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Senior Hugh McCluggage (2016-)

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Hugh McCluggage at the front please

McCluggage commits to the Brisbane Lions on a long-term deal. The 26-year-old, selected with Pick 3 in the 2016 National Draft, said he was delighted to re-commit to the Club that first made his AFL dream come true.
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McCluggage: I always wanted this result

Hugh McCluggage chats to media after re-signing with the Brisbane Lions. The South Warrnambool junior came to the Lions as an 18 year old and say he would like to play out his career in Brisbane
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Nine things we learned

2) Hugh McCluggage is worth every cent

Entering this season, Hugh McCluggage was one of the hottest free agents on the market, and he again reminded everyone on Friday night just why. Recently locked away by the Lions for seven years on a hefty annual salary, McCluggage was a prime mover in Brisbane's come-from-behind win over Melbourne. He helped turn the tide in the second half with 19 of his 28 disposals, using the ball superbly to help set up numerous scoring chains. Then, with 75 seconds remaining and scores level, the 26-year-old delivered four premiership points for the Lions with an exquisite set shot from the boundary line. When McCluggage plays well, good things happen for Brisbane and he's well on the way to justifying his price tag. – Michael Whiting
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Why McCluggage Never Considered Reported Victorian Interest Before Re-Signing with Lions

Brisbane star Hugh McCluggage never considered leaving the Lions before signing a seven-year extension until the end of the 2031 season.

The 26-year-old was one of the competition’s hottest free agents and was reportedly being chased by clubs such as St Kilda, Essendon and Collingwood on deals worth near $1.3 million a season but never had his nose turned by that interest.

The former No. 3 pick says that the culture at Brisbane was something that made him want to remain at the Gabba and he feels that his newly re-signed teammates Jarrod Berry and Charlie Cameron felt the same.

“I mean, we've just built such a good group of people first and foremost and the footy has come off the back of that,” McCluggage said on SENQ Pat and Heals.

“You want to be involved in a successful footy club on the field, but you also want to be hanging around with your good mates every day, with good coaches, good staff and we definitely have that here.

“That's the first and most important thing that I was considering when I obviously wanted to stay here for longer.

“‘Bezza’ (Jarrod Berry) and Charlie (Cameron) have obviously seen the same thing and enjoyed it here as much as I have. So, they've signed it as well.

“We've had great retention of players over the last four or five years, and we've also been able to bring in some great players from other clubs, which helps as well.”

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While the media linked McCluggage to other clubs, he says he was always focused on Brisbane, not just in 2024 as they look to rebound from a runners-up finish in 2023 but long into the future.

Now set to be a Lion for life, McCluggage hopes he can help the club’s young players progress just as the likes of Dayne Zorko have done for himself, Berry and other youngsters who were drafted during the 2010s.

“It sort of went unsaid,” McCluggage said.

“All the media work I did, I was pretty clear in what I wanted and that was to stay.

“All the conversations I was having around the club as a friend, as a player and as a leader were about this year, about future years and about what we could do together as a group.

“So, I think that that made things pretty clear. I made people know that my intention was to be here for the long term.

“I was just stoked that I could sign on for a long time to come.

“It just allows me to be that guy like a Ryan Lester, a Dayne Zorko and all the other older boys have been for Berry and me since we got here. They've done a lot for us to make us feel comfortable and now we've got such a good, exciting young group of boys coming through. I want to be able to do the same for them.”

McCluggage and the Lions, who have only lost one of their past eight games, will hope to continue their good form when they face the Crows at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday evening.
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From the Rooms: Rd 17 Hugh McCluggage

Let's chat with Hugh McCluggage after the strong win against Adelaide at the Gabba. Clug praises the work of his teammates and explains what he thinks is the secret to their current success
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'Very concerning': Teammate backs Lions to help concussed defender

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HUGH McCluggage says seeing teammate Brandon Starcevich suffer a third concussion inside eight months is "very concerning".

Starcevich will miss at least Sunday’s game against West Coast after leaving the SCG during the third term of the round one win over Sydney following a collision with Justin McInerney.

It followed concussions against Adelaide last July and then again against the Crows during the AAMI Community Series.

"I've had a few concussions myself and it can be quite concerning when you’re in that situation and not sure how you’re going to recover," McCluggage said on Tuesday morning.

"There's concern with every concussion whether it's one, whether it's two, whether it's more than that.

"Obviously the more you have, the more the level of concern; you never like to see them start stacking up.

"But 'Starce' has a great medical team around him and I'm sure they'll be doing everything they can to make sure his health is a priority, he has enough time off, and we’ll see how he goes from there."

McCluggage dropped the premiership defender home after returning from Sydney, saying he was in "good spirits".

Starcevich did not take part in Tuesday's session at Brighton Homes Arena as he continues recovering.
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Five Lions rewarded with All-Australian squad selection

An impressive five Brisbane Lions players have been named in this year All-Australian squad of 44 players recognised for outstanding individual seasons in 2025.

Co-Captain Harris Andrews, defender Dayne Zorko and midfield trio Josh Dunkley, Hugh McCluggage and Zac Bailey are the five all in contention to claim a blazer on Thursday night.
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Three Lions named in 2025 All-Australian team

Brisbane Lions premiership trio Harris Andrews, Hugh McCluggage and Zac Bailey have all been rewarded for standout seasons by being presented with All-Australian blazers for 2025.
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McCluggage’s selection on the wing was breakthrough moment for the classy midfielder who after five years of being named in the extended squad was finally awarded his first blazer.

The Lions Co-Vice Captain had been on the verge of selection in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 though never made the final cut despite his brilliant form in all seasons.

McCluggage evolved his game in 2025 to make it near impossible for selectors to overlook him.

The 27-year-old averaged 27 disposals at 67.5% efficiency, 12.0 contested possessions, 5.8 clearances, 2.1 centre clearances, 4.7 tackles, 7.6 score involvements and 5.8 inside 50s.

“Hugh’s All-Australian selection has been extremely hard earnt,” Fagan emphasised.

“He has come close for about four years and probably could have been in other years too.

“But to his credit he just maintained his high standards and this year took his game to a new level.

“Hugh stood up in the big moments for his team and was a consistent performer week in and week out.”
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'Seething' Lion bounces back after brutal lesson from Cats stopper

"I probably got put off a bit physically and mentally last week and just wasn't honest enough around the contest, and that meant I didn't give myself an opportunity to do what I usually can do," he said.

"Full credit to Oisin, he did a great job.

"Sometimes you get beaten by a better player and that’s what happened last week.

"It's something I've got to learn to deal with as time goes on. It's happened a bit this year, but it's only really a new thing.

"I'm glad I could bounce back."
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