AFL premiership winner Brisbane Lions are set to get stronger in 2025 despite the retirement of key forward Joe Daniher.
Several important cogs of the team missed the majority of the 2024 season but Chris Fagan's side managed to adapt as the campaign went on.
Knee ACL injuries were sustained by four players - Keidean Coleman, Lincoln McCarthy, Darcy Gardiner and Tom Doedee.
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Doedee suffered his injury in pre-season, Coleman in round one, while McCarthy and Gardiner were a couple of months into the campaign.
This forced the Lions to adapt with Dayne Zorko stepping in Coleman's half back role to become an All Australian at 35, while Kai Lohmann came in for McCarthy to kick 36 goals.
While being short down back at times with Gardiner and Doedee's absence, Darragh Joyce filled in admirably and Eric Hipwood even played a Q-clash as a defender.
With the four ACL absentees returning in 2025, the depth of the Lions squad will be strengthened.
McCarthy can help alleviate the departure of Daniher, while Gardiner has also shown he can be a capable forward if required.
Fagan is also confident in his list believing the Lions are entering a period where they can challenge for multiple premierships.
"The one thing I think about our group is that we are not a flash in the pan - this didn't just happen out of the blue," Fagan told the Dyl and Friends podcast.
"I remember when Hawthorn won in 2008, Clarko's (Alastair Clarkson) third year), it happened so quickly - no one expected it.
"It was just like 'wow' and then everyone said, 'how good is this team going to be', for however many years.
"Guess what happened the next year? They didn't make [the finals in 2009]. And the next year (2010) they got knocked out in the first week of finals.
"The next year they got beaten in the preliminary final (2011) and the next year (2012) they lost the grand final.
"And then they won three [premierships] in a row.
"That [Hawthorn] group is where [current Brisbane] are at - and I'm not saying we are going to win three in a row but we are more at that point than when Hawthorn won in 2008."
