Brisbane being strong is good for the AFL

[Always Ballin]

It's good for the league when the Brisbane Lions are strong. The frontier must be defended at all costs and protected from grassroots rugby insurgency. The zealots are always looking for ways to push the AFL's fortifications back; all the way to Victoria if they could. An empire is only as strong as its boundary. I don't know about you guys, but I love seeing the Brisbane Lions succeeding. They've had five years in a row of sustained high-level performance. Let's recap:

2019: Finishes 2nd on the ladder; out in straight sets
2020: Finishes 2nd on the ladder; loses a home prelim
2021: Finishes 4th on the ladder; out in straight sets
2022: Finishes 6th on the ladder; loses an away prelim
2023: Finishes 2nd on the ladder; to be determined...

I worried about Brisbane being a one-hit wonder after 2019 but they've clearly proven me wrong. Obviously, at this point, it's premiership or bust. Has been for several years now. They're good enough; they've been good enough for a while now. It's just a matter of putting it all together in the postseason - when it matters most.

Brisbane's great era included five high-level seasons (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004). It has been wonderful to see a team that was down in the dumps for the better part of 15 years rise to contender status. And I think it's great for the game.

What do you think?

 

[_Mike_]

If you want a truly national competition then you need brand growth by having strong interstate clubs on and off the field

 

[Always Ballin]

If you want a truly national competition then you need brand growth by having strong interstate clubs on and off the field

I hit the like button because I agree with this post.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

All clubs being strong is good for the AFL

 

[Always Ballin]

All clubs being strong is good for the AFL

What do you mean by strong?

 

[kreuze_missile]

Brisbane have been a good home and away side for awhile now.

Seems to amount to nothing when it counts.

 

[bindi27]

Brisbane have been a good home and away side for awhile now.

Seems to amount to nothing when it counts.

Carlton on the other hand can’t even amount to being a good home and away side.

 

[M Malice]

Another Lions 3Peat would be even better for the AFL.

 

[rye]

always struck me as weird when gassing up clubs like essendon and carlton the media roll out the line of 'a strong (insert big 4 club here) is good for the competition'

when really i think the success of the northern clubs is much more important for the continued health and growth of the competition and the game more broadly

game hasnt seemed to suffer from 2 decades of mediocrity from essendon and carlton, but has certainly benefitted from a strong brisbane, sydney and gws team

 

[_Mike_]

I hit the like button because I agree with this post.

It’s common sense IMO. The game can’t grow in Vic alone

 

[Cringle]

Having natural cycles of teams going up and down the ladder is good for the competition.

Can’t have the same teams strong for long periods of time and others languishing on the bottom for a decade.

Happy for Essendon to continue their finals win drought though.