The Lions found a knack for seemingly manufacturing a way to win each week; finishing with a 6-0-1 record – the last round draw against Carlton their only imperfection.

Their undefeated run couldn’t be sustained though, eventually falling to the Adelaide Crows in the Grand Final by six-points. Much of their success was contributed to the robust defensive structures employed by head coach Craig Starcevich. The Lions conceded just 22.87 points on average to their opposition.

Brisbane will need to account for the departure of marquee forward Tayla Harris, who was traded to Carlton. While accounting for just 4.9 in her eight games for the Lions, Harris was paramount in the team’s offensive structures, often occupying the opposition’s best defenders and allowing fellow marquee Sabrina Frederick-Traub to roam closer to goal.

The loss of Harris allowed the club to bolster its talent in other areas through acquiring promising forward Bella Ayre and speedy midfielder Nat Exon from the Blues.

The Lions have been able to retain most of their core playing list, with Nikki Wallace and Selina Goodman the only two players no longer at the club who played all eight games last season.

The seven-match schedule of the AFL Women’s competition means teams cannot afford to drop games and the Lions face a challenging draw in the opening weeks of the competition.

Home fixtures against the Western Bulldogs, Collingwood and Fremantle appear favourable for the Lions, yet their interstate trips against Adelaide, Carlton, Melbourne and GWS, could ultimately hinder Brisbane’s chance of replicating 2017.

Strengths

Brisbane went undefeated throughout the regular season due to their stingy defensive tactics and ability to neglect opposition teams from creating scoring opportunities.

Kate Lutkins, Leah Kalsar, Bree Koenen and Tahlia Randall will again form the league’s best defence, however, the unit will rue the loss of All-Australian Sam Virgo who will miss the entire season with an ACL rupture.

Speed around the ground also comes in an abundance and in a league where disposal efficiency hovers around 56 percent, the ability to break lines and take the game on comes at an absolute premium.

Kate McCarthy and Kaitlyn Ashmore showed on countless occasions how damaging an outside running game can be, while the decision to draft Jordan Zanchetta could offer another damaging threat on the exterior. 

Weaknesses

While Emily Bates and Megan Hunt are commendable midfielders, the Lions biggest weakness remains their contested midfield game.

Brisbane were the bottom rated team in the league in both clearances and centre clearances in 2017 and it became their eventual downfall against the Crows in the Grand Final, losing the clearances 29-11 and contested possessions 133-112.

Key Player: Sabrina Frederick-Traub

There were only five players in the competition who ranked in the top ten for goals, marks inside 50 and contested marks last season, including Frederick-Traub. However, unlike the remaining four players, apart from league MVP Erin Phillips, the Lions’ marquee split her time between the forward line and ruck. The loss of Tayla Harris will see more responsibility fall on Frederick-Traub at the goal face this season and the decision to draft 186cm ruckman Jessy Keefe should alleviate her from her ruck duties to supplement her dominance in games.

One to Watch: Jordan Zanchetta

After missing the inaugural AFL Womens season due to an ACL tear, midfielder Jordan Zanchetta will finally get her opportunity with the Lions this season. Described as the most talented player not to appear in the first instalment of AFLW, Zanchetta was named an All-Australian at youth level and became a joint-winner of the QWAFL Best and Fairest. Brisbane wasted no time in drafting the 22-year old either, selecting her with their first pick and seventh overall in the 2017 AFL Women’s draft.