Brisbane Lions Captaincy Decision Nears as Star Forward Backs Andrews
Dual Brisbane premiership forward Charlie Cameron has thrown his support behind Harris Andrews to become the Lions' sole captain, as the club prepares to announce its leadership group for the upcoming AFL season.
Neale's Departure Creates Leadership Vacancy
After leading the Lions alongside Andrews to back-to-back premierships, Lachie Neale relinquished the co-captaincy role earlier in January. This decision came amid a tumultuous and public marriage breakdown that has reshaped Brisbane's leadership landscape.
Coach Chris Fagan has previously admitted he was never particularly fond of the dual-captaincy model. However, Brisbane's remarkable success under the Neale-Andrews partnership – which included three consecutive grand final appearances – made him somewhat superstitious about changing a winning formula.
Contenders Emerge for Leadership Roles
Star midfielders Hugh McCluggage and Josh Dunkley have emerged as the primary contenders to join Andrews in leadership positions, having served as vice-captains during the previous season. While Brisbane could potentially distribute the captaincy among all three players, Andrews appears firmly favoured to take the reins as the sole captain.
"When Lachie stepped down, there was a huge role there to fill with the captaincy," Cameron said during an AFL partnership extension announcement with Virgin Australia in Melbourne on Thursday.
"We'll find out in the next few weeks about our captaincy; we're going through the process at the moment with our leadership group."
Cameron's Strong Endorsement for Andrews
Cameron offered a glowing assessment of Andrews' leadership capabilities, suggesting the defender would thrive as the team's sole captain.
"Harris is an unbelievable captain, so he'd be fine doing it by himself," Cameron stated emphatically. "He's a very good role model for our younger players, and he lives out our trademark. If it's Harris by himself, I'll be pretty happy with that."
The forward also acknowledged the strong credentials of McCluggage and Dunkley, noting: "But Josh and Hughy have been unbelievable vice captains, so they might put their hand up."
Cameron Steps Back from Leadership Role
In a personal revelation, Cameron confirmed he was stepping back from the Lions' leadership group to concentrate on his individual performance. The dual All-Australian was part of Brisbane's nine-man leadership group last season, alongside retired ruck hero Oscar McInerney and defender Brandon Starcevich, who has since moved to West Coast.
Cameron experienced inconsistent form throughout much of last season but delivered when it mattered most, producing a memorable four-goal burst during Brisbane's grand final triumph over Geelong.
"I didn't have the standard I wanted in the season, but the last probably three games of the finals I showed that I can still have that impact with limited opportunities," Cameron reflected.
"Throughout the pre-season, I've stepped back from my leadership role and just tried to focus on my own role going forward. Trying to get myself in a position to have impact in pre-season and understand that my best is up there with the best. I've just got to try and do that consistently."
Hunger Remains for Third-Straight Premiership
As Brisbane prepares to chase an unprecedented third consecutive premiership, Cameron insists the team's motivation remains undiminished.
"Winning the last two was pretty cool ... the players have come back in great shape, and the hunger is still there to go again," the 31-year-old forward declared.
"We've got some players that were injured last year that have come back in great shape and actually put themselves in a position to fight for a spot."
The Lions' leadership announcement is expected within weeks as the club finalises its structure ahead of what promises to be another challenging AFL season.
