“They’re the hunter”: Why Brisbane champion believes Lions are primed for three-peat

Brisbane three-time premiership player Jonathon Brown says his former club is "hungry" for more success as they begin their quest for a third consecutive flag.

The Lions recruited heavily over the off-season, with a litany of players still missing out on premiership success despite lifting the cup aloft in the past two years.

"That's why they're hungry," Brown told Zero Hanger.

"They're hungry to get a spot their in the team and there's obviously a lot of selection pressure and younger fellas pushing through.

"Talent wise, (Brisbane) is at the top of the tree.

"Last few years, they've recruited well, so fingers crossed Draper and Oscar Allen can add something. Young Annable showed some good signs in the pre-season."

ACL victims Lincoln McCarthy and Keidean Coleman will be searching for that elusive flag after failing to defeat Collingwood in 2023.

Tom Doedee's time at Brisbane has been littered with injury, and his endeavour to taste success will lift the standards, while recruits Oscar Allen and Sam Draper having seen much football in September.

And as a result, the Lions play with that edge, denying the narrative that they are the "hunted".

"They didn't play like the hunted. They played like the hunter. And that's when Brisbane plays their best footy," Brown said.

"Their toughness is underrated. From their senior players through their younger players, their toughness is underrated.

"When they get that element of the game right, they're very hard to beat."

The former captain also touched on the club's leadership change, with two-time Brownlow Medallist Lachie Neale stepping down due to personal reasons.

Josh Dunkley and Hugh McCluggage have stepped into the role alongside Harris Andrews.

But the trifecta didn't quite reach the heights of Brown in 2007, with then-coach Leigh Matthews opting for five skippers.

Brown linked up with premiership teammates Simon Black, Chris Johnson, Nigel Lappin and Luke Power as the club embarked on a new era.

"I was part of five captains," Brown said at Kayo AFL 2026 season launch.

"So three captains is perfect. One to lead the team out. One to toss the coin and one to give the boys a pump-up speech.

"It would have been hard to split Hughy and Josh Dunkley. And Harris could have stood on his own. He probably should've been All-Australian captain last year. Dual premiership captain, leading defender in the competition."

Brisbane will begin their premiership defence on Saturday, March 7, against the Western Bulldogs at the Gabba.