Senior Logan Morris (2023-)
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Runs 13 kms in the VFL then plays another 3.8 quarters in the AFL
Played well!
Played well!
ZoBlitz
The Ghost Who Walks
- Moderator
- #29
Logan Morris' Journey to the Big Time
The Logan Morris AFL debut story is like nothing we’ve seen before. Two games in one day, a near half-marathon, a pre-match meal of Maccas and soup, borrowed and undersized boots, his first AFL goal and a win in front of the biggest QClash crowd in history. It’s one that will go down in folklore.
But things weren’t always so rosy for the first player with a Christian name ‘Logan’ to play for the entire Lions family – Brisbane and Fitzroy - in 2782 games over 124 years.
Two years ago, playing as a bottom-ager with the Western Jets in the Victorian Under-18 competition, Morris was dropped from the side. He was told he wasn’t fit enough and didn’t work hard enough.
Lions recruiting manager Steve Conole remembers it well. “It was a big wakeup call but he took it really well, went away and worked really hard, and hasn’t looked back,” Conole said.
Later that year Morris played in a Vic Metro Under-17 side against Queensland in Melbourne, kicking five goals in wet conditions to make a lasting impression on the Lions recruiting team.
And when it came to night two of the 2023 AFL National Draft on 21 November last year it was all about the 191cm utility forward.
After a staggering 29 players went in the first round on night one, the Lions had pick two on night two. They were locked in on Morris but were mindful that West Coast had pick one on night two.
When the Eagles chose Archer Reid from the Gippsland Power, who is yet to play in the AFL, the Lions pounced. And when Morris kicked five goals in the first intra-club practice match this year there was an inner sense of ‘we’ve got a good one here’.
Morris had achieved the rare feat of kicking 30 goals in consecutive seasons with the Jets, where he was coached in 2022 by Robbie Chancellor, later to work at the Giants, and in 2023 by Trent Dennis-Lane, a former Sydney and St.Kilda player.
He had another standout performance in the 2023 Australia Under 18 championships, taking 11 marks and kicking four goals for Vic Metro against Western Australia, and kicked two goals on debut at senior level for VFL grand finalists Werribee, to become the Lions’ third draftee from the Jets behind Michael Rischitelli (2003) and Cam Rayner (2017).
But nothing Morris did prior to last Sunday will ever match the sequence of events that followed after he travelled from his home in Annerley, where he boards with fellow first-year players Luke Lloyd and Reece Torrent at the home of long-time Lions doctor Paul McConnell, to play against Gold Coast in the VFL at Brighton Homes Arena.
If he kept a diary, it would read as follows:
12.05pm – Had 14 possessions and a goal in the Lions VFL 75-point loss, covering 13km.
4pm – On his way to the Gabba to watch the AFL game he stopped at McDonalds for a BBQ Angus meal with a frappe and six nuggets.
5.20pm – Arriving at the Gabba, he had a cup of soup and bread, prepared as always by ‘Doc McConnell’, his ever-popular landlord who has been with the club since Leigh Matthews’ arrival in 1999.
7pm – Ten minutes before the first bounce in QClash #26 all sorts of panic breaks out after Brandon Starcevich gives his calf a good twinge in the warm-up. He’s ruled out immediately, and against his expectations Morris is preferred to fellow emergencies Jarryd Lyons and Darcy Fort as the replacement. Harrp Sharp, the original sub, went into the side, and Morris became the new sub. Welfare chief Andrew Crowell made a quick call upstairs to Chris and Allison Morris, who fortuitously had flown to Brisbane for the weekend. They had a surprise coming, he told them.
7.05pm – After VFL coach Ben Hudson was sent on a frantic mission to ‘Find Logan’ he located him down in the Lions rooms. But there’s an immediate problem. Not thinking he’d need them, he’d left his boots at Springfield. So he borrows a pair from Will Ashcroft. It was a squeeze – he’s a size 13 and they were a size 12 – but he had no choice.
7.10pm – As the ball is bounced in the main game Morris is downstairs warming up with Hudson and Fort, and after five minutes he joins the team on the interchange bench. It was only ever intended to be a stop gap measure – the club told him he might get a run in the last quarter but he fully expected not to play.
7.20pm – No sooner had Morris taken his seat Lincoln McCarthy went down. It was quickly confirmed he was done for the night and Morris was into the game.
The rest, as they say, is history. Noah Answerth was ruled out with concussion, and Darcy Gardiner went down with a knee.
But Morris missed a golden opportunity to add another chapter to his already remarkable story. He had a 30m shot from straight in front to kick a goal with his first kick. But he sliced it right. He finished with a 1-3 from five possessions and five score involvements in an eye-catching debut, running a further 9km in 57% game time to make for 22km on the day.
But if only Morris had slotted that first kick. Only seven Brisbane players have kicked a goal with their first kick – Chris O’Sullivan (1989), Des Headland (1999), Mitch Clark (2006), Joel Patful (2006), Clay Beams (2011), Patrick Karnezis (2011) and Liam Dawson (2015). Karnezis in fact kicked two goals with his first two kicks.
Fitzroy players in the same group have been Fred Anderson (1951), Denis Hughson (1965), Peter Weightman (1969), Laurie Serafini (1977), Rino Pretto (1978), Jamie Shaw (1987), Michael Dunstan (1983) and Jeff Bruce (1995). Dunstan and Bruce kicked goals with their first two kicks, while Hughson and Pretto played only one game and were not credited with another kick.
But hidden in all this detail is another forgotten story …. Chris O’Sullivan, brother of inaugural Brisbane Bears football boss Shane O’Sullivan, also played two games in one day 35 years ago.
It was 18 June 1989 at Carrara three weeks after he’d made his AFL debut alongside Marcus Ashcroft, kicking his first goal after receiving a pass from his fellow debutant.
O’Sullivan recounted the story. “I was having a blinder (in the Reserves) and all of a sudden I was dragged,” he said. “I got to the bench and I just starting to give ‘Sellers’ (Reserves coach Mark Maclure) this almighty spray when he said ‘steady on mate, you’re in the big show’.
He received a late call-up after Dale Dickson was injured in the warm-up so he went inside for a shower before starting on the bench in the seniors against Fitzroy. It wasn’t a good day. Brad Hardie kicked seven goals but the Bears were beaten by 14 points – O’Sullivan’s second loss of the day.
Lions football boss Danny Dale has confirmed, assuming Morris plays against the Crows at Adelaide Oval on Sunday afternoon the club would look to do the traditional first-game thing in Adelaide this week, with a formal presentation of his #13 jumper. His parents will be flown to Adelaide.
Jumper #13 has been worn previously by 10 players in Brisbane history – Bernie Harris (49 games), Craig Potter (13), Heath Shephard (4), Brad Pearce (2), Brett Voss (13), Martin Pike (106), Chris Schmidt (2), Trent West (16), Jarrod Berry (37) and Tom Berry (20). Kevin Wright, a midfielder of the 1950s, wore #13 most often for Fitzroy – 140 games.
ZoBlitz
The Ghost Who Walks
- Moderator
- #30
The Story Of Logan Morris, Maccas, And A Half Marathon
Two games in one day, a huge feed at McDonalds between them, and wearing someone else's boots – that were too small – for your AFL debut.
Hollywood script writers would struggle to come up with a story as good as that of Logan Morris playing his first game for Brisbane on Sunday night.
The 18-year-old started his day by playing for the Lions' VFL team against Gold Coast at Brighton Homes Arena at 12.05pm.
Having covered 13km in the heavy loss, Morris, as one of three emergencies for the senior team, then made his way to the Gabba just in case he was required for the QClash.
But not before stopping off at McDonald's at around 4pm to re-fuel.
"I went for, it's a big order here, a barbecue Angus meal, six nuggets on the side, and a frappe," Morris told reporters at the end of his incredible day.
After arriving at the Gabba at 5pm, still not expecting to play, he consumed some soup made by club doctor Paul McConnell, to top up.
It wasn't long before the real drama began.
Morris, Darcy Fort and Jarryd Lyons were sitting in the change-rooms as news filtered through that Brandon Starcevich had hurt his calf in the warm-up, just minutes before the first bounce, and would not be able to play.
"We all looked around seeing who was going to be the one to roll out," Morris said.
"I thought it was going to be Forty because he only played a half in the VFL, but I got the tap on the shoulder.
The next problem was Morris had left his boots at Springfield, not thinking he'd need them.
Enter, Will Ashcroft.
"I was in all sorts and didn't know what to do," Morris said.
"Will had a pair sitting there, so I had to chuck a size 12 on and I'm a size 13, so I was running one size too small for the game."
Morris was elevated as Brisbane's substitute and then found himself in the thick of the action midway through the first quarter after Lincoln McCarthy (knee) left the field.
Luckily his parents had flown up to watch their son in the VFL and were on-hand for the last-second call-up to the big-time.
Morris, taken at No.31 in last year's AFL draft, looked right at home, kicking a second quarter goal and finishing with 1.3 for the night, despite cramping in the first quarter due to his accumulated fatigue.
The young forward ran 9km in the game, making a total of 22km for the day.
"My prep wasn't the best for the game, but I got through it, and it was amazing to debut, something I've dreamed of my whole life," he said.
"I don't think I've ever played two games in one day, so that's a first.
"The body is definitely feeling it now."
With Brisbane decimated by injuries in its win over the Suns, there's every chance Morris will get a second game against Adelaide on Sunday – this time without a warm-up in the VFL, without McDonalds beforehand, and without someone else's boots on.
ZoBlitz
The Ghost Who Walks
- Moderator
- #31
Miraculous Morris debut has its magic moment
Logan Morris, in his second football match for the day, kicks a brilliant goal on debut against the Suns
