“No better example”: How the trade period has set Brisbane up for success

There is no better example of the trade period helping build a premiership list than the Brisbane Lions in 2024.

With the 2024 AFL trade period kicking off later this week, it is the perfect time to look at how the player movement period can set a club up for success.

Kane Cornes highlighted how the Lions have built their list through trades with a sprinkling of quality players from the draft.

In Saturday’s Grand Final, the Lions had seven players from other clubs while the Sydney Swans had just two, shining a light on how cleverly they have recycled.

“You look at how important this period has been for Brisbane in the way that they’ve put this list together,” Cornes said on AFL Trade Radio’s The Early Trade.

“It’s the trade period, it’s the draft where premiership lists are built.

“Look at Lachie Neale, I thought he was the best player on the ground. He comes from another club (Fremantle).

“You look at Hugh McCluggage through the draft, Will Ashcroft through the draft (as a father-son), Josh Dunkley comes into the side (from the Bulldogs), Jaspa Fletcher through the draft.

“They got Joe Daniher (from Essendon) who was a big trade, they got Kai Lohmann who was Pick 20 in 2021, Charlie Cameron comes from Adelaide, Cal Ah Chee kicks four on Grand Final day after coming from another club (Gold Coast). Conor McKenna who came on as the sub from another club (Essendon via retirement).

“This period is how you build your list and there’s no better example of that than what we saw on Saturday with Brisbane completely destroying Sydney in the Grand Final.”

Darcy Fort, who replaced injured ruckman Oscar McInerney for the Grand Final, is the seventh Lion who started his AFL career at another club (Geelong).

Throw in injured duo Lincoln McCarthy (Geelong) and Tom Doedee (Adelaide), who arguably would have played if fit, and it shows that the Lions have recruited superbly in recent years.

They were utterly dominant in the weekend’s decider to win their first flag since 2003 courtesy of a 60-point demolition of the Swans at the MCG.