Brisbane's investments offering little return | Thebigtip

As Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss went on a pre-season rampage to recruit a group of experienced players to push for the Lions' next premiership tilt, many thought that Brendan Fevola was the most likely recruit that could bring the Lions uncompromised success by creating the tantalising prospect of a forward duo with Jonathon Brown.

Brisbane’s recruiting staff picked up other experienced players in trade week such as Andrew Raines, Brent Staker, Amon Buchanan and Xavier Clarke, supported with the selection of Matt Maguire at pick 91 in the draft. But at the same time they lost Tim Notting (retirement), Bradd Dalziel (West Coast), Lachlan Henderson (Carlton), Rhan Hooper (Hawthorn), Joel McDonald (Melbourne), Scott Harding (Port Adelaide) and key forward Daniel Bradshaw (Sydney Swans). Bradshaw had spent his whole career at Brisbane spanning 222 games and kicking 496 goals for the club, kicking 75 and 58 goals in 08/09 respectively. Whilst the Lions recruited experienced players at the cost of draft picks and player swaps via trade week they let Bradshaw, McDonald and Harding, all experienced players walk into new AFL clubs for no return.

It’s hard to see how a struggling Brisbane can justify their trade choices, Andrew Raines and Amon Buchanan are struggling to play week in week out in a team skittled with injuries and Xavier Clarke has yet to don the Lions colours. The shining light has been the solid form from Matt Maguire who has shown he will be a handy player in the back half before becoming struck down with injury, whilst utility Brent Staker has proved he can play a role forward or back for the Lions. Though the big talking point of the pre-season was that of the Brendan Fevola show, whose numbers are down on 2009 and body language shows disinterest in where the club is headed.

In 2009 Fevola kicked 89.57 for the Blues averaging 11 kicks, 2 handballs and 2 tackles per game compared to 8 kicks 1 handball and 1 tackle per game in the 2010 season. Fevola is supposedly battling a groin/hip injury which has impeded his recent performances, as Fevola’s injury improves Brisbane will be hoping his and the teams performances follow suit.

At round 14 last year the lions were sitting in sixth spot on the ladder with eight wins and six losses and went on to win six of their next eight to hold sixth spot and push into the second week of finals before being bundled out by the Western Bulldogs in the semi finals. This season, after a barrage of trades Brisbane are staring down the barrel of missing out on playing in September with only 5 wins and 9 losses. You would expect the Lions will have to win seven of their last eight matches of the season to make the eight and with Hawthorn and Geelong standing in their way over the next couple of weeks the season looks all but over.

Although the Lions have important players to come back from injury it would seem they are set to miss out on the 2010 finals series which they traded so fiercely to have an impact on.