Logan Morris has emerged in front of our eyes as a bona fide star forward of the future.
For the early parts of his debut season, Morris seemed to always be mentioned with his unique debut game story - a late call-up following a VFL match, with an infamous 'Maccas run' beforehand and forgetting to bring his boots.
The unusual story came as Morris aimed to refuel from covering 13 kilometres in his VFL outing, ordering a burger meal, plus chicken nuggets and a frappe to boot.
Morris also had to wear Will Ashcroft's pair of boots that were a size too small after leaving his own at Brisbane's Springfield facilities following the state league match, thinking he wouldn't have been called up to play as an emergency that night.
Morris went on to have an influential output as the sub, tallying four scoring shots.
Had the former Pick 31 not proven himself beyond that, he may have always been remembered for that drama-packed day. But the tag of that McDonald's story was soon shaken, as Morris missed just one further game en route to becoming a Lions premiership player at the age of 19, kicking 24 goals across his 19 games.
No less than a few moments after the final siren in September, it was clear that Brisbane's star key forward Joe Daniher had played his last game at AFL level, and the question immediately begged: Who will replace the club's leading goalkicker?
Despite searching briefly and landing on former Sun Sam Day in the off-season, Brisbane's greatest option lay within their squad the whole time, and within that premiership team. It is, of course, Logan Morris.
Morris is on track for a ten-year first as the Lions push for back-to-back flags. Following consecutive five-goal hauls, making Morris the youngest to do so since Matthew Lloyd in 1997, Morris is averaging over two goals per game this season.
Should Morris continue that trajectory, he will become the first player since Jesse Hogan in 2015 to average multiple goals per game at 20 years old (out of those who have played five games or more).
Adelaide key forward Darcy Fogarty is the only other 20-year-old to achieve the feat since Hogan's 2015 season, but he played only four games in 2019.
The 20-year-old Lion is breaking all kinds of stereotypes on track to this record, too. Standing at just 191cm, Morris is an undersized key forward in an era trending towards two-metre-plus unicorns becoming the norm.
Of key forwards averaging over two goals this season, just Jake Waterman (191cm) is as small as Morris.
Yet Morris has been the difference in Brisbane's forward line. Holding a top-two spot on the table, 20-year-old Morris has been the key in Daniher's absence, and is leading the Lions' goalkicking count by nine majors this season.
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Disposals
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And following a pivotal win at the Cattery, Brisbane's form appears to only just be heating up, providing Morris with the opportunity to complete a decade-first feat, completed by none other than the reigning Coleman medallist.
That statement alone should only prove the promise and potential Morris has and illustrate that the future, near and far, is in safe hands.
