highest goal tally being 50 in 1997 before coach Leigh Matthews decided to move him down to his eventual home in defence.

Embed from Getty Images

Leppitsch was a key cog in the Lions' three-peat side of 2001-2003. His bravery set him apart from the common man and with the attacking instinct instilled in him from his time up forward, Leppitsch was sometimes moved up the field if need be to help out the offence.

The three-time All-Australian will forever be a hero at Brisbane, and the example he set will serve to inspire young Lions defenders for generations to come.

Option 4: Michael Voss 

Arguably Brisbane's favourite son, Michael Voss is regarded as one of the best to ever do it when it comes to pure courage.

The man from country Victoria had a booming right foot on him despite being relatively average size for an AFL midfielder, and his ability to put his body on the line whenever needed was one of the reason's why he endeared himself so much to the Lions faithful.

A three-time premiership player and Brownlow Medal winner in 1996, Voss is footballing royalty and surely will be one of the best tutors Carlton's young list could possibly have to coach them through the foreseeable future.

Verdict

When examining the Lions' list needs at the minute, the main holes lie in defence. With Joe Daniher having a very solid first season in Queensland, the need for another key forward may not be as urgent as first thought.

At the other end of the field however, reinforcements to help Harris Andrews and co. down back could be needed, especially with the retirement of the reliable Grant Birchall. Therefore, Justin Leppitsch would be the wisest option out of the listed superstars.

His courage and competitiveness would complement Andrews' interception ability big time, with Leppitsch being able to use his bulky figure to disrupt the opposition forwards capability to get a clean run at the ball. Furthermore, Chris Fagan would be able to shift him up forward to partner Joe Daniher at certain points throughout the match and would certainly do damage on the scoreboard should the opposition treat him lightly.

Back
Next