Brisbane is reportedly set to land free agent pair Oscar Allen and Sam Draper at season's end.
The Lions, who are pushing for back-to-back flags, have been active in the trade and free agency space in the hope of filling the void left by star forward Joe Daniher, while life after ruckman Oscar McInerney has been an area of focus.
"Oscar Allen, who is a near-certainty now to sign with Brisbane, is going to be joined by Sam Draper," veteran journalist Caroline Wilson said on Channel 7's The Agenda Setters.
"It's been mentioned in dispatches, but I'm getting more and more confident that that is going to happen for the Brisbane Lions."
"Oscar Allen, who is a near-certainty now to sign with Brisbane, is going to be joined by Sam Draper."
🗣️ Caroline Wilson on Brisbane's big-name signings pic.twitter.com/aa9KY3eawd
— 7AFL (@7AFL) July 29, 2025
Daniher retired following the club's premiership triumph last year, as McInerney has struggled to remain fit in 2025, having played only 11 games to this point in the season.
It has long been expected that the Eagles' co-captain would depart the struggling club.
Allen's body has let him down in the past two years, following a breakout campaign in 2023, during which he appeared 23 times in the last 24 months.
The 26-year-old was ruled out for the remainder of the year in June after suffering an Achilles injury against Carlton. He also underwent knee surgery in a bid to correct the troubles he has experienced.
The Eagles are expected to get a first-round selection for their skipper.
Like Allen, Draper also has seen the football field many times in 2025, playing the first five games before rupturing his Achilles against West Coast in Round 6.
The Bombers' cult figure has struggled to put consistent seasons together, only playing a full year once (2022).
The lure of the Lions is obvious, that they are, and will be for the medium term, in the premiership window after successfully luring star players and draftees to the club.
But what would attract Allen and Draper the most is the club's uncanny ability to overturn a wretched stretch of injuries.
Daniher's body would let him down during his time at Essendon, but ultimately came good when it mattered most.
Lincoln McCarthy, albeit missing the past 18 months, was a consistent feature in Chris Fagan's line-up after correctly rehabbing hip and groin issues.
Not to mention, the non-footy-crazed state of Queensland, coupled with its elite weather during the Winter months, is also a point of difference.
