Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Brisbane Lions flag hero Will Ashcroft expects a group of emerging midfield stars to fill the void left by Lachie Neale as the juggernaut hunts a historic fourth consecutive AFL premiership.
The Lions’ latest premiership team will never play together as a whole again, with Neale confirming he’s leaving.
But the Collingwood-bound star is one of few players set to depart an outfit that appears every chance to salute again in 2027, regardless of whether triple-premiership coach Chris Fagan continue in the role after Saturday’s epic win over Fremantle.
Conor McKenna intends to play one more season and Darcy Fort is reportedly set to sign a fresh one-year deal, with the ruckman poised to follow players including Zac Bailey (contracted until the end of 2034), Logan Morris (2029), Dayne Zorko (2027) and Ryan Lester (2027) in recommitting.
With a settled side on paper, Will Ashcroft backed younger brother Levi and fellow teenager Daniel Annable to continue their development into top-level midfielders to help fill the role vacated by Neale.
Highly-rated academy product Annable was the No.6 pick in last year’s draft and played three games this season, but missed out on finals selection, while the younger Ashcroft won his second flag in as many years with the Lions.
“We’ve got so many guys who can play through the midfield, through the wing and forward line,” Will Ashcroft told AAP.
“That’s a natural progression (for Levi) and Dan Annable … he’ll be ready to go as well.”
Ominously for rival clubs eyeing the Lions’ crown, Fagan’s team had an average age of 27 years and 302 days in the grand final.
At the start of next season, with Neale gone, only Zorko (38), Charlie Cameron (32), Darcy Gardiner (31), Lester (34) and Fort (33) will have blown out more than 30 candles.
The Ashcroft brothers, fellow father-son product Jaspa Fletcher, Ty Gallop, Darcy Wilmot, Kai Lohmann and Morris still won’t have entered their mid-20 primes.
“We’ve got such a great young core,” Lohmann said.
“We could build a dynasty here and keep winning for many years.”
Lions legend Alastair Lynch agrees.
“This squad is going to give my era windburn,” Lynch said on SEN, comparing the current group to the Leigh Matthews-led 2001-2003 premiership teams.
“They are just going to fly past us. Their salary cap is going to have to burst for them to come off the crest of this wave.
“They are going to be around the mark for the next five years, unless they actually do something silly. I’m exceedingly confident.”
Brisbane notably added experienced recruits Sam Draper and Oscar Allen at the end of last year, and both played key roles in the 2026 premiership.
Essendon defender Jordan Ridley was one of few experienced players linked to the Lions this year, while they will almost certainly have to match a first-round bid on academy product Caylen Murray at next month’s draft.
Brisbane forward Cam Rayner said the club’s young list could “absolutely” add to their premiership haul, and co-captain Harris Andrews was equally bullish.
“We’ve got a lot of younger guys in there as well that’ll be ready to step up,” Andrews said.
