Brisbane has proven its resilience yet again. They beat Melbourne on the weekend to make their sixth straight visit to the AFLW preliminary finals. The Lions fought back after a difficult start to the season with two wins and three losses. They overcame these hurdles remarkably well and finished the season with a rush—third on the ladder. Their story going from also-rans to Super Bowl favorites has countrywide captured the imagination of fans and sports pundits.
The Lions have been the subject of the kind of story where everyone assumed these guys were dead on arrival way back in September. Kate McCarthy on “Smart Growth America” “I’ve lived that program. You succeeded in it when everybody counted you out. This people first mentality has served to galvanize the team. More importantly, it’s given them the confidence to rise above the adversity that plagued them earlier this season.
Brisbane’s head coach, Craig Starcevich was instrumental in their success. His psychological preparation has been key to that success. This focus on mental fitness allowed the Lions to adjust their gameplay as the season progressed, providing them with a significant advantage. Chyloe Kurdas, a key player, remarked on the team’s collective strength: “They’re just so unrelenting… They’ve always got this extra gear that they can go to, and that’s a credit to the S and C staff.”
Brisbane’s win over Melbourne secured them a home preliminary final. This win pumps them up towards their potential fourth straight grand final appearance. The Lions have no interest in stopping with last year’s accomplishments. They’ve made that early gamble pay off on the field as well, winning two premierships from six grand final appearances since becoming an inaugural AFLW team.
Courtney Hodder welcomed their underdog label, boasting, “They’ve had an awesome season … We’re coming in as the underdogs, and that makes us hungrier! The team’s discipline, scrap and never-back-down attitude has become a signature of the team’s style of play, particularly in nail-biters.
In this season’s penultimate game, Brisbane faces its toughest test yet. Their solid track record and ability to meet a challenge with high performance and determination gives them hope. Hodder, meanwhile, was hopeful about making it to the home stretch in the end. If they are to win or lose at all, he adds, only then will they really know whether they can beat the odds.
Brisbane’s sustainable success can be pegged to its gumption and flexibility. Even though their roster has changed drastically over the last ten years, they continue to be a competitive, formidable force within the league. This kind of flexibility will be key as they work towards another run at glory in next year’s finals.
